No. 25 Illini Softball Head South for Mardi Gras Invitational

Friday, February 22

Mobile, Ala.

12:15 p.m. CT

University of Illinois

Hofstra

No. 25 Illini Softball Head South for Mardi Gras Invitational

February 21, 2019 | Softball

Illinois travels to Mobile, Ala., to face Hofstra, South Alabama, Nicholls State & Stephen F. Austin

Mardi Gras Invitational
Game 10: Hofstra (0-4)	Friday, Feb. 22, 2019 \| 12:15 p.m. CT \| Jaguar Field \| Mobile, Ala. Live Stats
Game 11: South Alabama (4-5)	Friday, Feb. 22, 2019 \| 4:45 p.m. CT \| Jaguar Field \| Mobile, Ala. Live Stats \| Video
Game 12: Nicholls State (7-4)	Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 \| 11:15 a.m. CT \| Jaguar Field \| Mobile, Ala. Live Stats
Game 13: Stephen F. Austin (9-3)	Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019 \| 3:45 p.m. CT \| Jaguar Field \| Mobile, Ala. Live Stats
Game 14: Nicholls State (7-4)	Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019 \| 9 a.m. CT \| Jaguar Field \| Mobile, Ala. Live Stats
Tournament Central	http://bit.ly/MardiGrasInvite-TourneyCentral
Tournament Notes	Illinois
2019 Statistics	Illinois \| Hofstra \| South Alabama \| Nicholls State \| Stephen F. Austin
Series History	Hofstra: Illinois leads, 4-2 // Last: W, 2-0; 3/9/2014; Boca Raton, Fla. // Streak: Won 3 South Alabama: Illinois trails, 0-3 // Last: L, 10-3; 2/10/2018; Longwood, Fla. // Streak: Lost 3 Nicholls State: First Meeting Stephen F. Austin: First meeting
Social Media	@IlliniSB \| #Illini \| Facebook \| @IlliniSB \| YouTube

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The No. 25 Illinois softball team next heads to Mobile, Alabama, for the Mardi Gras Invitational, hosted by the University of South Alabama at Jaguar Field on February 22-24. The Illini will face Hofstra and the host Jaguars on Friday, Nicholls State and Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, before wrapping up the weekend with a second meeting with NSU.

ILLINI NOTES

The 2019 season marks the 20th season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 58.4 winning percentage as a program and earned their landmark 600th win in the first game of the 2019 season - a 7-4 win over No. 22 Oklahoma State - and own a 606-431-2 overall record, as well as a 195-170 mark in Big Ten Conference action.
The Illini put together a dominating weekend at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Atlanta, sweeping all four games against Boston College and Georgia Tech on the weekend and improved to 9-3 all-time in the Challenge. Illinois opened the weekend with a 12-3 five-inning win over BC, before taking a 15-10 win over Georgia Tech in a rain-shortened game on Friday. UI then finished with a pair of 7-3 victories over both teams on Saturday to end the weekend. The Illini outscored its foes, 41-19 and registered a .405 batting average, while totaling 45 hits, including 10 doubles and seven home runs.

ILLINI IN THE POLLS

After posting an undefeated weekend at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, the Illini were ranked in all three polls, coming in at No. 25 in the USA Today/NFCA Top-25 poll, No. 24 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top-25 poll and No. 18 in the Softball America Top-25 poll.
The Illini opened the season unranked, but after a successful first weekend in Houston, the Illini entered the recieving votes setion of both the NFCA and USA Softball polls, while also being ranked at No. 21 in the Softball America Top-25.

ACC/BIG TEN STANDOUTS

Senior Kiana Sherlund set the tone offensively for the Illinois softball team at the ACC/B1G Challenge as the leadoff hitter paced the team with a .727 batting average after going 8-for-11 with two doubles and two RBI, while posting team-highs of eight runs scored and six walks. Sherlund registered 10 total bases, a .909 slugging percentage and an .824 on-base percentage, while also adding a stolen base and five putouts.
Sophomore Rhein Trochim continued her impressive start to the season after posting a .583 batting average on seven hits and notching four RBI and four runs in Atlanta, while redshirt-senior Carly Thomas (7 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR) and sophomore Bella Loya (6 RBI, 2 2B, 1 HR) provided power at the plate.
Freshman Sydney Sickels had another strong weekend in the circle for Illinois at the ACC/B1G Challenge, earning wins in all three of her appearances on the weekend. Sickels registered a 2.27 ERA after allowing just four earned runs on nine hits and four walks in 12.1 innings. She also totaled 12 strikeouts and held her opponents to a .205 batting average.

HITTING STREAKS

Redshirt-Seniors Annie Fleming and Carly Thomas and senior Kiana Sherlund have recorded at least one hit in all nine games the Illini have played this season, with Sherlund owning a team-high five multiple-hit contests.

ILLINI AT THE PLATE

Senior Kiana Sherlund leads the Illini and the Big Ten with 15 hits, 12 runs and five doubles, while also ranking second in the league with a .500 batting average, a .605 on-base percentage and eight walks. She is also fourth with four stolen bases.
Sherlund also ranks in the top 30 of the NCAA in doubles (16th), runs per game (22nd) and hits (27th).
Joining Sherlund in the top 15 in the Big Ten in batting average are sophomore Rhein Trochim (fifth, .444) and redshirt-senior Annie Fleming (11th, .406), with Fleming also sitting in a tie for fourth with 13 hits.
Sophomore Bella Loya owns a team-high 13 RBI and five home runs, ranking sixth and first, respectively in the Big Ten, while also sitting eighth in the nation in dingers.

SHERLUND NAMED TO TOP 50 WATCH LIST FOR 2019 USA SOFTBALL COLLEGIATE POY

Senior Kiana Sherlund was named to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the organization announced on January 30.
A National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Midwest Region First-Team and unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection a season ago, Sherlund paced the Illini in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.397), runs (52), hits (81), triples (8), RBI (47) and total bases (122), while also ranking second in stolen bases (15). The outfielder also led the Big Ten Conference in hits, triples and total bases, while also ranking fourth in batting average and runs and seventh in RBIs.
An Illinois Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year Finalist in 2018, Sherlund also ranked third in the NCAA in triples and eighth in hits, with her eight three-baggers and 81 knocks setting new season records for the program in both categories. The Fairfax, Virginia native owned a team-high 36 multiple-hit games, while also totaling 12 multiple-RBI contests, with four of her six home runs she registered last season going as grand slams.