Illinois softball begins Big Ten Tournament
Illinois’ Carly Thomas throws a ball from the outfield during the softball game against Wisconsin at Eichelberger Field on April 17.
May 11, 2015
The Illinois softball team will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to start its postseason run at the Big Ten Tournament this weekend.
The tournament starts Thursday, and the Illini (26-26, 14-9 Big Ten) enter as the No. 5 seed. Their first opponent will be 12th-seeded Purdue (30-24, 7-14 Big Ten).
Illinois was fourth in the standings for most of the conference season, but two losses to Nebraska last weekend allowed Northwestern to pass the Illini. The top four seeds in the tournament get a bye to the quarterfinals.
Having to play an extra game doesn’t faze the Illini. Head coach Terri Sullivan said the team sees every game as a learning experience.
“Our team enjoys being out on the field,” Sullivan said. “We would have liked the bye, but we just like playing games. It doesn’t matter what jerseys are on the other side.”
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Illinois is on the same side of the bracket as No. 1 seed Michigan, but Sullivan said she is only concerned with Purdue for the time being.
The tournament has a single-elimination format, so the Illini can’t afford a loss. If they lose, their season comes to a close — Illinois’ only shot at an NCAA berth is if it wins the conference tournament.
“Everybody is better entering the Big Ten Tournament,” Sullivan said. “Seeds really don’t matter when it comes to this tournament.”
The Illini won two of three games against the Boilermakers two weekends ago. Both ends of a doubleheader went to extra innings, with the teams splitting the games.
The Boilermakers are led by ace Lilly Fecho, who, with a 19-16 record and a 1.98 ERA, is one of the best pitchers in the Big Ten
With Fecho leading the charge, Purdue boasts one of the best pitching staff in the conference, only giving up three runs per game, but the Illini enter the game with one of the best offenses in the conference, scoring 6.2 runs per game.
The Illini are led by their two first team All-Big Ten players, second baseman Allie Bauch and centerfielder Carly Thomas.
As a junior, Bauch has experience in the Big Ten tournament.
“This is the first time I have gone into the tournament at .500,” Bauch said. “We are going in with a lot of confidence, and we know that we can play with anybody.”
Bauch is one of the captains on a team full of young contributors. Five of the nine regular starters for the Illini are underclassmen, and are entering a high-pressure situation this weekend.
Sullivan said she prefers having younger players, and this team fits the mold. Even though the team may lack experience, Sullivan insists that her players are ready to play in the tournament.
“We do have a lot of young players,” Sullivan said. “But we throw them into the fire early here, and while they may have struggled earlier in the season, they are definitely at their best now because of it. Look at Carly Thomas for evidence of that.”
Thomas hit .372 this season with 42 RBIs and nine home runs, third on the team in each category.
The Illini are relying a lot on sophomore Jade Vecvanags to take on most of the pitching duties. While she is a sophomore, Vecvanags did not pitch in the Big Ten Tournament last season.
Vecvanags gave up 13 runs to Purdue over the course of three games, but is not planning on changing her approach to the game. In the doubleheader against the Boilermakers Sullivan referred to the Illini’s play as “sloppy” and said they “did not pitch well.”
Vecvanags is only looking forward as she heads into the game against Purdue.
“I know that I can trust my stuff and my teammates,” Vecvanags said. “That is all I need for this game. Experience doesn’t really have anything to do with it for me.”
