Indiana University
Ohio State University
Hoosiers Head to No. 25 Ohio State This Weekend
4/13/2017 2:20:00 PM | Softball
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game One - Friday, 6 p.m.
Game Two - Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game Three - Sunday, 1 p.m.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes, who are Indiana's sixth ranked opponent of the season, are coming off a Wednesday doubleheader split at Penn State and sit at an 8-3 Big Ten record. Last weekend, they dropped the first two games against Michigan before winning the series finale. Ohio State's other conference series have resulted in sweeps of Rutgers and Maryland.
Ohio State is hitting .302 as a team with eight everyday batters averaging .300 or better led by a .407 mark from Lilli Piper, which is seventh best in the Big Ten. Piper has 46 hits on the year with 32 runs and 39 RBI. Alex Bayne leads the team in homers with 11 while Piper has 10 as Ohio State's 42 home runs is tied for first in the Big Ten.
In the circle, the Buckeyes have a team ERA of 2.36 and have primarily used a four-pitcher rotation. Shelby Hursh (2.35 ERA, 9-4, 80.1 IP) has logged the most innings, followed by Lena Springer (2.50 ERA, 8-3, 64.1 IP).
IU and Ohio State's last series came in 2016 at Andy Mohr Field. Indiana won the first game in eight innings before Ohio State took game two. In the rubber match, Michelle Huber hit a sixth-inning grand slam to lead Indiana to a 5-3 win and the series victory.
LAST TIME OUT
Indiana hosted Purdue on Tuesday, splitting the doubleheader with the Boilermakers. IU won the first game, 4-0, behind a complete game shutout by sophomore Tara Trainer. The Boilermakers battled back late to take the final game, 2-1.
JENKINS, LACEFIELD SHINE AGAINST PURDUE
• Freshman Gabbi Jenkins had a big day at the plate on Tuesday against Purdue. In the first game, she collected a hit, run and a walk before a 4-for-4 showing in game two. The four hits tied her career high.
• Fellow freshman Katie Lacefield also had a career outing against the Boilermakers. In Indiana's 4-0 win, she was responsible for bringing in three runs, a career best in RBI. Lacefield earned a bases-loaded walk and a two-run double in the victory.
SEEING DOUBLE
• After picking up three more doubles on Tuesday, the Hoosiers now have 58 on the season, which is tied for second in the Big Ten.
• Indiana's out-doubling its opponents 58-46 this year
• IU's 1.45 doubles per game average is 43rd in the country.
• The Hoosiers finished the 2016 campaign with 69 doubles, which was fourth all-time in program history.
• Junior Taylor Uden leads the way with nine doubles, while Lacefield, senior Erin Lehman, juniors Aimilia McDonough and Rachel O'Malley each have seven on the season.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• IU has knocked 21 home runs this season, led by seven from Tsirigos and six from Uden. Tsirigos has tied her career high from a year ago, while Uden's previous best was five. Tsirigos currently has 24 career home runs, tied for seventh most in a career at Indiana.
• Tsirigos twice homered in the Friday contest at No. 7 Minnesota, setting a new career high for home runs in a game and marking the first time since May 7, 2016 that a Hoosier has done so.
• Last season, the Hoosiers finished the year with 26 homers.
• Indiana's 121 walks this year is fourth in the Big Ten. Tsirigos leads the team with 23, which ranks 89th in the country, while freshman Katie Lacefield has 20. Tsirigos' 103 career walks is third all-time at IU.
• Speaking of Tsirigos, she is hitting a team-best .440 in Big Ten play. In those 11 games, she has 11 hits, 14 RBI, six runs and five homers.
TRAINER'S STRIKEOUT RANKINGS
Tara Trainer has 137 strikeouts on the year, good for 33rd nationally and third in the Big Ten.
A season ago, the righty, who was named No. 21 on Fastpitch News' Preseason Top 50 NCAA Softball Pitchers List, set the Indiana freshman strikeout record with 183.
Trainer has tossed 12 complete games so far this year, doubling her number from 2016.
