Illinois (9-27, 1-8) will travel to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on Michigan State (13-21, 0-9) this weekend. Having racked up only one conference win on the year, the Illini will try to capitalize on a stumbling Spartans squad.
Bounce back opportunities
Michigan State has had some serious struggles this season. The Spartans’ most recent loss against the Detroit Mercy Titans marked their 11th straight. The Spartans also have yet to record a win at home this year, dropping each of their first five games at Secchia Stadium.
This gives Illinois an immense opportunity to get its season back on the rails. Michigan State tends to give up an abundance of runs, allowing nine-plus in six of its last 11 games. Illinois should focus on getting the bats going early. The Illini have scored first in all of their wins this season. This weekend is a great opportunity for Illinois to jump a few spots in the standings; three wins could propel the team into 13th place.
Keys to success
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It starts at the top for the Illini. Junior outfielder Skylar Brennan needs to step up to get Illinois going early. Brennan is slashing .349/.410/.422 and is in the midst of a five-game hit streak.
Along with Brennan’s stellar year, junior infielder Adisyn Caryl has put together quite the season. Caryl and Brennan have been a one-two punch for the Illini all year, serving as a bulk of the offense at the top of the order. Caryl is slashing .346/.431/.510 with four bombs on the year.
Another notable stat is Brennan and Caryl’s ability to avoid striking out. In a combined 213 at-bats, they’ve only struck out a combined 17 times. Illinois will need Brennan and Caryl to step up if they want any chance of capitalizing this weekend.
While much of the season’s story has fallen on Brennan and Caryl, sophomore catcher Ellie Haggard could be on pace for a mid-season breakout. The sophomore has six hits in her past three games and knocked in a team-high three runs in Tuesday’s game against Illinois State. Haggard also has the ability to leave the yard, leading the Illini with 8 bombs, one of which came Tuesday night.
Senior right-handed pitcher Karly Yergler will have to step up in the circle as well. Yergler has had an up-and-down season to this point, with a 4.38 ERA to show for it. However, she has shown the ability to dominate throughout the season. The senior has gone the distance six times this season, showcasing her ability to eat up innings. Yergler has the opportunity to give Illinois a serious chance to pick up some much-needed wins this weekend if she’s able to settle in.
The series will begin Friday afternoon, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT. Game two will take place directly after on Friday at 4 p.m. CDT. The series will cap off on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled at noon.
