CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -Â The RV/No. 22 Fighting Illini softball team wraps up their six games in six days, as well as the 2017 regular season this weekend as Ohio State comes to Eichelberger Field for a three-game series on May 5-7. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT on Friday and 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.Â
Saturday will also be the annual World's Largest Softball Tailgate and Senior Day, with WLST beginning at 11 a.m., and the senior ceremony taking place after the conclusion of the game. Friday and Saturday's games will both be broadcasted on WDWS 1400, with Sunday's contest also airing on BTN.
Despite senior Nicole Evans tying the program record for career home runs with her 51st long ball in the day's opening game, the Fighting Illini softball team dropped a doubleheader at Northwestern, 7-3 and 4-3, on a cold Wednesday (May 3) afternoon at Drysdale Field. Senior Ruby Rivera Rivera led the game one offense with a 2-for-3 effort to go along with two RBI and a run, with Doane turning in a 2-for-3 performance with an RBI and a run in game two. Senior Breanna Wonderly (18-12) took both losses after allowing 11 runs - only six earned - on 13 hits and four walks and striking out four in 8.0 innings of work.
Heading into the final weekend of regular season play, the Illini sit in third place and are a game ahead of this weekend's opponent Ohio State and Nebraska, who are tied at 13-7 in the conference standings.
The Illini have won four Big Ten Conference series this season - including three-straight during a three-week span -Â with series victories over Iowa, Purdue, Michigan State and Nebraska.Â
In the most recent NCAA softball RPI, released on Monday (May 1), the Illini came in at No. 22 and were the second-highest team ranked in the Big Ten behind conference leader Minnesota at No. 11. Also highlighting the Top 25 list are Illini opponents No. 4 Auburn, No. 7 Oregon, No. 12 LSU and No. 25 California, while Michigan represented the third Big Ten team in the top 25, coming in just behind the Illini at No. 23. Two weeks ago on April 17, the Illini garnered a season-high ranking of No. 19. Â
The Illini own an 11-4 mark at Eichelberger Field this season, with the only losses coming against then-No. 6 Minnesota on March 31 and April 2 and against Wisconsin and Eastern Illinois.
PROMOTIONS
FRIDAY, MAY 5
SOFTBALL vs. Ohio State @ 5pm | Eichelberger Field
   Softball Trading Cards giveaway - This set includes Kiana Sherlund, Veronica Ruelius, Akilah Mouzon, Katie Gallagher, Rowan McGuire, Carly Thomas, Siena Sandoval, Alexis Carrillo, Taylor Edwards, and Hanna Nilsen.
   Plus, be sure to add @IlliniAthletics on Snapchat to catch Ruby Rivera and Maddi Doane takeover our account before the game!
SATURDAY, MAY 6
SOFTBALL vs. Ohio State @ 1pm | Eichelberger Field
   World's Largest Softball Tailgate – Get to the game at 11am for tailgating fun, including a Bounce House, face painting, koozie giveaway, and food vendors!
   Senior Day -- Help us celebrate our four seniors with post-game autographs and more.
   Softball Trading Cards giveaway - The set includes Nicole Evans, Ruby Rivera, Breanna Wonderly, and Alyssa Gunther.
SUNDAY, MAYÂ 7
SOFTBALL vs. Ohio State @ 1pm | Eichelberger Field
   Kickball Sunday - Enjoy a game of kickball on the field after the game, plus free Papa John's Pizza.
   Softball Trading Cards giveaway - The set includes Annie Fleming, Leigh Farina, Jill Nicklas, Sam Acosta, and Erin Walker.
ILLINI NOTES
- After making their debut in the ESPN.com/USA Softball top-25 poll last week at No. 22, the Illini continue to hold steady for the second-straight week with a ranking of No. 22. The Illini debutted in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Top 25 Poll two weeks ago at No. 25, but dropped out last week. While out of the top-25, the Illini are appearing in the receiving votes section and garnered the second-most votes outside the Top 25 with 24 points this week. It is the seventh time this season and sixth-straight week that the Illini have either received votes in both polls or appeared in the top 25.
- Prior to this seaosn, the Illini last appeared in the NFCA poll on Jan. 24, 2011, when they were ranked No. 24 in the preseason poll. The highest ranking the Illini have achieved in program history is No. 17, earning that ranking twice on May 18, 2004 and May 11, 2010. For the first time in program history a trio of Fighting Illini softball student-athletes garnered College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District honors as senior Nicole Evans, junior Annie Fleming and sophomore Stephanie Abello were each named to the District Five First-Team, the organization announced on Thursday (May 4).
- It is the first honor of its kind for both Evans and Abello, while Fleming becomes just the fourth Illini softball player to collect the accolade twice after being selected as an Academic All-District First-Team honoree a season ago.
- With her 16th home run of the season at Northwestern on Wednesday (May 3), senior Nicole Evans equaled former Illini standut Angelena Mexicano's mark of 51 career home runs to tie the program's career home run record.
- Senior Nicole Evans had a career day on April 8 as she became the program's career RBI leader after posting a career-high six RBI on the day, including knocking her fourth career grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning -Â which put her over previous record holder Angelena Mexicano's total of 164 by one. The Glen Ellyn, Ill., native currently owns 171 career RBI with one week remaining in the regular season.
- Junior Maddi Doane has paced the Illlini in their three midweek contests coming into the weekend, hitting at a .400 clip with four hits, an RBI and a run scored.Â
- Right behind Doane is juniors Leigh Farina and Annie Fleming and senior Ruby Rivera, who have eached batted at a .375 percentage with three hits through three games. Rivera owns two RBI with a two-run long ball at Northwestern on Wednesday, while the trio have combined for four runs scored.
- In the circle, junior Erin Walker owns a 0.00 ERA in two appearances this week, allowing just two unearned runs on six hits and two walks and striking out one in 7.1 innings of action.
- Junior Kate Giddens has also been strong in the circle, giving up just two hits in 1.1 innings of work in an appearance at Northwestern on Wednesday.
NEXT UP
Illinois will next head to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, hosted by Michigan on May 11-13 at the Wilpon Complex. Seeding and game times for the tournament are to be determined.
