Illinois (8-15) will attempt to get back on track after a tough showing at the Cardinal Classic this past weekend. Illinois dropped four of its five games, only managing to beat Long Island (1-23), which at the time had yet to record a win. The Illini will host their first home game of the year this weekend, taking on the Iowa Hawkeyes (15-8) to open up conference play.
Scary cast of Hawks
Junior outfielder Devin Simon is easily the biggest threat on the Hawkeyes’ roster. Simon is slashing .403/.494/.657 with three home runs to boast. If the Illini choose to pitch around her, it comes with a cost. Simon has been a serious issue on the basepaths so far this season. She’s 10 for 11 in steal attempts, making up over a third of Iowa’s total steals as a team. For Illinois to have success this weekend, it needs to keep Simon in check.
Iowa’s second biggest threat comes in the form of senior outfielder Tory Bennett. Bennett, while not to Simon’s level, is putting up impressive numbers. The senior is slashing .373/.430/.806 so far this season. Her slugging percentage is off the charts. Bennett leads Iowa in home runs (7) and doubles (8). This should be a key focus for Illinois heading into this weekend.
A duo to match
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
While Simon and Bennett are dangerous, Illinois has a powerful duo of its own. A pair of juniors, infielder Adisyn Caryl and outfielder Skylar Brennan, boast exceptional numbers for the Illini.
Caryl has been a force all year long. She leads Illinois in average, hitting near .400 at a .397 mark. Caryl is slashing .397/.469/.588 to this point. Caryl also has the ability to leave the yard, adding three bombs to her resume. While it may not be the strongest skill in her game, stealing bases is still a factor. Iowa will need to keep an eye on Caryl on the basepaths as she’s swiped two so far this year.
Brennan has been right there with Caryl all year long. Brennan has put up impressive numbers, slashing .377/.436/.478. However, unlike Caryl, she does not possess the long ball, having yet to see one leave the yard.
While not possessing a ton of power, she does make contact a significant amount of the time and has shown a keen eye at the plate. Brennan has only struck out five times in 69 at-bats. She has also walked seven times, which is second on the team to Caryl’s 10.
Brennan and Caryl need to do what they can to keep the Illinois offense afloat if they want to stay competitive. Their best bet is to put Iowa in a pick-your-poison situation all weekend long. Giving the Hawkeyes more to worry about could play well into Illinois’ hand.
The Illini will face off against the Hawkeyes at Eichelberger Field on Friday at 5 p.m. CDT. They’ll follow that up with a game on Saturday at 1 p.m. CDT and a game on Sunday at 12 p.m. CDT. This is a great opportunity for Illinois to get off to a hot start to begin conference play. An early series win could provide confidence to a struggling ball club.
