University of Illinois
Penn State
Illini Wrap Up Regular Season Hosting Penn State
May 4, 2022 | Softball
Preview
| Illinois (33-17, 14-5 B1G) vs. Penn State (29-20, 11-9 B1G) | |
|---|---|
| When & Where | May 6-8 // Eichelberger Field // Urbana, Ill. |
| Tickets | FREE ADMISSION |
| Game 51: Penn State | Friday, May 6 // 5:00 p.m. CT Live Stats // Live Video: B1G+ |
| Game 52: Penn State | Saturday, May 7 // 1:00 p.m. CT Live Stats // Live Video: B1G+ |
| Game 53: Penn State | Sunday, May 8 // 1:30 p.m. CT Live Stats // Live Video: Big Ten Network |
| Weekend Promotions |
Saturday, May 7: World's Largest Softball Tailgate + Senior Day Sunday, May 8: Title IX & Scouts Day |
| Team Information | Illinois // Penn State |
| 2022 Season Stats | Illinois // Penn State |
| Social Media | @IlliniSB  | #Illini | @IlliniSB  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
ILLINI WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON HOSTING PENN STATE
The Fighting Illini softball team will wrap up the regular season at Eichelberger Field this weekend, hosting Penn State for a three-game set from Friday-Sunday, May 6-8. Friday and Saturday's games will be streamed on B1G+, while Sunday's regular-season finale will be televised nationally on the Big Ten Network.
WORLD'S LARGEST SOFTBALL TAILGATE RETURNS
After the event was not held the past two seasons due to COVID-19, the World's Largest Softball Tailgate returns to Eichelberger Field this Saturday (May 7). Pregame tailgating begins at 11:00 a.m. CT, and activities like inflatables, face painting, balloon artists, and food trucks will be available for fans, while every softball fan in the Champaign-Urbana community is encouraged to come and pack Eichelberger Field, with attendance at the game nearing the thousands nearly every season.
LOYA, WAGONER TO BE HONORED ON SENIOR DAY
Saturday will also serve as a celebration of senior day for two Fighting Illini seniors, Bella Loya and Lakyn Wagoner. Both graduate students, these student-athletes will be honored with a postgame ceremony following Saturday's game.
Loya, a five-year mainstay in the Illini lineup at multiple positions, particularly designated player and catcher, will wrap up her Illini career as one of the most prolific hitters in program history. She is just the 13th Illini in the programs history to reach the 200 career hit mark, surpassing that mark earlier this season at Rutgers. Her 31 career home runs puts her in a tie for seventh in Illini history, while her 143 RBI ranks seventh in program history.
Wagoner came to the Illini from the University of Illinois-Springfield, where she left as the program's all-time leader in batting average (.375), slugging percentage (.619), doubles (35), triples (15), and total bases (279). At Illinois, Wagoner has played in 29 career games, starting five, and has scored six runs while tallying five hits, one double, and one RBI.
ILLINI DOWN LEATHERNECKS IN FIVE INNINGS
The Fighting Illini softball team took care of their final midweek opponent Wednesday evening, defeating Western Illinois 8-0 in five innings at Eichelberger Field.
Illinois (33-17, 14-5 B1G) was powered by a 2-for-3 day from freshman Stevie Meade, who knocked In three RBI and scored two runs, while junior Delaney Rummell knocked in two RBI and freshman Paige Berkmeyer walked the game off in the fifth with a two-RBI single. In the circle, freshman Lauren Wiles tossed five shutout innings, giving up just four hits and no walks while striking out four batters to improve to 8-4 on the season. For the Leathernecks (8-34), Savannah Rodriguez took the loss and dropped to 1-7 on the season.
ILLINI WIN FIFTH-STRAIGHT CONFERENCE SERIES AT INDIANA
Illinois won their fifth-straight weekend series against Indiana, winning the first two games of the series before dropping an 11-inning heartbreaker in the series finale.
The Illini have a 5-0-2 record in Big Ten series this season, with series victories over Minnesota, Wisconsin, Rutgers, Iowa, and now Indiana, while splitting series with Purdue and Northwestern.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions come to Urbana with a 29-20 overall record, and a 11-9 mark in B1G conference play. Penn State has posted series wins over Rutgers, Indiana, and Purdue this season, while also splitting a doubleheader with Ohio State. At the plate, Cassie Lindmark leads the team with a .403 batting average with 33 RBI, while Ally Kurland has launched a team-leading 16 home runs and 41 RBI. In the circle, Baily Parshall has a 1.70 ERA across 185.2 IP, striking out 189 batters and eight shutouts while going the distance in 18 games this season, holding opponents to a .191 average. Kylee Lingenfelter has added five saves on the season.
ILLINI ECLIPSE 30 WIN MARK
With their midweek victory over DePaul, Illinois eclipsed the 30 win mark for the fifth time under head coach Tyra Perry. Illinois did not reach 30 in only two seasons, the COVID canceled 2020 season and the shortened Big Ten only schedule in 2021. It is the 12th time in program history that an Illinois softball team has reached 30+ wins.
SICKELS NEARING ALL-TIME STRIKEOUTS RECORD
With 543 career strikeouts, senior Sydney Sickels now ranks second all-time in Illinois history in strikeouts and is nearing the all-time record of 592 set by Pepper Gay from 2010-13. She is just 49 strikeouts away from that mark. Sickels is just the second pitcher in Illinois history to eclipse 500 career strikeouts, with the only other being Pepper Gay.
ILLINI IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
(Rankings as of Thursday, May 5)
NCAA RPI: 30
Team
Batting Average: .315 (2nd B1G, 20th NCAA)
Doubles: 92 (1st B1G, 1st NCAA)
Doubles per game: 1.88 (1st B1G, 3rd NCAA)
Slugging Percentage: .455 (6th B1G, 59th NCAA)
Scoring: 5.16 (5th B1G, 74th NCAA)
Shutouts: 11 (3rd B1G, 37th NCAA)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 3.74 (3rd B1G, 24th NCAA)
ERA: 2.54 (4th B1G, 45th NCAA)
Individual
Megan Ward: 16 doubles (3rd B1G, 11th NCAA), 0.33 doubles per game (3rd B1G, 31st NCAA)
Kailee Powell: 15 doubles (5th B1G, 21st NCAA), 0.31 doubles per game (5th B1G, 46th NCAA)
Avrey Steiner: 67 hits (1st B1G, 9th NCAA)
Tori McQueen: 5.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio (3rd B1G, 32nd NCAA), 8.2 strikeouts per seven (6th B1G, 36th NCAA)
Sydney Sickels: 9.4 strikeouts per seven (3rd B1G, 36th NCAA), 149 strikeouts (7th B1G, 56th NCAA)
Bella Loya: 34.0 Toughest to Strike out (1st B1G, 7th NCAA)
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,
FOLLOW THE #ILLINI
For the latest news and information on Fighting Illini softball, follow @IlliniSB on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and tune in to fightingillini.com.
