Two teams with similar records, that are both coming off of an exhilarating one-run win, will face off this Wednesday at Eichelberger Field.

The 15-12 Illinois will host the 16-12 Indiana State Sycamores. The Sycamores are coming off of a series win where they took the last two games in the three-game series versus the Bradley Braves. Like Illinois, Indiana State has also gotten some games canceled recently, when their doubleheader versus IUPUI got canceled due to inclement weather. This will be the Sycamores’ second match facing a Big Ten opponent, their first being a 6-1 loss against Iowa in the Blues City Classic in early March.

Offensively, the Sycamores have been one of the best in the Missouri Valley. Senior outfielder Bella Peterson has been a superstar so far this season, hitting almost .400 (.394) as well as leading the team in homers with five. Peterson also leads her team in OPS, runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBIs, stolen bases, total bases, walks and slugging. The only player with a higher on base percentage than her is Cassie Thomerson who has been hit by a pitch an absurd eight times so far on the year. Outside of Peterson, two other Sycamore sluggers are hitting above .300: Isabella Henning (.345) and Lexie Siwek (.329). 

Pitching-wise, Indiana State has been chugging along with two arms. Junior Lexi Bonko has been the ace by eating up 93.2 innings, throwing ten complete games. She has been more of a pitch-to-contact kind of pitcher, limiting opposing hitters to a .233 batting average and possessing a 2.24 ERA. Their second main pitcher, Cassi Newbanks, has been having a solid and promising freshman year. In 59.1 innings, she has struck out 34, but also walked 24. 

Action starts at Eichelberger Field on Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m.

Up next, Illinois will travel to Minnesota to take on the Gophers in a three-game series Friday to Sunday, with Sunday’s 11:00 a.m. game being televised on ESPN2.

@NickKane__

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