Indiana University
University of Michigan
Hoosiers Visit No. 19 Michigan in Final Road Big Ten Series
4/27/2017 11:37:00 AM | Softball
LAST TIME OUT
The Hoosiers hosted Maryland last weekend, sweeping the Terrapins in a three-game set behind strong pitching. Sophomore Tara Trainer earned a pair of complete game victories on Friday and Sunday. Redshirt sophomore Emily Kirk earned the first complete game shutout of her career on Saturday as the Hoosiers posted a 5-0 win.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
• The Wolverines have won every Big Ten series this season, with the three individual conferences losses coming against No. 25 Ohio State, Maryland and Wisconsin.
• Michigan, who has advanced to the Women's College World Series the last two season, is hitting .315 as a team, which ranks 26th nationally, with five batters hitting above .300. Kelly Christner leads the way with a .408 average, 51 hits, 38 runs and 35 RBI. Faith Canfield is another force, batting .364 with 52 hits, 42 runs and 29 RBI.
• The Wolverines' have a team ERA of 1.70, led by a Megan Betsa. The senior's 1.38 ERA is 29th nationally, while her 10 shutouts is third. Betsa leads the nation in strikeouts with 334 and averages 12.8 per game, second nationally. Tera Blanco (2.07 ERA, 15-3, 104.2 IP) has also been impressive in the circle for Michigan this season.
• Indiana and Michigan last met in the 2016 Big Ten Tournament, resulting in a 10-0 Wolverine win. Michigan took all three games of last year's series in Bloomington.
FAMILIAR FOE
• The Hoosiers have a couple of big ties to Michigan Softball:
-IU head coach Michelle Gardner played under Carol Hutchins at Michigan from 1984-88, garnering Big Ten Player of the Year and NFCA All-Region accolades during her time in Blue. Additionally, Hutchins spent a season with Indiana as an assistant coach under Gayle Blevins in 1981 and received a master's degree in physical education from IU.
-Indiana junior Taylor Uden's younger sister, Madison, is a freshman on Michigan's squad. Madison has played in 13 games this season for the Maize and Blue.
TSIRIGOS AWARDED BIG TEN MEDAL OF HONOR
• Senior CaraMia Tsirigos was honored the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor, joining men's soccer's Derek Creviston as the two Indiana honorees.
• Big Ten schools currently feature almost 9,500 student-athletes, but only 28 earn this prestigious award on an annual basis.
• As Indiana's designated player, Tsirigos leads the team in home runs with eight this season and has knocked 25 home runs in her career, which is tied for fifth all-time at Indiana. She is currently batting .305, a career best for the senior. Her 111 career walks is tied for second all-time in program history. Tsirigos has played in 174 games in a Hoosier uniform, with 174 starts.
• Off the field, Tsirigos is an Executive Board Member for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which works to act as a liaison between athletes and the athletic department. She has also been greatly involved in the Hoosier Heroes Leadership and Emerging Leaders programs. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, she was also named a 2016 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. Tsirigos will graduate with a major in Sport Marketing and Management and a minor in the Kelley School of Business.
NEWS AND NOTES
• IU has knocked 23 home runs this season, led by eight from Tsirigos and seven from Uden. Last season, the Hoosiers finished the year with 26 homers.
• Indiana's 149 walks this year is fifth in the Big Ten. Tsirigos leads the team with 31, which ranks 50th in the country and third in the Big Ten, while freshman Katie Lacefield has 24.
• Indiana now has 62 doubles on the year, which is tied for fourth in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers finished the 2016 campaign with 69 doubles, which was fourth all-time in program history.
• Junior Rebecca Blitz has 14 stolen bases on the year, good for fifth in the Big Ten. Blitz had four stolen bases during IU's series at Ohio State. For her career, she has 58 which is now fifth in Indiana program history.
• The Indiana pitching staff has hit a batter just six times in the season, which is third best in the country.
• IU's .967 fielding percentage ranks second in the Big Ten.
TRAINER'S STRIKEOUT RANKINGS
Tara Trainer has 154 strikeouts on the year, good for 36th nationally and third in the Big Ten. For her career, she has 337 strikeouts which puts her eighth in Indiana program history.
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.
