Friday, March 22
Urbana, Ill.
5 p.m. CT
University of Illinois
vs
Wisconsin
Illini Welcome in No. 23 Wisconsin for B1G Opener
March 21, 2019 | Softball
| Games 25-27: Illinois (18-6) vs. No. 23 Wisconsin (21-3) | |
|---|---|
| When & Where | March 22-24, 2019 // Friday: 5 p.m. CT | Saturday: 1 pm. CT | Sunday: 12 p.m. CT // Eichelberger Field // Urbana, Ill. |
| Game Coverage | Live Stats | Live Video: BTN Plus ($) |
| Full Game Notes | Illinois |
| Statistics | Illinois | Wisconsin |
| Series History |
Illinois leads, 23-18 // Last: L, 6-2; 4/12/2018; Madison, Wis. // Streak Lost 3 |
| Tickets | FREE |
| Social Media | @IlliniSB  | #Illini | Facebook  | @IlliniSB  | YouTube 
|
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team continues its seven-game homestand when it welcomes No. 23 WIsconsin to Eichelberger Field for the Big Ten Conference-opening three-game series this weekend on March 22-24. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT on Friday, 1 p.m. CT on Saturday and 12 p.m. CT on Sunday,
The Illini will then wrap up the homestand next Tuesday (March 26) with a midweek match-up against Eastern Illinois at 5 p.m. CT.
ILLINI NOTES
- The 2019 season marks the 20th season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 58.6 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 617-435-2 overall record, as well as a 195-170 mark in Big Ten Conference action.
- The Illini are 9-9 in Big Ten Conference openers and fell in last season's conference opener, 6-3, at Purdue on March 22, 2018, but bounced back to take the series with a pair of wins (14-6 in nine innings, 10-2 in six frames) on March 23, 2018.
- The Illini opened its 2019 home schedule with a 9-4 victory over IUPUI on Tuesday, before splitting a Wednesday doubleheader with Indiana State after falling in game one, 9-2, and rebounding for a 7-4 win in game two.
- The Illini finished off the their nonconference tournament slate with a 4-1 record at the LMU Tournament this past weekend, outscoring their foes, 30-017, with a pair of run-rule victories over UCSB and Cal Poly, as well as a victory at Loyola Maryland and a second win over CPU.
- The first NCAA softball PRI was released on Monday (March 18), with the Illini coming in at the No. 20 spot. The Illini are the third-highest Big Ten team, sitting only behind No. 12 Minnesota and No. 16 Northwestern.
ILLINI AT EICHELBERGER FIELD
- The Illini improved to 15-4 in home openers and have now won four-straight after Tuesday's 9-4 win over IUPUI.
- The Illini tallied one of their best home seasons in program history a season ago with a 15-2 record at Eichelberger Field in 2018, including posting the second-highest win percentage and most victories in program history.
MIDWEEK STAT SHOUTOUTS
- Senior Veronica Ruelius paced the Illini in the three midweek contest, registering a .750 batting average with a team-high four RBI on three hits and five walks, while also tallying two home runs and three runs on the week.
- Sophomore Bella Loya and redshirt-senior Annie Fleming also turned in .455 averages, with Loya also posting a team-high four RBI to go along with five hits - including a double and a homer - and three runs and Fleming notching three runs and two RBI.
- Senior Emily Oestreich earned both wins on the week with a 2.42 ERA after giving up just three earned runs on nine hits and one walk and striking out two in 8.2 innings of work.
ILLINI AT THE PLATE
- As a team, the Illini pace the Big Ten Conference in batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.552), on-base percentage (.413), runs (162), doubles (47), home runs (31), while also ranking second in RBI (137) and third in hits (226) and total bases (374).
- Nationally, the Illini rank in the top 21 in the NCAA in doubles per game (2nd, 1.96), batting average (14th), slugging percentage (15th), scoring (17th, 6.75), on-base percentage (20th, .411) and home runs per game (22nd, 1.29).
- Redshirt-seniors Annie Fleming and Carly Thomas, along with sophomore Bella Loya rank in the top eight in the Big Ten in batting average with Fleming (.412) sitting third, Loya (.407) sitting in fifth and Thomas (.386) in seventh.
- The trio also rank in slugging percentage with Loya (.827) in third, Thomas (.687) sitting in ninth and Fleming (.624) ranking 12th.
- Loya owns nine home runs on the season to lead the Big Ten and rank 21st nationally and 23rd in the NCAA with 0.38 home runs per game.
- Thomas leads the Illini and the Big Ten and sits second nationally with 13 doubles on the season, while also ranking second in doubles per game (0.54) nationally.
SICKELS LEADING IN THE CIRCLE
- Freshman Sydney Sickels leads the Illini in the circle with a 2.85 ERA in 71.1 innings and ranks tied for third in the Big Ten and is 18th in the country with 11 wins and fourth in the league and 27th in the NCAA with two saves on the season.
- She also sits 10th with 18 strikeouts looking, 11th in innings pitched and 12th with 55 strikeouts in 2019.
Players Mentioned
IF
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P
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OF
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OF
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