ILLINI HOST HAWKEYES FOR THREE-GAME SET AT EICHELBERGER FIELD
After picking up their second top-ten win of the season on Wednesday vs. No. 10/8 Northwestern, the Fighting Illini softball team is set to continue Big Ten conference play this weekend hosting Iowa for a three-game set. First pitch on Friday (April 22) is set for 5:00 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on B1G+, while Saturday (April 23) is set for a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch and will be streamed live on B1G+ and carried on the radio by WDWS 1400-AM. Sunday's series finale is set for 12:00 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on B1G+.Â
PROMOTIONS VS. IOWA
Saturday, Illinois will transform Eichelberger Field to "Eichelberger Perk" with themed elements based off the hit television show "Friends." An Illinois-themed Friends t-shirt will be given away to the first 300 fans in attendance on Saturday, April 23 for the 1:00 p.m. CT game. On Sunday, April 24, Illinois will host Diversity & Inclusion Day at Eichelberger Field, with fans recieving Illini Inclusion buttons and are encouraged to show their support and inclusion throughout Sunday's game.
ILLINI SECURE SECOND TOP-TEN VICTORY OF SEASON IN DOUBLEHEADER SPLIT VS. NORTHWESTERN
It was a tale of two games for the Fighting Illini softball team Wednesday afternoon at Eichelberger Field, as Illinois was shut out in the first game of a doubleheader against No. 10/8 Northwestern. However, the Illini bounced back in a big way in game two, tallying 11 hits and using a six-run second inning to hand the top-ten Wildcats their most lopsided loss of the season, an 8-0 run-rule victory for the Illini in five innings.
Illinois was able to put behind their shutout loss in game one by exploding offensively in game two, tallying 11 hits and eight runs to run-rule the Wildcats for the first time this season. In the circle, senior Sydney Sickels extended her shutout streak to 26.1 straight innings without giving up a run, tossing five innings and giving up no runs and just four hits while striking out four batters. At the plate, sophomore Megan Ward went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI, junior Delaney Rummell tallied a two-RBI double, while senior Avrey Steiner went 2-for-3 with a double and freshman Paige Berkmeyer went 2-for-2 with an RBI. Graduate student Bella Loya also added to the Illini scoring with a solo home run in the third inning.
SCOUTING IOWA
The Hawkeyes come to Urbana with an 18-23 overall record, and a 1-13 record in Big Ten conference play. Their lone Big Ten victory of the season came on April 8, a 9-8 series-opening victory over Minnesota in Iowa City. Nia Carter leads the Hawkeyes at the plate with a .437 BA, good for second in the conference, while also tallying 16 RBI. Denali Loecker leads the team with 21 RBI and has knocked a team-leading seven home runs on the season. In the circle, Loecker is also their leader with a team-leading 108.1 innings pitched with a 4.46 ERA and 59 strikeouts. Fellow pitcher Breanna Vasquez has struck out 76 batters this season. Â
BIG TEN RACE HEATING UP
With half of the conference schedule complete, the Illini sit in third place with a conference record of 10-3. The Illini are just behind second-place Northwestern (12-2) and first-place Nebraska (13-0), and are set to face off in the final nine Big Ten games with three-game sets vs. Iowa (April 22-24), at Indiana (April 29-May 1), and vs. Penn State (May 6-8).Â
ILLINI IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
(Rankings as of Thursday, April 21)
Team
Batting Average: .319 (2nd B1G, 20th NCAA)
Doubles: 81 (1st B1G, 3rd NCAA)
Doubles per game: 1.93Â (1st B1G, 3rd NCAA)
Slugging Percentage: .467 (6th B1G, 53rd NCAA)
Scoring: 5.36Â (5th B1G, 39th NCAA)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 3.65 (4th B1G, 23rd NCAA)
Individual
Megan Ward: 16 doubles (2nd B1G, 5th NCAA), 0.38 doubles per game (3rd B1G, 12th NCAA)
Kailee Powell: 0.29Â doubles per game (6th B1G, 95th NCAA)
Avrey Steiner: 0.385Â batting average (10th B1G, 108th NCAA), 57Â hits (2nd B1G, 14th NCAA)
Tori McQueen: 6.06Â strikeout-to-walk ratio (3rd B1G, 28th NCAA), 8.4Â strikeouts per seven (7th B1G, 78th NCAA)
Sydney Sickels: 9.6 strikeouts per seven (4th B1G, 34th NCAA), 136 strikeouts (7th B1G, 58th NCAA)
Bella Loya: 28.5Â Toughest to Strike out (1st B1G, 15th NCAA)
SICKELS TABBED BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE WEEK
After a dominant week in the circle that included two complete-game shutouts, senior right handed pitcher Sydney Sickels was tabbed the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 11, as announced by the conference office Monday afternoon.
Sickels began her week by tossing a two-hit shutout against Indiana State, walking just one batter while striking out 10. She followed her midweek performance with another complete-game shutout at Rutgers last Saturday, allowing seven hits and walking just one batter while striking out 10. Overall on the week, Sickels allowed no runs across 15 innings pitched, walking two batters while striking out 21.
ILLINI PITCHING STAFF SET TO BREAK SINGLE-SEASON STRIKEOUTS RECORD
The Illini pitching staff has tossed 325 strikeouts this season heading into the weekend series vs. Iowa. They are just five strikeouts away from setting a new single season strikeout record, needing to pass 330 strikeouts for the achievement. The record of 330 was set back in 2001.Â
SICKELS MOVES TO SECOND ON ALL-TIME STRIKEOUTS LIST
With 507Â career strikeouts, senior Sydney Sickels now ranks second all-time in Illinois history in strikeouts, passing Amanda Fortune's 470 strikeouts set from 2001-04. She entered the year third on the all-time list and is chasing Illinois' all-time strikeouts leader Pepper Gay with 592 from 2010-13.
PERRY EARNS 200TH WIN AS ILLINI HEAD COACH
In Illinois' game one victory over Wisconsin last Saturday (April 9), head coach Tyra Perry earned her 200th win as head coach of the Fighting Illini. This is the second wins milestone coach Perry has passed this season, after gaining her 600th career win over Liberty in March.
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 seven newcomers to the 2022 roster, including freshmen Zoe Caryl, Stevie Meade, Macy Krohman, Paige Berkmeyer, Lauren Wiles, and Zoie Howard, while also welcoming in Dayton transfer Megan Ward,
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