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Week 4: Children's Hospital Invitational Game Notes
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Shortstop Jessica Davis and the Fighting Illini return to action this weekend at Missouri's Children's Hospital Invitational.
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March 11, 2010
Games 16-20 // Children's Hospital Invitational
University Field; Columbia, Mo.
Friday, March 12
Game 16: #21 Illinois (14-1) vs. New Mexico (8-10), 11 a.m. CT
Game 17: #21 Illinois vs. San Diego State (13-8), 5 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 13
Game 18: #21 Illinois vs. Bradley (9-6), 10 a.m. CT
Game 19: #21 Illinois at #3 Missouri (13-2), 2 p.m. CT
Sunday, March 14
Game 20: #21 Illinois vs. San Diego State, 10 a.m. CT
Follow Along
Livestats: fightingillini.com Gametracker
Live Video: All five games will be streamed on fightingillini.com
LEADING OFF
Illinois is...
...13-0 this season at neutral sites
...12-0 when scoring five or more runs
...7-0 when scoring in the first inning
Illini Return to Action at Children's Hospital Invitational: After a week and a half off from games, Illinois will look to continue its strong start to the season at Missouri's Children's Hospital Invitational. The Illini will return to the site where they played last year's NCAA Regional, falling to the host Tigers and DePaul after earning their third NCAA Tournament berth in school history.
NFCA Leadoff Classic Champs: Illinois was crowned champions of the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Feb. 28, going a perfect 5-0 over the weekend. In the 23-team field, the Illini and Missouri were the only teams with an undefeated weekend record, with the Orange and Blue earning the title due to their run differential over opponents. It was Illinois' second tournament title of the season, as the team opened 2010 with a perfect 5-0 record at the UNLV Sportco Kick-Off Classic.
Great Start: Illinois is off to a 14-1 start to the 2010 season, marking the best start in program history. The previous best start was in 2003, when the Orange and Blue started the year 9-1. The Illini's lone loss so far has come on the road to #11 Stanford. They bring an eight game winning streak into Missouri, approaching the school record of 11 straight wins set in both 2001 and 2003.
Return to the Rankings: Illinois entered the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 on March 2, ranked No. 21. The Illini are also ranked No. 21 in this week's NFCA poll after having over a week off from games. The ranking is Illinois' first since finishing the 2004 season at No. 17, which also marked the highest ranking in school history. The Illini also entered the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 this week, ranked No. 25.
Wedel Earns Conference Accolade: Sophomore third baseman Kelley Wedel became the first Illini to be named Big Ten Player of the Week in 2010, earning the honor on March 1. At the NFCA Leadoff Classic, Wedel led the team in batting average (.538), hits (7) and runs (7) while adding two doubles and a home run with a slugging percentage of .923. She had a particularly good game in the 12-2 win over Mississippi Valley State, with a double, home run, three runs scored and a career-high four RBIs.
All-Tournament Honors: Sophomore third baseman Kelley Wedel and redshirt freshman shortstop Jesica Davis were both named to the NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team after leading Illinois to the tournament title. Wedel batted .538 (7-for-13) for the tournament with a slugging percentage of .923, while Davis hit .400 (6-for-15) with a slugging percentage of .867 and two big homers, including a walk-off against No. 22 Florida State on Feb. 26.
Walk-Off Win: Illinois picked up its second victory over a ranked opponents on Feb. 26, with a thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind win over No. 22 Florida State at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Illini were down 3-0 with no hits heading into the bottom of the sixth. With one out in the inning, Danielle Vaji and Danielle Zymkowitz hit back-to-back singles, and Hope Howell followed with a three-run homer to right center to tie the game 3-3. Redshirt freshman Jessica Davis then gave Illinois the walk-off win in the bottom of the seventh with a home run to dead center.
Zymkowitz on a Tear: Junior second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz looks to already be in her 2009 All-American form, as she is batting .451 to lead the Big Ten. Zymkowitz also ranks second in the league in hits (23), fifth in on-base percentage (.517) and fifth in stolen bases (8). The team captain has gotten a hit in 13 of 15 games this season and has a career batting average of .365 which ranks first in Illinois history.
Offensive Outburst: Illinois has found success throughout the lineup this year, leading the Big Ten in almost every offensive category. As a team, the Illini rank first in the league in batting average (.354), slugging percentage (.546), on-base percentage (.443), runs scored (113) and RBIs (105). For the season, the Illini are outscoring opponents 113-33 and have scored seven or more runs in 11 of 15 games.
Illini Solid On The Mound: The Illinois pitching staff has had a successful start to the season, with a team ERA of 1.67 that ranks second in the Big Ten. The Orange and Blue already have tallied six shutouts in 2010. Freshman Pepper Gay is off to a 6-0 start, leading the Illini with an ERA of 0.83, while sophomore Monica Perry is 7-1.
Last weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, Gay picked up three victories with a tournament ERA of 1.11, striking out a career-high seven batters and earning a shutout against Radford. Perry also had a solid weekend, picking up the wins over Arkansas and Virginia Tech. Freshman Jackie Guy has been effective in relief, giving up just one run in five appearances.
