CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team returns to the friendly confines of Eichelberger Field to open a seven-game homestand, starting with a midweek doubleheader against Green Bay on Wednesday (April 18) beginning at 4 p.m. CT.
ILLINI NOTES
- Weather was a big factor last week as the Illini were unable to reschedule a previously scheduled game, before having it's three-game series at Wisconsin altered due to the forecast. The Illini were only able to play a doubleheader on Thursday, with Friday's series finale cancelled due to rain. UI dropped both contests, 4-2 and 6-2, against the Badgers at Goodman Diamond in Madison, Wis.
- With just 13 games remaining on the schedule for the regular season, the Illini sit at 25-15 on the season and are in seventh place in the Big Ten Conference standings with a 6-6 record. The Illini own an impressive 6-1 mark at home in Eichelberger Field, including a series sweep of Maryland.
- In the latest NCAA softball RPI that was released on Monday (April 17), the Illini came in at the No. 57 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 587-426 -2 overall record, with the second game against Cal Poly on March 17 marking the 1,000 game Illini softball has played. In Big Ten conference action, the Illini also hold a 188-168 (.528) mark.
LAST WEEK STANDOUTS
- Senior Maddi Doane led the Illini offense in their doubleheader setback at Wisconsin, posting a .500 batting average with three hits, a run and a stolen base.
- Freshman Bella Loya also added a .500 batting average with two hits - including a double - to go along with a run scored, a walk, a .750 slugging percentage and a .600 on-base percentage.
- In the circle, junior Taylor Edwards registered a 3.50 ERA after giving up four runs – three earned – on seven hits and three walks in a complete game effort in game one of the doubleheader.
HEAD COACH TYRA PERRY EARNS 500TH CAREER WIN & 100TH WIN AT ILLINOIS
- 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 509-446-1 overall record for a 53.3 winning percentage.
- In just her third season at the helm of the Illinois softball program, Perry earned her 100th win as an Illini with a 20-2 win over Maryland on April 8 and is 100-58 (.633) during her time in the Orange and Blue.
ILLINI SWEEP MARYLAND IN OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
- The Illini earned their first Big Ten Conference series sweep of the season and the first since taking three from Michigan State last season with a dominating performance against Maryland on April 6-8 that included two run-rule victories.
- The Illini opened the weekend with an 11-0 shutout win on Friday, before a 7-1 victory on Saturday and a 20-2 beat down on Sunday. For the series, the Illini registered 38 runs on 38 hits, including eight doubles, two triples and three home runs, and totaled 36 RBI, in the three games, while holding the Terps to just three runs.
- The 20 runs plated by the Illini on Sunday tied for the second-most runs scored in a single game in program history, while their 19 RBI on the day also tied for second-most in program history and the 18 hits against the Terps ranked in a tie for fourth-most knocks in a game.
- Senior Maddi Doane and junior Kiana Sherlund paced the Illinois offense on Sunday as Doane went 2-for-3 with two home runs, six RBI and three runs, while Sherlund notched 3-for-4 performance with a grand slam and a double, five RBI and three runs. Doane's six RBI tied for the second-most RBI in a game in the record books.
SHERLUND STAYING HOT
- Junior Kiana Sherlund has been an offensive catalyst for the Illini this season, leading UI and ranking third in the Big Ten with a .391 batting average. The junior also paces the conference with seven triples, as well as sitting second with 59 hits, tied for fourth with 89 total bases, sixth with 36 runs and tied for ninth with 33 RBI.
- Her seven three-baggers this season is tied with Rachelle Coriddi (2005) for the program record for triples in a season and ranks third in the nation, with her 0.18 triples per game also sitting third in the NCAA.
- Sherlund also ranks 15th in the nation in hits, as well as 51st in total bases and 68th in runs per game.
- She owns a team-high 20 multiple-hit games - including five three-hit contests and one four-hit game - while also totaling eight multiple-RBI games this season, highlighted by a five-RBI effort on Sunday against Maryland as well as four-RBI performances in wins over Murray State on March 3 and UIC on March 20.
- Despite not recording a hit in a doubleheader against Wisconsin, Sherlund had another impressive offensive weekend in the series sweep of Maryland with a .667 batting average on an 8-of-12 performance at the plate, including knocking a double, a triple and a home run, while also totaling seven RBI, five runs and 14 total bases. Sherlund also notched a 1.167 slugging percentage, a .692 on-base percentage and a 1.000 fielding percentage.
ILLINI AT THE PLATE
- The Illini lead the Big Ten in eight offensive categories, including batting average (.325), slugging percentage (.502), runs scored (262), hits (366), RBI (237), doubles (65), triples (13) and total bases (565), while also sitting third in on-base percentage (.392) and home runs (36).
- The Illini owns one of the top-ranked offenses in the nation, averaging 6.55 runs per game to sit ninth, while also ranking in the top 50 nationally in batting average (ninth), doubles per game (1.63, 13th), slugging percentage (14th), triples per game (0.33, 20th), home runs per game (0.90, 45th) and double plays per game (49th, 0.40).
- Redshirt-junior Carly Thomas ranks 12th in the nation and leads the Big Ten with four sacrifices, while also ranking 21st in the NCAA and second in the league with 14 doubles on the season. She is also 28th with 0.35 doubles per game and 57th with 0.93 runs per game in the NCAA.
- Thomas ranks in the top 15 in the conference in runs (37, t-second), RBI (eighth, 34), hits (ninth, 47), batting average (12th, .364), total bases (12th, 78) and slugging percentage (14th, .605).
- Senior Maddi Doane joins both Sherlund and Thomas in the top 15 in batting average in the Big Ten and sits sixth with a .389 clip on the season. Doane also ranks eighth with a .695 slugging percentage, ninth with seven home runs and is 13th with a .439 on-base percentage.
- In Big Ten action, Thomas sits second in the league with 14 runs scored.
- Junior Stephanie Abello leads the Illini with 10 multible RBI games, including two three-RBI contests and one five-RBI game, while Sherlund and Thomas both sit in second with eight multi-RBI games.
- Freshman Bella Loya is currently riding a five-game hitting streak and owns the longest of the season for the Illini at 15-games, while Thomas owns the longest reached-base streak at 24 games - which was stopped in game one the Wisconsin doubleheader last Thursday.
