Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Kentucky
Indiana Closes Out Road Swing with Trip to No. 24 Kentucky
3/13/2018 6:54:00 PM | Softball
The contest will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and will be tape delayed on SEC Network at 7 p.m., which was the original time slot for the game.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
The No. 24 ranked Wildcats are the fourth ranked opponent the Hoosiers have faced this season. Kentucky saw a 10-game winning streak snapped over the weekend at Florida as the Gators swept the three-game SEC opening weekend. The Wildcats got back in the win column Tuesday as they defeated NIU, 8-4, to move to 7-0 at John Cropp Stadium this season. Kentucky is batting .329 as a team, led by a .437 average from Katie Reed and a .429 average by Bailey Vick. Abbey Cheek leads the team with seven homers. In the circle, the Wildcats have mainly relied on Grace Baalman (1.66 ERA, 7-2, 50.2 IP), Erin Rethlake (3.31 ERA, 5-3, 42.1 IP) and Autumn Humes (2.87 ERA, 4-1, 39.0 IP).
Kentucky holds a 13-7 series lead against Indiana and are winners of the last four matchups. Last season, the Wildcats defeated the Hoosiers in Bloomington, 6-2. Rebecca Blitz went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI in the game.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hoosiers traveled to Norman, Okla. over the weekend for a pair of contests against Illinois State and a single game against No. 5 Oklahoma and No. 18 South Carolina. Indiana opened up the weekend with a 5-2 victory against the Redbirds before dropping the final three games of the tournament.
WESTMORELAND'S OFFENSIVE SURGE
• Freshman Maddie Westmoreland knocked a pair of homers on Friday, including her first career home run in Indiana's win against Illinois State. She also hit a solo homer in the following game against No. 5 Oklahoma.
• Westmoreland has raised her batting average significantly in the last three weeks. After batting .182 with four hits and four RBI in the first nine games of the season, she has hit .375 with 12 hits and six RBI in the 13 games since then, which covers the last three weekends.
• For the season, she now sits second on the team with a .296 average.
GALOVICH COLLECTS HER FIRST CAREER HOME RUN
• Junior Sarah Galovich also knocked her first career homer during the weekend, as she had a two-run shot against No. 18 South Carolina on Sunday.
• For the weekend, Galovich hit .300 with three hits and four runs and reached base safely in every game. On the season, she is batting .286, the third-highest on the team and a career best for the second baseman.
JENKINS CONTINUES TO PACE THE OFFENSE
• Sophomore Gabbi Jenkins still sits atop the leaderboard with her .324 average, 23 hits and eight runs. Jenkins' average has not dipped below .300 all season as she has hit mainly in the leadoff spot.
BELL RETURNS TO HER ALMA MATER
• Indiana assistant coach Chanda Bell makes her return to Kentucky on Wednesday. Bell, who pitched at Kentucky from 2009-12 is the all-time program strikeouts leader with 910. In addition, with 68 wins she has the second-most victories in the Kentucky record book.
• Bell was the first in Wildcat history to record 200-plus strikeouts in all four seasons and the first to toss a no-hitter and perfect game.
HOOSIER QUICK HITS
• The Hoosiers have 29 stolen bases on the year, the third-most in the Big Ten. Jenkins has nine stolen bags, which is tied for fifth-most in the conference, while senior Rebbeca Blitz seven six. Blitz's 67 career stolen bases ranks fourth in Indiana program history.
Career Rankings:
1. Aimee Lonigro (1994-97) - 90
2. Karleen Moore (1984-87) - 83
3. Khara Good (1996-99) - 71
4. Rebecca Blitz (2015-pr.) - 67
• Junior Tara Trainer's 65 strikeouts this season currently stands at third-most in the Big Ten. The Lebanon, Ohio native has 421 strikeouts in her career, the sixth-most in IU program history.
Career Rankings:
1. Amy Unterbrink (1983-86) - 1089
2. Gina Ugo (1993-96) - 664
3. Megan Roark (2003-06) - 577
4. Mariangee Bogado (04-06) - 569
5. Morgan Melloh (2011) - 494
6. Tara Trainer (2016-pr.) - 421
HOME ON THE HORIZON
• Indiana opens up home play this weekend in the annual Hoosier Classic. Friday's doubleheader marks the start of 10 straight games to be played at Andy Mohr Field. Admission to all home games is free of charge.
WHAT'S AHEAD IN 2018
The Hoosiers have 55 games on tap in 2018, including 21 to be played at Andy Mohr Field. This year, Indiana will play 16 games against teams who reached the NCAA Tournament last season and 10 against teams ranked or receiving votes in this week's USA Today/NFCA Poll.
After Wednesday's meeting with Kentucky and the Hoosier Classic, other non-conference tilts include Louisville, Western Kentucky and Butler. Home Big Ten battles for Indiana includes Ohio State, Nebraska, Penn State and Michigan. IU will travel to Michigan State, Maryland, Purdue and Rutgers. The 2018 Big Ten Tournament will be hosted by Wisconsin in Madison from May 10-12.
