CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team next heads south for the Baylor Invitational on February 21-23 in Waco, Texas, at Getterman Stadium. The Illini open the tournament against Texas State at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday, before facing the host Bears at 6 p.m. CT later that night. UI then takes on Tulsa on Saturday at 10 a.m. CT and will finish up the weekend playing Baylor for a second time on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT.
It will be the first meeting between the Illini and Texas State, while Illinois trails in both series with Baylor, 2-7, and Tulsa, 2-4, but most recently earned a 6-4 win over the Golden Hurricanes a season ago in Tulsa, Okla.
Both Baylor games will be streamed via Big 12 NOW on ESPN+ ($), while both the Texas State and Tulsa contests will be streamed on FloSoftball ($).
ILLINI NOTES
- The Illini are coming off a 1-3 weekend at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. They opened the weekend by dropping a 1-0 pitcher's duel to Notre Dame on Friday, before falling twice on Saturday to the Irish, 10-1, and host NC State, 7-2. UI then rebounded for a 7-3 win over the Wolfpack to finish of the weekend with a victory on Sunday. As a whole, the Big Ten came up just short in the Challenge as the ACC won the event, 25-19, but it was the closest margin in the Challenge's five-year history.
- The 2020 season marks the 21st season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 637-457-2 (.582) record after earning their landmark 600th victory in the 2019 season opener - a 7-4 win over then-No. 22 Oklahoma State - while also holding a 204-184 (.526) mark in Big Ten Conference action.
RUMMELL NAMED BIG TEN CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
- Freshman Delaney Rummell was named the Big Ten Softball Co-Freshman of the Week after leading the Illinois softball team at the plate at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge over the weekend, the conference announced on Monday (Feb. 17).
- Rummell posted a .400 batting average with four hits, four runs and four RBI to lead the Illini at the plate, with three of her four hits going for home runs - the first three of her career. She also registered 13 total bases, a 1.300 slugging percentage and three walks. Along with her offense, Rummell tallied a 1.000 fielding percentage with six putouts and seven assists at the third base position.
- The Gilberts, Ill, native's weekend was highlighted by a 2-for-4 effort with two home runs, two runs and two RBI against NC State on Saturday and a two-run home run to go along with three walks – including one intentional walk – in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Wolfpack.
BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE STANDOUTS
- Sophomore Avrey Steiner and juniors Bella Loya and Shelby Stauffenberg joined Rummell with four hits each on the weekend, with Steiner notching two doubles and Stauffenberg adding an RBI.
- Sophomore Danielle Davis led the Illini with five RBI after knocking her second-career grand slam - also her second-career home run - in the win against NC State on Sunday.
- Sophomore Sydney Sickels totaled 20 strikeouts on the weekend, while also securing her third save of the season with two innings of work in Sunday's victory, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks and striking out three.
SICKELS EQUALS SINGLE GAME PROGRAM RECORD WITH 13 STRIKEOUTS VS. NC STATE
- Sickels struck out 13 batters against NC State on Saturday (Feb. 15) night to tie the program record for strikeouts in a single game. Sickels equals the mark set by Amanda Fortune against Virginia Tech on March 18, 2001.
HEAD COACH TYRA PERRY
- Head Tyra Perry enters her 19th season as a NCAA Division I head coach and fifth at the helm of the Illinois softball program. Perry owns a 559-477-1 (.540) career record and is 150-89 (.628) at Illinois. Perry earned her 500th career win as a Division 1 softball head coach with a 5-3 win over Cal Poly on March 17, 2018.
- The Illini have reached at least 33 wins in each of Perry's first four seasons, while it marks just the second time in program history that the Illini have registered a four-year span with at least 33 wins in each season after notching wins of 49, 34, 39 and 45, respectively, from 2001-04.
ILLINI TO HOST 2020 BIG TEN SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
- Illinois softball will be hosting the 2020 Big Ten Softball Tournament at Eichelberger Field for the first time in program history on May 7-9. The annual tournament features the top-12 teams in the conference in a single-elimination competition. Play begins on Thursday with four first round games, with four quarterfinals contests following on Friday. Competition will then conclude on Saturday with two semifinal games followed by the championship game.
