CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team returns to action with midweek neutral-site doubleheader against Missouri at the Lou Brock Sports Complex on the campus of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., on Wednesday (March 14). First pitch for game one is slated for 2 p.m. CT, with game two set to begin at 4 p.m. The Illini are the designated home team for game one while Mizzou will serve as the host squad in the finale.
ILLINI NOTES
- The Illini are coming off a 3-2 week, with a midweek win over Bradley on Wednesday, followed by a pair of setbacks to No. 23 Mississippi State and back-to-back wins over UMass-Lowell in Starkville, Miss.
- In her 17th season as an NCAA Division I softball head coach, Tyra Perry sits just five wins away from her 500th career victory and owns a 495-439-1 overall record with a .530 winning percentage.
- In her third season at the helm of the Illinois softball program, Perry is just 10 wins from marking her 100th in Champaign and is 90-51 (.638) during her time in the Orange and Blue.
- The 2018 season marks the 19th season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 57.7 winning percentage as a program with a 573-419 -2 overall record, as well as a 182-162 mark in Big Ten Conference action.
OESTREICH TOSSES 13TH NO-HITTER IN PROGRAM HISTORY
- Junior Emily Oestreich did not allow a hit in six innings en route to tossing just the 13th no-hitter in program history in an 11-0 run-rule victory over UMass-Lowell on Saturday (March 10) afternoon.
- Oestreich was dominant in the circle for the Illini, equaling a season-high eight strikeouts, while allowing just three base runners all day on three walks.
MISSISSIPPI STATE STANDOUTS
- Senior Maddi Doane paced the Illini at the plate in Starkville with a .778 batting average on a 7-of-9 effort to go with a double, triple and two RBI. She collected a pair of hits and an RBI in each of the first games against Mississippi State and UMass-Lowell, while also knocking two hits in game two against UML.
- Redshirt-junior Carly Thomas posted a .583 average with team-highs of seven hits, five RBI and five runs. Her weekend was highlighted by a 4-for-4 performance with two RBI and a run scored in the first game against Mississippi State, before collecting two hits, two runs, two RBI and a stolen bases in the first game against UMass-Lowell.
- Junior Kiana Sherlund notched a team-high five runs in the four games against MSU and UML.
- Senior Kate Giddens went 2-for-3 as a pinch hitter, including a walk-off grand slam in an 11-0 run-rule victory over UML on Saturday. It was Giddens' first home run of the season and second career long ball.
ILLINI AT THE PLATE
- The Illini pace the conference and rank 25th in the NCAA with a .321 batting average, while also ranking nationally in doubles per game (32nd, 1.53), slugging percentage (56th, .444) and scoring (63rd, 5.21).
- UI also sits in the top four in the league in slugging percentage (second, .444), on-base percentage (second, .374), hits (second, 170), total bases (second, 235) and doubles (t-third, 29).
- Redshirt-junior Carly Thomas leads the Big Ten and ranks 10th in the NCAA with nine doubles on the season, while also ranking 11th with 0.47 doubles per game.
- The Illini have two players in the top 15 in batting average in the Big Ten, with junior Kiana Sherlund leading the way in fourth with a .382 average and senior Sam Acosta sitting 11th with a .367 percentage.
- Sherlund leads the Illini and ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten with 26 hits this season, while also sitting in a tie for 10th with 15 runs and 13th with a .417 on-base percentage.
- Thomas also sits in the top 15 in the league in RBI (t-11th, 15), total bases (t-14th, 34) and runs (t-15th, 14).
ILLINI IN THE CIRCLE
- In the circle, junior Emily Oestreich paces the Illini with a 2.79 ERA in 62.2 innings of action, making 16 appearances and starting 12 contests. Her seven wins on the season rank in a tie for fifth in the league, while her frames worked sits ninth in the B1G.
- Oestreich also sits eighth in the conference with 56 strikeouts, while ranking 12th in opponent batting average with foes only hitting .227 against the right hander.
- Junior Taylor Edwards sits second in the conference and 23rd nationally with two saves in 2018.
