CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team returns to Eichelberger Field for four-straight home games starting with a midweek contest against Illinois State on Wednesday (April 3) at 5 p.m. CT.
The Illini will then welcomes in No. 19/12/12 Minnesota for a three-game Big Ten Conference series on April 5-7.
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 621-438-2 overall record, as well as a 198-173 mark in Big Ten Conference action.
- The Illini are coming off a 1-2 weekend at Nebraska, falling to the Huskers, 3-2, on Saturday (March 30), before splitting a doubleheader on Sunday (March 31) as UI opened the day with an 11-8 eight-inning victory, before falling 5-4 in the day's second contest.
- The Illini opened the Big Ten Conference schedule with a series win over No. 23 Wisconsin on March 22-24 - taking two of three over the weekend 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.
- The Illini own a 19-6 record in nonconference action and are 5-2 at Eichelberger Field after opening its 2019 home schedule with a 9-4 victory over IUPUI last Tuesday (March 19).
- The third NCAA softball PRI was released on Monday (April 1), with the Illini coming in at No. 36, 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. 14 Northwestern, No. 22 Michigan and No. 33 Ohio State.
NEBRASKA SERIES STAT SHOUTOUTS
- As a team, the Illini totaled 12 extra-base hits, including six doubles, five home runs and one triple.
- Sophomore Bella Loya turned in a strong series against the Huskers as she turned in a team-high seven RBI with a .545 batting average on six hits – with two coming as doubles and two going for homers – while adding a 1.273 slugging percentage. She started the conference series with a 2-for-3 effort with an RBI and run on a solo home run, before having a standout day offensively on Sunday with a team-high six RBI on four hits – including a double and a home run – and added two runs.
- Redshirt-senior Annie Fleming and sophomore Maddison Demers each posted a .400 batting average with four hits, one double and one RBI, with Fleming adding three runs on the weekend.
- Freshman Sydney Sickels started off the league series with the Huskers with a solid outing on Saturday despite taking the loss after giving up all three runs – only two earned – on six hits and one walk and striking out three in a complete game outing. She rebounded to earn the first win on Sunday after allowing just one earned run on one hit and struck out two in two innings of action.
ILLINI AT THE PLATE
- As a team, the Illini pace the Big Ten Conference in batting average (.328), slugging percentage (.535), on-base percentage (.406), hits (289) doubles (62) and total bases (472), while also ranking second in runs (201), RBI (169) and home runs (37).
- Nationally, the Illini rank in the top 30 in the NCAA in doubles per game (2nd, 2.00), batting average (15th), slugging percentage (16th), scoring (19th, 6.48), on-base percentage (22nd) and home runs per game (26th, 1.19).
- Sophomore Bella Loya ranks nationally in several offensive categories, including 12th in RBI per game (1.23), 19th in total bases (87), 22nd in home runs (11), 27th in home runs per game (0.35) and RBIs (38), 35th in slugging percentage (.821) and 44th in doubles per game (0.35).
- Loya also leads the Big Ten with 11 home runs, while also sitting in the top 10 in the conference in RBI (second, 38) slugging percentage (third), hits (43, fourth), doubles (sixth, 11) and total bases (seventh).
- Thomas ranks 15th in the NCAA in toughest to strikeout with three two Ks in 109 at-bats on the season.
- The Illini have four players - the most of any school - ranked in the top 15 in the Big Ten in batting average, with Fleming (.410) leading the way in third, Loya (.406) in fifth, Sherlund (.380) in 11th and Thomas (.376) in 12th.
SICKELS LEADING IN THE CIRCLE
- Freshman Sydney Sickels leads the Illini in the circle with a 2.94 ERA in 95.1 innings and ranks tied for third in the Big Ten and is 18th in the country with 14 wins and second in the league and 15th in the NCAA with three saves on the season.
- She also sits tied for ninth with 21 strikeouts looking, ninth in innings pitched and 11th in strikeouts (75) in 2019.
ILLINI STREAKS
- Sophomore Bella Loya currently owns the longest Illini hitting streak at 11 games, with senior Kiana Sherlund holding an nine-game hitting streak.
- Redshirt-senior Carly Thomas 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.
