Illini Softball Set for Home Opener on Tuesday

Tuesday, March 20

Urbana, Ill.

2:15 p.m. CT

University of Illinois

UIC

March 19, 2018 | Softball

Illini to face UIC in a doubleheader on Tuesday, before heading to SIUE for Wednesday night game

Games 26-27: Illinois (16-9) vs. UIC (11-8)
When & Where	March 20, 2018 // 2:15 & 4:15 p.m. CT // Eichelberger Field // Urbana, Ill.
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Live Video: BTN2Go
Full Game Notes	Illinois
Statistics	Illinois \| UIC
Series History	Illinois leads, 6-0 // Last: W, 7-5; 3/21/2017; Urbana, Ill. // Streak Won 6
Tickets	FREE
Social Media	@IlliniSB \| #Illini \| Facebook \| @IlliniSB \| YouTube

Game 28: Illinois at SIUE
When & Where	March 21, 2018 // 4 p.m. CT // Cougar Field // Edwardsville, Ill.
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Live Video: OVC Digital Network
Full Game Notes	Illinois
Statistics	Illinois \| SIUE
Series History	Illinois leads, 1-0 // Last: W, 5-2; 4/12/2017; Urbana, Ill. // Streak Won 1
Tickets	General Admission: $8 \| Children 5 and Under: Free \| CASH ONLY \| More Information
Social Media	@IlliniSB \| #Illini \| Facebook \| @IlliniSB \| YouTube

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - After being away from the friendly confines of Eichelberger Field for six weeks to open the season, the Illinois softball team is set to host UIC for its 2018 home opener with a doubleheader on Tuesday (March 20) beginning at 2:15 p.m. CT, before heading to Edwardsville, Ill., for a Wednesday (March 21) afternoon contest against SIUE at 4 p.m.

ILLINI NOTES

The Illini are coming off one of its most-successful weeks of the season as they went 5-1 with series sweeps of Missouri and Fresno State and a split with Cal Poly.
Illinois has won seven of their last eight games and are 13-3 in the last 16 contests, including sweeping the SIU Coach B Classic and series wins over UMass-Lowell, Missouri and Fresno State. The only setbacks the Illini have suffered in that span were to No. 23 Mississippi State and Cal Poly on Saturday.
The first NCAA softball PRI was released on Monday (March 19), with the Illini coming in at the No. 50 spot.
The 2018 season marks the 19th season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 57.9 winning percentage as a program with a 578-420 -2 overall record, with Saturday's second game against Cal Poly marking the 1,000 game Illini softball has played. In Big Ten conference action, the Illini also hold a 182-162 mark.

HEAD COACH TYRA PERRY EARNS 500TH CAREER WIN

With a 5-3 win over Cal Poly on Saturday (March 17), head coach Tyra Perry earned her 500th career win as a Division 1 softball head coach. In her 17th season as a head coach, Perry owns a 500-440-1 overall record for a 53.2 winning percentage.
In her third season at the helm of the Illinois softball program, Perry is just nine wins from marking her 100th in Champaign and is 91-52 (.636) during her time in the Orange and Blue.

LOYA NAMED BIG TEN CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Feshman catcher Bella Loya was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after a breakout offensive performance helped lead the Illinois softball team to a 5-1 record over the past week, including series sweeps of Missouri and Fresno State, the conference announced on Monday (March 19).
Loya registered a .500 batting average with nine hits – including two doubles and three home runs – on the week, while also adding a 1.111 slugging percentage to go along with five RBI, five runs and 20 total bases. Defensively, she added 11 putouts behind the plate for a 1.000 fielding percentage.
The Mission Viejo, Calif., native started off her week by hitting at a .800 clip with four hits in two wins over Missouri, before excelling in her home state at the Fresno State Friendly with home runs in each of the wins over FSU on Friday night. She then wrapped up the weekend with three hits – including her third home run of the weekend, two RBI and two runs in a split with Cal Poly on Saturday.

FRESNO STATE FRIENDLY STANDOUTS

Junior Kiana Sherlund paced the Illini offense with a .556 batting average on a team-high 10 hits – including a pair of triples and a home run – as well as five RBI and five runs.
Senior Leigh Farina was also impressive with a .462 average with six hits – including two doubles – six runs and an RBI.
Freshman Bella Loya added five hits, including three going as home runs, four RBI and four runs on the weekend.
Sophomore Akilah Mouzon had a breakout weekend in the circle, pacing the Illini with a 1.65 ERA in 17 innings of action after giving up just four earned runs on 15 hits and a walk. The Newark, N.J., native went 2-1 in four appearances and earned her first career win in a strong relief effort in game one against Fresno State as she allowed just two runs – only one earned – on four hits and struck out two in 5.1 innings.

SHERLUND STAYING HOT

Junior Kiana Sherlund has been an offensive catalyst for the Illini this season, leading UI and ranking second in the Big Ten with a .426 batting average. The junior also paces the squad with 40 hits, 22 runs, 20 RBI, four triples, 56 total bases and six stolen bases.
The junior sits in the top 15 in several offensive categories in the Big Ten, including leading the league in hits, ranking second in batting average, triples and total bases, tied for fifth in runs, eighth in on-base percentage and RBIs, tied for 12th in slugging percentage and tied for 15th in stolen bases.
Her four three-baggers this season ranks eight in the nation as well as sitting in a tie for fourth-most in program history.
She owns a team-high 15 multiple-hit games - including three three-hit contests - as well as five multiple-RBI games this season, highlighted by a four RBI performance in a win over Murray State on March 3.
The Fairfax, N.J., native also owns the longest hitting streak on the Illini at 11 games and is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak and reached-base streak.
In her last eight contests, Sherlund has registered a team-leading .529 batting average with 18 hits, incuding four triples and a home run, as well as 10 runs, eight RBI and three stolen bases.

ILLINI AT THE PLATE

The Illini pace the conference and rank 24th in the NCAA with a .320 batting average, while also ranking nationally in triples per game (27th, 0.32), scoring (37th, 5.56), slugging percentage (41st, .460), double plays per game (58th, 0.40) and doubles per game (59th, 1.40).
UI also sits in the top four in the league in numerous offensive categories, including leading the league in hits (226), runs (139), triples (eight) and total bases (325), as well ranking second in slugging percentage (.460), RBIs (124), sacrifice flies (6), third in on-base percentage (.376) and tied for fourth in doubles (35).
Redshirt-junior Carly Thomas is the co-leader in the Big Ten with nine doubles on the season, while also ranking 46th in doubles per game. The California native also sits 17th in the nation and paces the conference with three sacrifice flies and is tied for 13th in the league with 17 RBI.
Along with Sherlund, the Illini have three players in the top 15 in batting average in the Big Ten with senior Leigh Farina (11th, .361) and freshman Bella Loya (13th, .356) joining Sherlund in the rankings.
Loya has been coming on in her freshman campaign and also ranks eighth with a .627 slugging percentage in the Big Ten, as well as tie for 11th with four home runs and tied for 15th with a .424 on-base percentage.