Indiana University Athletics
IU Welcomes Kentucky for a Non-Conference Showdown
4/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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April 11, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana softball team takes a break from Big Ten action when it hosts Kentucky on April 12 for a doubleheader at the IU Softball Field. The Hoosiers (18-17-1, 3-5 Big Ten) are set for a 2 p.m. start against the Wildcats (18-22, 2-16 SEC), with the second game set for 4 p.m.
The non-conference matchup gives Indiana a break before it takes to the road for a pair of series against conference foes Northwestern and Illinois.
KENTUCKY PREVIEW
Kentucky comes into the match with an 18-22 overall record and a 2-16 mark in the SEC.
Katie Campbell paces the Wildcat batters with a .333 average at the plate, while Meghan Cooper closely follows with a .314 clip. Jessica Trueblood (7-11) and Amy Kendall (7-8) shoulder the pitching duties for Kentucky, posting a 3.34 and a 4.38 ERA, respectively.
Head coach Eileen Schmidt is in her second season with the program, leading the Wildcats to a 38-63 overall record while at the helm.
Kentucky leads the series 7-3 over Indiana, splitting their meetings in 2004.
MICHIGAN & MICHIGAN STATE REVIEW
Indiana had a tough road trip to the state of Michigan, falling by a pair of sweeps to No. 12 Michigan and Big Ten leader Michigan State. The Hoosiers struggled for offense over the weekend, but their efforts in the circle kept them in each contest until the end. Senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado had a stellar individual performance, going 6-for-13 from the plate and striking out a total of 27 batters across four appearances. Minus her performance in the second game against the Wolverines, Bogado recorded at least two hits per contest while facing two of the league's top pitchers in the process.
WHAT'S COMING UP
Indiana hits the road again for a pair of conference showdowns with No. 15 Northwestern on, April 14-15, followed by a doubleheader against Illinois on Sunday, April 16. IU's contests against the Wildcats are set for a 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. start (EST), while it will begin its matchup against the Fighting Illini at 1 p.m. (EST).
QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAIN
For senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado, her final season as a Hoosier is playing out to be her best campaign in her career. With the conference season underway, Bogado is ranked in the top six of 13 different pitching and batting categories. Below is a list of where the Mariana, Venezuela ranks in Big Ten conference games only.
BATTING AVERAGE: T-6th, .417 HITS: T-2nd, 10 DOUBLES: T-2nd, 3 EARNED RUN AVG.: 2nd, 0.71 OPPOSING BAT AVG.: 6th, .162 INNINGS PITCHED: 1st, 39.2 WINS: T-2nd, 3 BATTERS STRUCK OUT: 1st, 53 BATTERS STRUCK OUT LOOKING: T-7th, 7 APPEARANCES: T-1st, 8 GAMES STARTED: 1st, 6 GAMES FINISHED: T-6th, 2 GAMES IN RELIEF: T-6th, 2
WHAT IT MEANS
This weekend's Big Ten conference games carry with them postseason implications. Northwestern currently stands third in the standings and is three games ahead of Indiana, while Illinois is tied for sixth with the Hoosiers. With only the top eight teams making the league's postseason tournament, IU needs to grab a pair of wins to stay in the conference race.
LEAVE IT IN THE PAST
The Indiana softball team is in the process of erasing the memory of one of the toughest seasons in IU history. In 2004, the Hoosiers posted a 13-41 overall record, including a 2-18 clip in conference games.
In 2005, the Hoosiers have already eclipsed last season's overall win total with an 18-17-1 record on the year, while they dismissed last year's Big Ten wins total in a single weekend, upending Ohio State and Penn State to open conference action 3-1. The start is IU's best since opening 5-0 in 1997. Indiana is currently 3-5 in league affairs.
