IU opens Big Ten home slate with No. 2 Michigan

The Hoosiers have their toughest competition of the season when they face the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines in its Big Ten home opener.

“Michigan is one of the top teams in the country, and our main things will be to keep up with them,” freshman infielder Amanda Wagner said.

IU (7-21) and Michigan (26-5) were originally scheduled for Wednesday, but rainy conditions forced a postponement to 2 p.m. today with the latter half of the doubleheader coming at 4 p.m. Still, the Hoosiers don’t expect the weather to dampen the Wolverines’ offensive attack.

“I’m sure they are a very good hitting team, so our defense needs to be good without any errors in the game,” freshman infielder Breanna Saucedo said.

Michigan has a 66-26 advantage in the matchup’s history, and IU hasn’t won since 1996.

Last time these teams met, the Wolverines won 7-1. The Big Ten’s top team is currently on a five-game winning streak.

“We have to get a lot of hits and on the base to score runs in the game,” Wagner said.

Five of the Wolverines’ nine starters have a .300 batting average or better, with Dorian Shaw leading the team at .361 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI.

Pitcher Jordan Taylor leads the Wolverines with a 1.17 ERA and 173 strikeouts through 19 games.

“I think we need to put the ball in play and have that energy from the first inning to the last,” freshman outfielder Samantha Heyman said.

While IU has struggled throughout the year, Saucedo said she will use the Michigan games as a test of the team’s grit.

“I want to have our team fight in the game, so we can show that we can compete with some of the best teams in the country,” she said.