Game 50: Illinois (27-22) vs. DePaul (31-12)
When & Where	April 30, 2019 // 6 p.m. CT // Eichelberger Field // Urbana, Ill.
Game Coverage	Live Stats | TV: FS1 | BTN Plus
Full Game Notes	Illinois | DePaul
Statistics	Illinois | DePaul
Series History	Illinois trails, 8-14-1 // Last: W, 6-0; 4/15/2015; Chicago, Ill. // Streak Won 1
Tickets	FREE ADMISSION
Social Media	@IlliniSB  | #Illini  | Facebook  | @IlliniSB  | YouTube

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team returns to Eichelberger Field for its final four regular season games of the season, starting with a 6 p.m. CT contest on Tuesday (April 30) against DePaul on FS1, before hosting Purdue in their last conference series on May 3-5. The Illini will host their annual World's Largest Softball Tailgate on Saturday prior to the game, before celebrating the 2019 senior class of Annie Fleming, Carly Thomas, Stephanie Abello, Danielle Brochu, Alexis Carrillo, Taylor Edwards, Emily Oestreich, Veronica Ruelius and Kiana Sherlund following the conclusion of the contest.

ILLINI NOTES

• Illinois is coming off a tough stretch and dropped all three contests at Ohio State over the weekend, falling 9-0 in five innings on Friday and 9-2 on Saturday, before suffering a 5-4 heartbreaker after leading heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. 
• The 2019 season marks the 20th season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 58.1 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 626-451-2 overall record.
• The Illini own a 21-10 record in nonconference action and are 8-7 at Eichelberger Field. On the road, the Illini hold a 9-8 advantage on the road.
• In the latest NCAA softball PRI that was released on Monday (April 29), the Illini came in the No. 50 spot. 

OHIO STATE SERIES STAT SHOUTOUTS

• Senior Kiana Sherlund led the Illini at the plate against the Buckeyes with three hits - including one homer - two RBI and a run. 
• Freshmen Avrey Steiner and Kailee Powell, senior Veronica Ruelius and redshirt-seniors Annie Fleming and Carly Thomas also turned in two hits each, with Powell and senior Stephanie Abello also posting a pair of RBI on the weekend. 

ILLINI CLEAN UP AT 2019 OKSEE AWARDS

• The Illini softball team had a successful night at the Fighting Illini Oskee Awards Celebration on Monday (April 22) night, with senior Veronica Ruelius being named the Fighting Illini Spirit Award winner along with volleyball's Beth Prince. 
• Senior Stephanie Abello took home a couple of academic honors, earning the Outstanding Scholar-Athlete Award for the senior class with a 3.97 GPA in creative writing & Spanish and was the recipient of the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship. 
• Sophomore Bella Loya was named a Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year finalist, while freshman Sydney Sickels was named a Female Freshman of the Year finalist. 
• Junior Akilah Mouzon was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.
• The Illini softball team as a whole once again received the Illini Life Skills Team Competition Award for its commitment to community service.

ILLINI AT THE PLATE

• As a team, the Illini pace the Big Ten Conference in batting average (.313), hits (422), doubles (86) and total bases (679), while also ranking third in slugging percentage (.503), home runs (53) and fifth in on-base percentage (.388), runs (274) and RBI (237).
• Nationally, the Illini rank in the top 45 in the NCAA in doubles per game (seventh, 1.76), batting average (22nd), slugging percentage (28th), scoring (41, 5.59) and home runs per game (41ss, 1.08). 
• Sophomore Bella Loya ranks nationally in several offensive categories, including total bases (38th, 109), hits (45th, 61), batting average (62nd, .407), slugging percentage (72nd, .727), RBI per game (87th, 0.94) and on-base percentage (89th, .483).
• Senior Kiana Sherlund sits in 30th in the country with 16 doubles on the year, while her team-leading 63 hits ranks 34th in the NCAA. 
• Loya and Sherlund lead the Illini in batting average in overall action and conference play, with Loya ranking fifth in overall (.407) and eighth in the Big Ten (.411), while Sherlund is ninth in overall (.377) and 13th in leagua play (.388). 
• Loya also ranks fourth in the conference in hits (61) and total bases (109), sixth in slugging percentage (.727) and on-base percentage (.483), seventh in RBI (46), ninth in home runs (12) and 13th in doubles (12).
• The Illini have three players - which ties just one other school - ranked in the top 15 in the Big Ten in batting average, with Loya (.407) leading the way in fifth, Sherlund (.377) in ninth and Thomas (.359) in 15th.
• The trio along with reshirt-senior Annie Fleming also ranks in the top 10 in the Big Ten in hits, with Sherlund leading in third with 63 knocks, Loya just behind her tied for fourth with 61 hits, Thomas tied for seventh with 60 hits and Fleming in ninth with 59 hits. 
• Senior Veronica Ruelius leads the Illini and ranks tied for 12th in the Big Ten with five home runs in conference action.

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 66 in her Illini career. 
• Along with the career record, Thomas registered her 20th double of the season in the second game of the April 13th 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 22 two-baggers and is also second with 0.45 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.