ILLINI WRAP UP NONCONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS AT UGA CLASSIC
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+.
ILLINI DROP BRAGGIN' RIGHTS DOUBLEHEADER TO MISSOURI
In the 2022 home opener for the Fighting Illini softball tea, Illinois dropped a pair of games to the No. 18/17 Missouri Tigers in the annual Braggin' Rights series.
Illinois nearly completed a miraculous comeback in game one, scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game to extra innings, but the Tigers were able to regain the lead in the top half of the eighth inning, and Illinois was not able to complete the comeback, falling 7-6 in eight innings. At the plate, sophomore Megan Ward tallied three hits and an RBI, while junior Delaney Rummell added two hits and a solo home run for the Illini.
Illinois dropped game two in five innings by a score of 10-2. After tying the game up at two through two innings, the Tigers used a six-run third inning to open the game up, adding two more runs in the fourth to seal the run-rule victory over the Illini.
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 GEORGIA
The No. 16/21 Georgia Bulldogs from the SEC head into the weekend with a 22-4 (2-1 SEC) overall record, coming off of a SEC opening weekend series win over South Carolina and dropping a midweek matchup with Georgia Tech. The Bulldogs have played the majority of their schedule thus far at Jack Turner Stadium, with a 15-2 record at their home stadium compared to a 2-2 record in road games and 5-0 in neutral site games. Sydney Chambley leads the team in average (.425), doubles (10) and home runs (9), while Sarah Mosley leads the team in RBIs with 28 and hits with 32. In the circle, Madison Kerpics leads the team in ERA with a 1.74 ERA over 52.1 IP, striking out 68 batters in those innings, while Britton Rodgers leads the team in innings pitched (54.0).
SCOUTING DARTMOUTH
Dartmouth returns to the field following a tulumptuous two seasons after the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Big Green played just five games in the 2021 season after the conference season was canceled due to COVID-19. This season, the Big Green out of the Ivy League are 2-8 on the season after participating in the Chanticleer Showdown and the Tennessee Invitational, picking up their two wins over Monmouth on opening weekend. Kate Farren and Kelly Beaupre both have 4 RBIs at the plate, while Brooke Plonka has a 2.90 ERA in a team-leading 31.1 IP and 19 strikeouts.
SCOUTING MERCER
The Mercer Bears of the Southern Conference hold a 6-17 overall record on the season. The Bears are a combined 3-12 away from their home stadium, including trips to Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Charleston this season. Diamond Williams leads the team in average (.353) while Rebecca Laudino 10 RBI on the season to lead the team. In the circle, the Bears have tossed just three pitchers all season with Hannah Pitts tossing 76.2 innings on the season to the tune of a 4.93 ERA and 56 strikeouts.
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 next weekend, heading to Athens, Georgia for the UGA Classic, but not before the 2022 home opener hosting Missouri for a double header on Mar. 15.
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