Following two weekends that provided two different outcomes, Illinois (4-5) is continuing a long stretch away from the confines of Eichelberger Field.
The NCAA softball season begins in early February, meaning teams in northern states often have to pack up and travel south for an entire month while they wait for the weather to warm up. This has not stopped the Illini from taking advantage of opportunities laid in front of them.
Life on the road
The cold temperatures restrict Illinois from hosting games in the first few weeks. The remaining schedule has Illinois set to visit Raleigh, North Carolina, and Fayetteville, Arkansas, before the team finally has its first homestand.
Head coach Tyra Perry said she is an advocate for later starts to the seasons, believing that February is a little too early of a beginning. The southern trips apply to most Big Ten teams. Since the conference is mainly set up in the midwestern United States, those teams also endure similar slates.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Starting with four weeks of road games may appear difficult on the surface. However, it is also a chance for the team to bond together.
“We’re all trying to still figure out each other’s personality every now and then,” said senior catcher Paige Berkmeyer. “You’re on the road, you see each other 24/7 for almost four days a week. So, you’re within close quarters all the time, and we have a lot of fun.”
Berkmeyer also said that long stretches of road games like this allow the Illini to visit many places. The opportunity to play against teams they wouldn’t otherwise have is welcomed. They play games in February and gain experience as a group with many newcomers, even if that means packing up and traveling somewhere else.
Looking at the team
Pitching is looking to build on a strong weekend in Nashville. Perry said senior right-hander Lauren Wiles and freshman right-hander Danika Frazier worked closely with assistant coach Kirsten Verdun and have done good things, continuing to take steps forward.
The stats may not indicate it, but junior right-hander and utility player Karley Yergler held her own against a hitting buzzsaw in Mercer (6-4) despite conceding eight runs. The rotation of Wiles, Frazier and Yergler is starting to find its groove as the team inches closer to March.
Perry also said she feels the team did what it needed to do at the plate in Nashville. The Illini left fewer runners on base and put more runs on the board. The weekend ended with a bang when sophomore infielder Adisyn Caryl walked off Quinnipiac (0-3) with a grand slam. This provided a much-needed spark to her and the rest of the squad.
“ I think it’s definitely a momentum shifter, and we have to take it as a momentum shifter,” Berkmeyer said. “So the ball’s in our court, and we have to determine what we’re going to do with that, and I think just from practice this week and talking to the girls that we’re really excited for what’s to come.”
The aggressive approaches at the plate proved invaluable over the past week. The Illini came out of the gates ready to swing and put runs up early in all four games. This will be key in the upcoming week of games.
What’s on the table?
Weather will once again be a factor this weekend at the Marucci Classic. Illinois’ original slate of five games has already been reduced to four. One of two games against NC State (6-5) got cut out of the schedule.
The first pitch from Raleigh is now scheduled for noon on Friday against Central Michigan (1-4). The Illini will face the Chippewas again Saturday morning and also meet the Northern Colorado Bears (3-7) later that day. The Illini cap off the weekend with a Sunday matinee against the Wolfpack.
