CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois softball team next travels to Fullerton, Calif., for the Judi Garman Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 27-29. The Illini will take on Cal Poly, BYU, Colorado State, Fresno State and the host Titans in the three-day tournament.
The Illini lead the series against Cal Poly (5-1), BYU (4-3) and the host Titans (1-0), while also being tied with Fresno State (3-3) and trail against Colorado State (0-1).
The entirely of the Judi Garman Classic will be streamed via FloSoftball ($).
ILLINI NOTES
- The Illini finished the Baylor Invitational with a 2-2 record after notching a pair of 1-0 victories over Texas State and Tulsa, while dropping both contests against the host Bears, 5-1 on Friday night and 5-4 in Sunday's weekend finale.
- The 2020 season marks the 21st season for the Illinois softball program, with the Illini owning a 639-459-2 (.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.
MARTIN FAMILY GIFT LAUNCHES PLAN FOR ILLINOIS SOFTBALL FACILITY
- The University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Monday (Feb. 24) it will break ground on a new state-of-the-art indoor practice facility for the Fighting Illini softball program thanks to a $3 million lead naming gift from Rex Martin and his daughters, Ashley Martin and Alexis Martin-Klose. Their gift will honor their late wife and mother, Alice Martin. The facility, pending Board of Trustees approval, will be named the Rex and Alice A. Martin Softball Training Center.
- The new $6 million Rex and Alice A. Martin Softball Training Center will provide a premier indoor performance and development facility for Fighting Illini softball student-athletes. The structure, measuring approximately 13,000 square feet, will be constructed as an addition to the existing softball clubhouse and will include a full infield as well as hitting and pitching cages. The center's ability to host full infield practice will be rare among comparable softball training facilities. Other features include a new recruiting lobby and hall of fame, an expanded player lounge, increased storage, and improved parking. Project construction is expected to commence in late 2020 and will conclude in December 2021.
BAYLOR INVITATIONAL STANDOUTS
- Sophomores Danielle Davis and Kailee Powell and junior Bella Loya led the Illini offense with a .300 hitting percentage after all three went 3-of-10 at the plate in Texas. Davis turned in a team-high four RBI, while Loya added two RBI, with the pair each hitting one homer on the weekend.
- Sophomore Sydney Sickels posted a 1-1 record with a 0.00 ERA after not allowing an earned run in 13.0 innings, while also securing her fourth save of the season. The sophomore allowed just six hits and one walk on the weekend, while striking out seven batters as opponents batted at a .130 percentage against the righthander.
SICKELS EQUALS SINGLE GAME PROGRAM RECORD WITH 13 STRIKEOUTS VS. NC STATE
- Sickels struck out 13 batters against NC State on Feb. 15 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 561-479-1 (.540) career record and is 152-91 (.626) 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.
