A weekend in which Illinois (15-20) recorded its first Big Ten series win of the season was celebrated shortly, but it’s back to business in Champaign. They return for a five-game homestand this week, including two midweek matchups.
First on the slate is in-state rival Northwestern (22-8), who has shot out to an 8-1 start in conference play. The Wildcats finished first in the Big Ten last year, and now they’ve solidified themselves as the team to beat in the conference.
Illinois dropped both games a year ago and trails the all-time series 16-34. However, it’s a new year and a new week, with Illinois riding the coattails of a successful weekend.
Junior left fielder Stevie Meade led the way offensively, clubbing two home runs and five hits, fueling the Illini bats to two wins. Freshman third baseman Adisyn Caryl added a big-time home run and junior catcher Paige Berkmeyer stayed hot for some necessary run support when Illinois needed it most.
Pitching-wise, both senior ace Tori McQueen and junior pitcher Lauren Wiles put together solid performances, something Illinois hasn’t gotten a whole lot of this year. McQueen’s 3.33 ERA leads the Illini, as well as her stellar 1.19 WHIP. Having thrown 22 more innings than anyone else, she is the go-to arm in key situations, and the Northwestern offense poses quite the challenge.
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The Wildcats feature a lineup with three players hitting .326 or better, led by sophomore second baseman Kansas Robinson. Placed in the leadoff hole to maximize plate appearances, Robinson has put up video game numbers through 30 games. She leads the team with a .489 AVG, 1.490 OPS, 9 home runs and 27 RBI, proving to be a tough out no matter the competition.
Facing Northwestern’s pitching staff doesn’t get much easier, as the rotation holds a 2.28 ERA thus far. Graduate student Ashley Miller is the top pitcher on the roster, with a 1.21 ERA and a .95 WHIP, while striking out 118 batters in 98 innings.
The rotation makes it a tall task in game one, and it doesn’t get much easier in game two. The Southern Illinois Salukis (26-8) have had quite the year, holding their own against the Power 5 and mid-majors alike. The Salukis are striving for their third win over a Big Ten opponent already this year, with victories already over Purdue and Iowa.
They’ve done it with their pitching, as the rotation has combined for a 1.77 ERA. The top three Saluki arms have shown no weaknesses in 2024, but freshman Maddia Groff is the storyline. Just a 5-foot-4 first-year, Groff plays much bigger and more experienced than that, throwing 127 of the team’s 225.1 innings this year.
The first pitch for the Tuesday game will be tossed at 7 p.m. CT, while Wednesday against the Saluki’s will start at 4 p.m. CT. Only the game against Northwestern will be televised, with streaming available on the Big Ten Network.
@benfader7