Vaji Surging: Sophomore Danielle Vaji has solidified herself as the Illini's designated player, ranking third on the team with an average of .409. After recovering from a broken finger suffered during the preseason, Vaji made her first plate appearances at the Stanford Nike Invitational, batting .556 for the weekend. She tallied her first extra-base hit of the season with a double last weekend against Mississippi Valley State, also going 2-for-3 with two RBIs in that game. The Plano, Texas native is a major addition to the Illini lineup this year after redshirting 2009 with a knee injury.
Howell Heats Up: Senior captain Hope Howell was exceptional at the plate in Illinois' four wins at the Stanford Nike Invitational, batting a scorching .714 (10-for-14). She led the team over the weekend with 10 hits and six runs scored while also contributing four RBIs. In the Illini victories, the senior also led the team with an on base percentage of .733 and a slugging percentage of .786.
Position Switches: Two Illini veterans have had solid starts to the season after moving to different positions than they played in 2009. Junior Audrey Gallien debuted as starting catcher at UNLV after spending her previous two years in the Illini infield. The transition has worked so far, as Gallien is batting clean-up for the Orange and Blue, hitting .368 with a slugging percentage of .816 and nine extra-base hits, including four homers.
Junior Ashley Conrad has also moved in the lineup, playing centerfield after filling in at shortstop last year due to injuries. Conrad currently leads the Illini with 17 RBIs and is tied with Gallien for the team lead in home runs (4).
National Exposure: The Big Ten Network released its 2010 spring schedule, with Illinois softball receiving unprecedented exposure. The Illini will have five games televised nationally on the BTN, while an additional eight games will be steamed on BTN.com. For a complete schedule, see the box at the bottom of the page.
In addition to the BTN coverage, WDWS AM 1400 will broadcast four Illini home games in 2010. Those games will also be streamed on fightingillini.com. The following is a list of the scheduled broadcasts:
Illinois on WDWS AM 1400
Wednesday, March 17 vs. Illinois State, 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 15 vs. Eastern Illinois, 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 24 vs. Wisconsin, 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 15 vs. Minnesota, 1 p.m.
First Grand Slam: Sophomore third baseman Kelley Wedel hit Illinois' first grand slam of the season against Kent State on Feb. 14, breaking a scoreless tie in the fourth and propelling Illinois to a 10-0 win. It was the first grand slam of Wedel's career and the 20th in program history.
Five RBIs for Hackett: Sophomore first baseman Meredith Hackett had a career game against Long Beach State on Feb. 13, knocking in a career-high five RBIs. Hackett was a perfect 3-of-3 at the plate, hitting a double and a two-run home run.
Another Tough Slate: Illinois and head coach Terri Sullivan are known for scheduling the toughest schedule possible, embracing the theory that to be the best you have to play the best. In 2010, the Illini will face 19 teams that qualified for the 2009 NCAA Tournament, including four teams that advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals and two 2009 Women's College World Series participants in Missouri and Michigan. In total, six Illinois opponents in 2010 are ranked in the latest USA Today/NFCA poll - including three in the top 10 - while four more opponents are receiving votes.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
New Mexico: The Lobos are 8-10 on the season, losing six straight heading into the Children's Hospital Invitational. Four of those losses came to No. 25 Baylor. Katie Gilmore is hitting .423 with eight extra-base hits to lead the way offensively. New Mexico has three different starting pitchers, with Kaela DeBroeck getting the most appearances and owning a 3.97 ERA.
San Diego State: The Aztecs own a 13-8 record and are receiving votes in both national polls. First baseman Justeen Maeva is batting .417 with 17 RBIs, while pitcher Samantha Beasley has a 0.70 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 17 appearances. SDSU has advanced to the last two NCAA Tournaments.
Bradley: The Braves enter the weekend with a 9-6 record, most recently winning three of five games at the South Florida Invitational. Senior Amanda Clack leads Bradley both offensively (.388 batting average) and on the mound (6-1 record, 2.23 ERA). Bradley qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season, playing in Missouri's NCAA Regional along with the Illini.
Missouri: The Tigers are ranked No. 3 in the nation and are 12-2 on the season, rolling to 11 consecutive victories. Starting pitcher Chelsea Thomas recently threw the third no-hitter of her career and is 7-1 on the season with 69 strikeouts. Missouri has four players batting over .400, led by outfielder Lisa Simmons (.444).
OTHER ILLINI NOTES
World's Largest Softball Tailgate on April 24: Illinois will host its seventh annual World's Largest Softball Tailgate on Saturday, April 24 at 3 p.m. against Wisconsin. The annual event is a favorite in the Champaign-Urbana community, as fans come out to cheer on the Illini in an electric atmosphere with live music, games and tailgate food. Last year's WLST drew over 1,000 fans and was the third-best crowd in program history.
Sullivan Signs Two: Head coach Terri Sullivan signed two in-state athletes to national letters in intent in November. Illinois natives Alex Booker (Gurnee, Ill.) and Jenna Mychko (Union, Ill.) will join the Orange and Blue for the 2010-11 season. Booker is an outfielder known for her speed and athleticism, while Mychko is a catcher who has a career batting average of .496 at Huntley High School and brings leadership behind the plate.
Returning All-American: Second baseman Danielle Zymkowitz returns for her junior season after becoming the second Illini in history to earn All-America honors, coming off a 2009 season where was named the third-team second baseman by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She finished the year batting .401, good for second in the Big Ten and third in Illinois' single-season history. The West Hills, Calif., native led off every game in 2009 and reached base in 42 of 46 contests.
