Promotion-Filled Weekend as Illini Softball Hosts No. 22 Michigan

Friday, April 19

Urbana, Ill.

5 p.m. CT

University of Illinois

Michigan

Promotion-Filled Weekend as Illini Softball Hosts No. 22 Michigan

April 18, 2019 | Softball

Games 42-44: Illinois (27-14, 6-6 B1G) vs. No. 22/19/23 Michigan (30-11, 12-1 B1G)
When & Where	April 19-21, 2019 // Friday: 5 p.m. CT \| Saturday: 1 p.m. CT \| Sunday: 2 p.m. CT // Eichelberger Field // Urbana, Ill.
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| TV: BTN (SUN ONLY) \| Live Video: BTN Plus ($) (SAT ONLY) \| Live Audio: WDWS 1400 (SAT ONLY)
Full Game Notes	Illinois \| Michigan
Statistics	Illinois \| Michigan
Series History	Illinois trails, 6-22 // Last: L, 8-2; 5/9/2014; Evanston, Ill. // Streak Lost 3
Tickets	FREE
Social Media	@IlliniSB \| #Illini \| Facebook \| @IlliniSB \| YouTube

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team continues its four-game homestand this weekend as the Illini host No.22/19/23 Michigan in a three-game conference series on April 19-21. First pitch on Friday is set for 5 p.m. CT, 1 p.m. CT on Saturday and 2 p.m. CT on Sunday for a BTN-televised series finale.

The Illini will then head out for a five-game road swing - their final road trip of the regular season - starting with a doubleheader against No. 23/18/20 Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., on Tuesday (April 23), before traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for a three-game series at Ohio State on April 26-28.

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS

FRIDAY: Strike Out Cancer
Giveaway: Trading Cards for the first 100 fans | Pink Sweatbands | Ribbons to tie to memorial banner
Concession Deal: $2 Hot Chocolate (Will only be available if it is under 60^o)
Post-game: Chuck-A-Duck - $3 per duck, all proceeds go to Hits for the Cure which will be donated to St. Jude. Winner of Chuck-A-Duck will receive a FitBit Versa

SATURDAY: 20th Season Celebration
Giveaway: Trading Cards to the first 100 fans | 20^th season t-shirts to the first 300 fans
Post-game: Autographs - Veronica Ruelius, Carly Thomas, Katie Wingerter, Maddy Adams, Stephanie Abello, Annie Fleming

SUNDAY: Sunday Bun Day & Bunny at the Ballpark
Giveaway: Annie Fleming Bun Kit | Annie Fleming Buns on a stick | Free Cinnabons for the first 50 fans | Trading Card Set #3 for the first 100 fans
Concession Deal: $6 Family Meal Deal (Hot Dog, Chips and a Drink)
Post-game: Egg Hunt

ILLINI NOTES

Behind four home runs and 11 hits, the Illinois softball team earned a 13-4 five-inning, run-rule victory over SIUE on a sun-and wind-filled Wednesday (April 17) evening at Eichelberger Field. The four dingers hit ties for the ninth-most in a single game in program history. It was the eighth time in program history that the Illini hage registered four homers, with the last time coming at Nebraska on May 2, 2015.
The Illini secured their second Big Ten Conference series of the season with a 2-1 record in a road series at Iowa over the past weekend, April 12-13. Powered by grand slams from sophomore Katie Wingerter and redshirt-senior Carly Thomas, the Illinois softball team opened the series at Iowa with a 12-1 five-inning, run-rule victory on Friday, before earning a doubleheader split on Saturday, taking a come-from-behind 12-11 win in game one, before falling 4-3 in eight innings in game two.
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 626-443-2 overall record.
The Illini own a 21-10 record in nonconference action and are 8-4 at Eichelberger Field. On the road, the Illini hold a 9-3 advantage.
In the latest NCAA softball PRI that was released on Monday (April 15), the Illini came in the No. 43 spot, after holding at No. 20 during the first two rankings and No. 36 in the last two rankings. The Illini are the fifth-highest Big Ten team, sitting behind No. 9 Minnesota, No. 12 Northwestern, No. 15 Michigan and No. 39 Wisconsin.

