Illini Host Wildcats in B1G Doubleheader on Wednesday

Wednesday, March 28

Urbana, Ill.

3 p.m. CT

University of Illinois

Northwestern

Illini Host Wildcats in B1G Doubleheader on Wednesday

March 27, 2018 | Softball

Illinois set for BTN-broadcasted doubleheader with Northwestern at 3 & 5 p.m. CT

Games 32-33: Illinois (21-10, 2-1 B1G) vs. Northwestern (19-9, 2-1 B1G)
When & Where	March 28, 2018 // 3 & 5 p.m. CT // Eichelberger Field // Urbana, Ill.
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| TV: BTN \| Live Video: BTN2Go \| Radio: WDWS 1400 \| Listen
Full Game Notes	Illinois \| Northwestern
Statistics	Illinois \| Northwestern
Series History	Illinois trails, 12-26 // Last: L, 4-3; 5/3/2017; Evanston, Ill. // Streak Lost 4
Tickets	FREE
Social Media	@IlliniSB \| #Illini \| Facebook \| @IlliniSB \| YouTube

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team continues Big Ten Conference action with a BTN-broadcasted doubleheader against in-state rival Northwestern on Wednesday (March 28). First pitch for game one is slated for 3 p.m. CT at Eichelberger Field, with game two following after the conclusion of game one.

ILLINI NOTES

The Illini continued their strong play last week with a 5-1 record that included a sweep of UIC, a run-rule victory at SIUE and a Big Ten series win at Purdue and have won 12 of their last 14 games. The only setbacks the Illini have suffered in that span were to Cal Poly and Purdue.
In the latest NCAA softball RPI that was released on Monday (March 26), the Illini came in at the No. 52 spot.
The 2018 season marks the 19th season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 58.1 winning percentage as a program with a 583-421 -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 184-163 (.530) mark.

LAST WEEK STANDOUTS

Senior Maddi Doane paced the Illini with a .526 batting average with 10 hits - including two doubles and three home runs - as well as a team-high 10 RBI and seven runs in the last six games over the past week.
Redshirt-junior Carly Thomas registered a .500 batting average with a team-high 11 hits, including four doubles, a triple and two home runs, while also totaling a team-high off 11 runs and eight RBI. She notched team-highs of 23 total bases, a 1.045 slugging percentage and a .577 on-base percentage, as well as going two-for-three in stolen base attempts.
Junior Taylor Edwards registered a 2-0 record with a team-best 2.93 ERA after giving up just six earned runs on 10 hits and striking out 11 in 14.1 innings. Edwards allowed just two multi-base knocks as opponents batted at a .196 clip against the Arcola, Ill., native.

DINGERS FOR DAYS

The Illini have registered 27 home runs this season and have knocked at least one home run in nine of the last 11 games - including an eight-game span that ran from the second game against Missouri on March 14 to SIUE last Wednesday.
The Illini totaled 11 homers over the last week, including hitting a season-high five dingers in game one against UIC last Tuesday.

HEAD COACH TYRA PERRY EARNS 500TH CAREER WIN

With a 5-3 win over Cal Poly on 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 505-441-1 overall record for a 53.4 winning percentage.
In her third season at the helm of the Illinois softball program, Perry is just four wins from marking her 100th in Champaign and is 96-53 (.644) during her time in the Orange and Blue.

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 .403 batting average. The junior also paces the squad with 48 hits, 29 runs, 25 RBI, six triples, 72 total bases and seven stolen bases.
The junior sits in the top 15 in several offensive categories in the Big Ten, including leading the league in hits, triples and tota bases, ranking second in batting average and runs, tied for sixth in RBIs and tied for 11th in slugging percentage and stolen bases.
Her six three-baggers this season ranks third in the nation as well as tied for second-most in program history. Sherlund is just one triple off the program record set by Rachelle Coriddi in 2005.
She owns a team-high 16 multiple-hit games - including three three-hit contests and one four-hit game - as well as six multiple-RBI games this season, highlighted by four-RBI performances in wins over Murray State on March 3 and UIC on March 20.
In her last 10 contests, Sherlund has registered a .419 batting average with 18 hits, incuding four triples, two home runs and a double, as well as 12 runs, 10 RBI and two stolen bases.

ILLINI AT THE PLATE

The Illini lead the Big Ten in nine categories, including batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.503), on-base percentage (.396), runs (198), hits (295), RBI (177), doubles (48), triples (11) and total bases (446), while also ranking second with 27 home runs.
Nationally, the Illini rank 10th in batting average, 14th in slugging percentage, 19th in triples per game (0.35), 29th in on-base percentage, 31st in doubles per game (1.55) and 42nd in home runs per game (0.87).
The Illini are averaging 6.39 runs per game to rank 12th in scoring in the NCAA.
Redshirt-junior Carly Thomas paces the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the nation with 13 doubles on the season, while also ranking 11th in doubles per game (0.42). The California native also sits 27th in the NCAA and second in the conference with three sacrifice flies.
In the Big Ten, Thomas also ranks in the top 15 in runs (third, 27), total bases (fourth, 62), hits (t6th, 38), RBI (t6th, 25), batting average (10th, .365) and slugging percentage (15th, .596).
Along with Sherlund, the Illini have five players in the top 15 in batting average in the Big Ten with seniors Maddi Doane (6th, .380), Sam Acosta (8th, (.374), Thomas (t10th, .365) and freshman Bella Loya (.359) joining her in the rankings.
Loya has been coming on strong midway in her freshman campaign and also ranks fifth with a .667 slugging percentage in the Big Ten, as well as sixth with a .444 on-base percentage and six home runs and 13th with 52 total bases.