Hoosiers No. 18 Illinois in double-header

The Hoosiers will attempt to move out of ninth place in the Big Ten, as the team faces No. 18 Fighting Illini in a double-header in Bloomington.

IU (11-30, 3-8) is currently on a three-game losing streak after suffering defeats from Ohio State and Northwestern.

“With Illinois, it is important to be consistent with the hitting, pitching and every aspect of the game, in order to be successful,” junior pitcher Sara Olson said.

The Fighting Illini (33-5, 6-2) did not field a team until 2001, but they lead the all-time series against the Hoosiers.

On the other hand, Illinois is on a six-game winning streak.

The Illini have won the previous three matchups, including last years 3-2 win.

This year, Illinois players are dominating at the plate, with three players hitting better than .400 on the season. Senior outfielder Hope Howell’s .425 batting average leads the team, while sophomore infielder Meredith Hackett leads the team with 10 home runs and 39 RBI.

The two games will most likely be pitched by two of the strongest pitchers in the Big Ten.

Freshman pitcher Pepper Gay (11-1) has a 1.79 ERA and sophomore pitcher Monica Perry (18-4) has 11 complete games and 128 strikeouts.

Despite tough pitching from Illinois, IU hopes to counter with exceptional defense. 

“Minimizing the errors has been a huge difference,” Olson said. “But we need to keep playing hard to get a victory. I think we need to work together as a team to understand and realize that everyone needs to contribute.”