Indiana University Athletics
Softball Hosts Wisconsin and Iowa
4/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 21, 2006
Wisconsin and Iowa Notes in PDF Format
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BLOOMINGTON, Ind.-The Indiana softball team continues its Big Ten slate when it welcomes Wisconsin and Iowa to the IU Softball Field on April 21-23. Wisconsin comes to Bloomington for a two-day series with the Hoosiers, beginning on Friday, April 21, with a 3 p.m. game, followed by a noon contest on Saturday, April 22.
The Hoosiers then will honor alumni during its Big Ten doubleheader against Iowa on Sunday, April 23, set to begin at noon.
Indiana fans are encouraged to come out and support your Hoosiers as they continue to fight for a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
All of Indiana's games over the weekend can be followed live on Gametracker at IUHOOSIERS.com.
FAMILY ATTRACTIONS
The Indiana softball team would like to make this season's home games a family affair, with each contest at the IU Softball Field catering to a family atmosphere. Along with competitive action on the diamond, giveaways will take place during the second through sixth innings at every IU home game. Prizes include gift cards to Moe's Southwest Grill, Buccetos' and the T.I.S. Bookstore.
So, come out and experience the action and excitement that is Hoosier softball, and make sure to bring the family.
ALUMNI DAY
It's Alumni Day at the IU Softball Field as the Hoosiers take on Iowa for a doubleheader on Sunday, April 23. All alumni are invited to participate, as each will be honored during the opening introductions of the first game. Alumni are asked to check in at the Student Athletic Board table located at the entrance of the IU Softball Field.
The twin bill also will feature numerous giveaways and events, including a t-shirt toss for every Hoosiers strikeout, drawings for gifts from local restaurants, Softball Bingo, first pitch to be thrown by IU Athletics Hall of Famer Gayle Blevins, and the national anthem to be sung by IU alumna, Holly Bales-Hall. All alumni also will take part in singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the fourth-inning stretch of the first game.
$1 POPCORN DAY, APRIL 22
Indiana Hoosiers fans, IU marketing and promotions would like to invite you to participate in $1 popcorn day at the ball park, taking place on Saturday, April 22, when the Hoosiers battle Wisconsin in the second game of the series.
SPECIAL THANKS BY GIRL SCOUT TROOP 531
In between Indiana's doubleheader against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the 2006 IU softball team will be honored with a traveling trophy from Girl Scout Troop 531 for their efforts of producing the best exhibit for demonstrating softball skills and positive leadership qualities at the 2006 National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The local troop also will grace fans with their rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the fourth inning stretch of the second game.
WISCONSIN PREVIEW
Wisconsin brings an 18-16 record into the two-day series with the Hoosiers. The Badgers are 3-5 in Big Ten contests.
Chandelle Schulte is in her first year with the Badgers and her seventh overall as a coach.
Samantha Polito heads the offensive charge for Wisconsin with a .351 batting average and a team-leading 39 hits. Katie Hnatyk paces the Badgers with 27 RBI, while Liz Klemp holds the team's second best average with a .333 clip.
Eden Brock shoulders the pitching duties for UW with a 3.21 ERA in 28 appearances, while Leah Vanevenhoven follows closely with a 3.42 ERA in 20 appearances.
Wisconsin leads the series 14-9 and has won the last three meetings between the two teams. The last time Indiana defeated the Badgers came in its first meeting in 2004.
IOWA PREVIEW
The Hawkeyes own a 30-16 record and a 6-4 ledger in the Big Ten Conference. The Hawkeyes will first face the Hoosiers travel-partner Purdue before traveling to Bloomington for a doubleheader on April 23.
Head coach Gayle Blevins is in her 18th year with the Hawkeyes program, leading Iowa to a 790-354-3 record in her time at the helm.
Emily Nichols paces the Hawkeyes batting efforts with a .354, while Stacey May follows closely with a .348 clip and a team-best 49 hits. On the year, three Hawkeyes have registered 40-or-more hits on the season.
Brittany Weil has made 38 appearances for Iowa, recording a 2.40 ERA in the process with a team-leading 203 strikeouts. Also making an appearance during the series will be Ali Arnold, who has thrown a 2.60 ERA across 24 outings.
Iowa leads the series 51-30 and has won the last 15 meetings. The last time Indiana defeated the Hawkeyes came in 1998.
WEEK IN REVIEW
Indiana split its non-conference matchups this past week, disposing of the IPFW Mastodons, 11-3, on April 18, while suffering a close loss to Ohio, 1-0, on April 19.
In the outings, Indiana had no trouble at the plate, out-hitting its opponents in both contests. Senior pitcher Megan Roark led the Hoosiers in the circle, allowing only four hits across two games of action.
WHAT'S COMING UP
Indiana returns to the diamond on April 24, when it travels to Muncie, Ind., to take on Ball State for a 4 p.m. contest.
The Hoosiers then continue their four-game road trip when they travels to Terre Haute for a 3 p.m. game against Indiana State on April 26.
The Hoosiers conclude their travels with a two-day series against Minnesota on April 28-29 in Minneapolis.
BEST IN THE BUSINESS
Senior right fielder Lauren Hines is well on her way to posting the best batting average in the last nine years.
Currently the Hoosier owns a .421 clip, just below Monica Armendarez's (1995-98) season mark of a .437 in 1997. If the season ended today, the senior would finish with the third-best mark in a season, and the best average since Stormy Hanson registered a .382 clip in 2003.
BOWLING `STRIKES'
Senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado has posted a team-leading 220 strikeouts on the season. The feat is the most fanned batters for a Hoosier pitcher since Gina Ugo (1993-96) punched out 273 in 1996. Previous to that effort, IU Hall of Famer Amy Unterbrink (1983-86) registered 370 strikeouts in 1986 for the school record.
HITTING ZONE
One of IU's top goals since the beginning of the season was to improve its offensive output. The Hoosiers have accomplished that and more with a .262 batting average on the season and a .215 ledger in conference games. The two marks rank sixth and tied for eighth in the Big Ten, respectively.
The 2006 Hoosiers also have managed to record the best batting average in nine years. The last time the Hoosiers had above a .262 came in 1997 when they registered a .293 clip.
STEP UP TO THE PLATE
The Indiana pitching staff has prided itself on being one of the best in the Big Ten. Not only have senior pitchers Mariangee Bogado and Megan Roark and junior hurler Christy Wahl done that, they have combined to be one of the best contingents in IU history.
The threesome has allowed only 220 hits on the season, which ranks fourth all-time in the IU record book for a season.
THIS IS MY FIELD
Indiana is on its way to rewriting the record books in fielding percentage. In 2006, the Hoosiers own a .973 average on the season, which if the season ended today would become the all-time highest for any Hoosier squad since the inception of the program more than 30 years ago. The current record is a .963 posted by the 1986 Hoosiers.
Incidentally, the 1986 squad made it all the way to the Women's College World Series.
ON THE HAMILTON TRAIL
Sophomore left fielder/pinch runner Julia Hamilton has been IU's quickest player on the diamond all season long. On the year, the Lincolnshire, Ill., native has registered 14 steals. The feat is the most by any IU student-athlete since 2003 when Stormy Hanson posted 17.
With 10 games left to play, the Hoosier has her eyes set on etching her name into the record books for one of the best efforts in a single season. Should Hamilton register nine more stolen bases, the sophomore would enter the top 10 in the category with 23, tying former Hoosiers Khara Good (1996-99) and Sue O'Callaghan (1982-83). Hamilton would become the first Indiana softball player to enter the records in stolen bases in the last eight years.
