Games 38-40: Illinois (24-13, 4-5 B1G) vs. Iowa (15-19, 1-8 B1G)
When & Where	April 12-13, 2019 // Friday: 4 p.m. CT | Saturday: 1 & 3 p.m. CT // Bob Pearl Softball Field | Iowa City, Iowa
Game Coverage	Live Stats | Live video: BTN Plus ($)
Full Game Notes	Illinois | Iowa
Statistics	Illinois | Iowa
Series History	Illinois leads, 25-21 // Last: W, 9-7; 4/22/2018; Urbana, Ill. // Streak: Won 11
Tickets	BUY HERE
Social Media	@IlliniSB  | #Illini  | Facebook  | @IlliniSB  | YouTube

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team heads to Iowa City, Iowa, for a three-game Big Ten Conference series on April 12-13 at Bob Pearl Softball Field. With rain and snow in the forecast for Sunday, the original schedule has been altered. First pitch on Friday will now be at 4 p.m. CT, followed by a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday.

The Illini returns to the friendly confines of Eichelberger Field for a four-game homestand, starting with a midweek match-up with SIUE on Wednesday (April 17) at 5 p.m. CT, before hosting No. 21/18/24 Michigan in a three-game conference series on April 19-21.

ILLINI NOTES

• The Illini dropped both games in a neutral-site doubleheader with Missouri on Tuesday (April 9), falling 2-0 in game one and 3-2 in game two, at the Lou Brock Sports Complex on the campus of Lindenwood University.
• In league play the Illini are coming off a 1-2 weekend against No. 19 Minnesota at Eichelberger Field. After a 5-0 setback on Friday (April 5) night to open the series, Illinois had an action-packed doubleheader against the Gophers on Saturday (April 6) afternoon as sophomore Katie Wingerter knocked a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning for the 4-3 extra-inning victory in game one, before falling in game two, 10-3.
• The 2019 season marks the 20th season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 58.5 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 623-442-2 overall record.
• The Illini own a 20-8 record in nonconference action and are 6-2 at Eichelberger Field. On the road, the Illini hold a 7-2 advantage. 
• The fourth NCAA softball PRI was released on Monday (April 8), with the Illini staying consistent in the No. 36 spot, after holding at No. 20 during the first two rankings. The Illini are the fifth-highest Big Ten team, sitting behind No. 8 Minnesota, No. 15 Michigan, No. 17 Northwestern and No. 35 Wisconsin.

ILLINI IN THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE

• The Illini own a 199-175 record in the Big Ten Conference and is just one win away from their 200th league win in program history. 
• After opening the conference slate with a series win over No. 23 Wisconsin, the Illini have suffered back-to-back series losses and own a a 4-5 mark in league play. 
• The Illini opened the Big Ten Conference schedule with a series win over No. 23 Wisconsin on March 22-24 - taking two of three at Eichelberger Field. After a slow start to the weekend that saw the Illini fall 15-6 on Friday, UI bounced back with a 2-0 shutout win on Saturday behind a strong outing in the circle from senior Taylor Edwards. The Illini then used a three-run seventh inning rally – capped by freshman Kailee Powell's walk-off single – to earn a 6-5 come-from-behind victory in Sunday's series finale.

MISSOURI SERIES STAT SHOUT OUTS

• Freshman Avrey Steiner registered a 4-for-5 effort at the plate to lead the Illini offensively, while also posting a 1.000 fielding percentage with five putouts and four assists at second base in both games. 
• Redshirt-seniors Carly Thomas and Annie Fleming and sophomore Bella Loya also added two hits each, with Loya also notching an RBI. 
• Senior Taylor Edwards posted a 0.84 ERA in 8.1 innings against the Tigers, giving up four runs - only one earned - on 10 hits and one walk and striking out three. 
• Freshman Sydney Sickels tallied a 1.50 ERA in 4.2 innings, also allowing only one earned run on seven hits and two walks and striking out one.

THOMAS IS DOUBLE TROUBLE

• With three doubles in a win over UNI on March 1, redshirt-senior Carly Thomas became the career doubles leader at Illinois after passing Erin Montgomery's (2011-14) total of 52 two-baggers and currently owns 63 in her Illini career. 
• Along with the career record, Thomas registered her 19th double of the season in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Mizzou to tie Lana Armstrong's program mark set during the 2008 campaign.
• Thomas lead the NCAA with her 19 two-baggers and is also first with 0.51 doubles per game. 

SHERLUND NEARING TRIPLES RECORD

• Senior Kiana Sherlund owns 12 career triples and is just two three-baggers away from tying Rachelle Coriddi's program record of 14 from 2003-06. 

ILLINI AT THE PLATE

• As a team, the Illini pace the Big Ten Conference in batting average (.318), hits (330), doubles (68) and total bases (531), while also ranking second in slugging percentage (.511), on-base percentage (.395), third in home runs (41) and fourth in runs (212) and fifth in RBI (180).
• Nationally, the Illini rank in the top 35 in the NCAA in doubles per game (8th, 1.84), batting average (24th), slugging percentage (24th), home runs per game (31st, 1.11) and scoring (35th, 5.730). 
• Sophomore Bella Loya ranks nationally in several offensive categories, including total bases (23rd, 95), slugging percentage (44th, .766), RBIs per game (42nd, 1.05), home runs (40th, 11), home runs per game (52nd, 0.30) and hits (38th, 50).
• Loya also ranks second in the Big Ten in batting average (.403) and hits (50), while also sitting in the top 10 in the conference in home runs (t-third, 11), RBI (t-fourth, 39), slugging percentage (fifth, .766), total bases (fifth, 95) and doubles (t-sixth, 12).
• The Illini have three players - tied for the most of any school - ranked in the top 15 in the Big Ten in batting average, with Loya (.403) leading the way in second, redshirt-senior Annie Fleming (.379) in eighth and Sherlund (.337282) tied 13th. 
• The quartet also ranks in the top 15 in the Big Ten in hits, with Loya leading in second with 50 knocks, Sherlund in fourth with 48 hits, Fleming tied for fifth with 47 hits and Thomas in eighth with 46 hits. 

ILLINI STREAKS

• Sophomore Bella Loya currently owns the longest reached-base streak at 16 games, with redshirt-senior Carly Thomas leading the way with a five-game hitting streak. 
• Thomas also owned the longest hitting streak of the season for the Illini after she recorded at least one hit in the first 14 games of the season.