SIUE STAT SHOUTOUTS

The Illini scored their 13 runs on 11 hits – including four home runs – with senior Kiana Sherlund going 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs to pace the team.
Redshirt-senior Annie Fleming posted a 2-for-4 mark at the plate with three runs and one RBI.
Seniors Veronica Ruelius and Stephanie Abello also added two hits, two runs and an RBI on the night.
Senior Taylor Edwards earned the win after allowing just three earned runs on seven hits and three walks and struck out three in 3.1 innings of action. Classmate Emily Oestreich finished off the contest with a one-hit, one-walk 1.2 frames of work.

ILLINI IN THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE

The Illini own a 201-175 record in the Big Ten Conference and registered their 200th conference win in last Friday's 12-1 five-inning win at Iowa.
After opening the conference slate with a series win over No. 23 Wisconsin, the Illini had suffered back-to-back series losses, before coming away with a 2-1 series win at Iowa over the weekend. The Illini own a 6-6 mark in league play halfway through conference action, with four more series left in the season.
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.

GRAND SLAM ILLINI

Powered by grand slams from sophomore Katie Wingerter and redshirt-senior Carly Thomas, the Illinois softball team opened its Big Ten Conference series at Iowa with a 12-1 five-inning, run-rule victory over the Hawkeyes on Friday (April 12) at the Bob Pearl Softball Complex.
This is just the second time in program history that the Illini have registered two grand slams in a single game. The first time came on February 9, 2007 with Kisten Martin and Shanna Diller each hitting a grand slam in an 11-5 win over FIU.
It is the third time in program history that Illinois has hit two grand slams in a single day, with the second occurrence coming on March 21, 2007 when Nicole Evans and Emily Brodner each hit a grand slam in a doubleheader with UIC.

ILLINI AT THE PLATE

As a team, the Illini pace the Big Ten Conference in batting average (.326), slugging percentage (.529), runs (252), hits (375), doubles (75) and total bases (609), while also ranking second in on-base percentage (.402) and home runs (49) and fourth in RBI (217).
Nationally, the Illini rank in the top 35 in the NCAA in doubles per game (fifth, 1.83), batting average (14th), slugging percentage (21st), scoring (24th, 6.15), on-base percentage (26th) and home runs per game (27th, 1.20).
Sophomore Bella Loya ranks nationally in several offensive categories, including total bases (25th, 103), RBI per game (30th, 1.07), hits (33rd, 55), home runs (39th, 12), slugging percentage (42nd, .774), batting average (57th, .414) and home runs per game (58th, 0.29).
Senior Kiana Sherlund is tied with Loya with 55 hits, while redshirt-senior Carly Thomas is right behind the duo with 53 hits on the season to rank 50th in the country, with Thomas and Sherlund also sitting 33rd in runs per game (1.00) and Thomas ranking 44th in total bases (94).
Loya is the Big Ten co-leader with 44 RBI and is second in the league in batting average (.414) and hits (55), while also sitting in the top 10 in the conference in total bases (third, 103), slugging percentage (fourth, .774), home runs (t-fifth, 12), doubles (t-eighth, 12) and on-base percentage (t-ninth, .474)
The Illini have four players - the most of any school - ranked in the top 15 in the Big Ten in batting average, with Loya (.414) leading the way in second, Sherlund (.390) in sixth, Thomas (.376) in 11th and redshirt-senior Annie Fleming (.374) in 12th.
The quartet also ranks in the top 10 in the Big Ten in hits, with Loya & Sherlund leading in second with 55 knocks, Thomas in sixth with 53 hits and Fleming in seventh with 52 hits.

SICKELS LEADING IN THE CIRCLE

Freshman Sydney Sickels leads the Illini in the circle with a 2.95 ERA in 123.1 innings and ranks tied for fourth in the Big Ten and is 21st in the country with 17 wins and is second in the league and 11th in the NCAA with four saves on the season.
With four saves on the season, Sickels ties three other Illini - Amanda Fortune (2004), Claire DeVreese (2005) and Breanna Wonderly (2017) - for the most saves registered in a season.
Sickels also ranks in the top 15 in the Big Ten in appearances (32, fourth), games started (20, t-sixth), innings pitched (eighth), strikeouts looking (23, t-10th) and strikeouts (91, 11th).

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 64 in her Illini career.
Along with the career record, Thomas registered her 20th double of the season in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Iowa to break Lana Armstrong's program mark of 19 two-baggers set during the 2008 campaign.
Thomas leads the NCAA with her 20 two-baggers and is also first with 0.49 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 STREAKS

Sophomore Bella Loya currently owns the longest reached-base streak at 20 games, with redshirt-senior Carly Thomas leading the way with a nine-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.