ILLINI HOST MISSOURI IN BRAGGIN' RIGHTS DOUBLEHEADER
After starting the season with four straight away tournaments, the Fighting Illini softball team will open the 2022 home season at Eichelberger Field by taking on the No. 18/17 Missouri Tigers in an afternoon doubleheader with Braggin' Rights on the line. Game one starts at 12:00 p.m. CT, while game two is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. CT start. Both games will be streamed on B1G+.
CLEMSON TIGER INVITATIONAL RECAP
Illinois went 2-2 at the Tiger Invitational, taking both games from the Liberty Flames while falling to No. 17/15 Clemson twice. Illinois began the weekend on Saturday with a thrilling 5-4 victory in eight innings, with freshman Stevie Meade knocking in the game-winner in the eighth. In game two, Illinois was unable to overcome an early deficit, falling 3-1 to the Tigers. On Sunday, Illinois used a three-run fifth inning to hold off a late-rally by the Flames to win, 3-2. Sunday's victory over Liberty marked 600 career wins for head coach Tyra Perry. In the weekend finale, Illinois was unable to bring a runner to the plate for the first time this season, falling to the Tigers 4-0.
SCOUTING MISSOURI
The No. 18/17 ranked Missouri Tigers come to Champaign with a 16-6 overall record, and an 0-2 mark in SEC play. Mizzou comes to Champaign-Urbana after being swept by Tennessee in a Sunday double-header to begin conference play. The Tigers have played just one true road game this season, a 6-0 win at Florida Gulf Coast, and will play their first road series Wednesday against the Illini. At the plate, Kimberly Wert has knocked seven home runs this season and 24 RBIs, leading the team in both categories. As a team, Missouri has outscored opponents 112-55 this season, with five hitters in double figures in RBIs. In the circle, Lauren Krings has tossed 56.1 innings this season to a tune of 2.49 ERA, second on the team behind Jordan Weber's 2.01 ERA in 48.2 IP. Krings has struck out 78 hitters this season while walking just 19 batters.
BRAGGIN' RIGHTS SERIES HISTORY
Missouri leads the all-time Braggin' Rights series 10-4, starting the series on a five game winning streak before Illinois won their first game against the Tigers in 2014. Since Missouri started 5-0 in the series, Illinois has bested the Tigers in four of the last nine matchups between the team, with Illinois' longest streak in the series being two in a doubleheader sweep in 2018.
ILLINI IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Team
Batting Average: .304 (3rd B1G, 54th NCAA)
Doubles: 38 (1st B1G, 19th NCAA)
Doubles per game: 2.11 (1st B1G, 3rd NCAA)
Shutouts: 5 (5th B1G, 47th NCAA)
Slugging Percentage: .470 (4th B1G, 53rd NCAA)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 4.11 (4th B1G, 25th NCAA)
Individual
Kailee Powell: 0.44 doubles per game (3rd B1G, 16th NCAA)
Megan Ward: 0.39 doubles per game (5th B1G, 44th NCAA)
Tori McQueen: 7.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio (2nd B1G, 37th NCAA)
Sydney Sickels: 6.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio (5th B1G, 51st NCAA), 70 strikeouts (9th B1G, 65th NCAA)
PERRY EARNS 600TH CAREER WIN
With Sunday's win over Liberty, head coach Tyra Perry earned her 600th career win as a head coach. In her 21 seasons as a head coach, Perry amassed 146 wins at Birmingham-Souther from 2002-07, 196 wins at Western Kentucky from 2008-13, 67 wins at Ball State from 2014-15, and 191 wins and counting at Illinois from 2016-Present.
2022 OUTLOOK
Illinois returns 18 letter winners and seven position starters to the 2022 roster, and welcomed eight new members of the Illini family this season. All-B1G honorees Kailee Powell, Delaney Rummell, Avrey Steiner, and Jaelyn Vickery also return to the diamond for the Illini this season.
2021 IN REVIEW
• The Illinois softball team completed the season with a 24-20 record in the B1G conference-only schedule.
• Illinois started the season with two weekends in Leesburg, Fla., posting a 10-2 record with series victories over Rutgers, Michigan State, Penn State, and a doubleheader sweep over No. 17 Michigan.
• The Illini earned seven series wins in 2021, including two wins over ranked opponents, and were the only team to not be beaten by the eventual Big Ten champions (Michigan).
• Junior Sydney Sickels tossed the 14th no-hitter in Illinois softball history in the second game of a doubleheader vs. Penn State on Mar. 13, 2021.
• Illinois ranked top three in the Big Ten in batting average (.276) and hits (324).
• Juniors Kailee Powell (First, All-Defensive), Avrey Steiner (Second), Freshman Jaelyn Vickery (Second, All-Freshman), and Sophomore Delaney Rummell (Second) earn All-Big Ten honors.
• Junior Avery Steiner was named to the NFCA Midwest All-Region First Team.
2022 SCHEDULE
After the Big Ten conference-only schedule in 2021, the Illini return to nonconference play this season, squaring off with high quality competition as is tradition under head coach Tyra Perry. Illinois will play 12 opponents who made the 2021 NCAA Tournament (LSU, South Alabama, Wichita St., Arkansas, Liberty, Clemson, Missouri, Georgia, SIUE, Minnesota, Northwestern, Louisiana-Lafyette) and 10 opponents who are ranked or recieving votes in the preseason USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. The Big Ten slate begins with a trip to Purdue on Mar. 25-27, while the Illini will also play host to the Braggin' Rights double-header vs. Missouri on Mar. 15, which doubles as the home opener at Eichelberger Field.
ILLINI IN THE RECORD BOOK
Heading into the 2022 campaign, several Illini rank in the top-10 in program history in multiple statistical categories, with a chance to climb up the all-time list this season.
• Graduate Student Bella Loya currently ranks eighth on the all-time batting average list with a career .335 average, while also ranking sixth in slugging percentage (.574) and tenth in on base percentage (.406). She also ranks tenth all-time in home runs (28) and RBIs (117). She also has the sixth highest fielding percentage in Illini history (.989) and ranks eighth in putouts (598).
• Senior Sydney Sickels currently ranks fourth all-time in ERA (2.80), third in opponent batting average (.230), and ranks first in K/7 (6.77). Sickels is also first all-time in saves (13), seventh in wins (38), eighth in appearances (89), seventh in games started (63), tied for fifth in complete games (33), tied for fifth in shutouts (9), seventh in innings pitched (387.2), and fifth in strikeouts (375).
• Senior Kailee Powell currently ranks fourth all-time in fielding percentage (.990).
NEWCOMERS
Illinois welcomes eight newcomers to the 2022 roster, including freshmen Zoe Caryl, Halle Mangurten, Stevie Meade, Macy Krohman, Paige Berkmeyer, Lauren Wiles, and Zoie Howard, while also welcoming in Dayton transfer Megan Ward,
LOOKING AHEAD
Illinois will wrap up their non-conference tournament schedule this weekend, traveling to Georgia for the UGA Classic. Illinois will face off against Mercer, Dartmouth, and Georgia this weekend, March 18-20.
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