After Indiana softball swept its opening Big Ten series for the first time since 2016, freshman second baseman Taryn Kern and sophomore first baseman Sarah Stone were awarded a pair of Big Ten awards. Stone was awarded co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Tuesday, sharing the award with Rutgers senior third baseman Payton Lincavage. Kern was honored with Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the third consecutive week.
The pair led Team 50 to a series sweep against Maryland to open Big Ten play March 25-26. In just two days, Stone launched three home runs and drove in 10 RBIs, doubling her home run total on the season. Stone shined with a batting average of .455, a 1.364 slugging percentage and a .417 on-base percentage in three games against the Terrapins.
Kern was once again a strong bat in the Indiana lineup, tallying five hits, two home runs and three RBIs and scoring three runs. The freshman posted a .556 batting average, a 1.556 slugging percentage and a .727 on-base percentage in the three wins against the Terrapins.
Kern continues to lead the Big Ten in several offensive categories with 11 home runs, a 1.559 on-base plus slugging percentage, a .974 slugging percentage and a .585 on-base percentage, along with 35 RBIs.
Stone, Kern and company head into this week of play with a 22-9 record with a matchup against Butler University on Tuesday, a doubleheader against Purdue on Wednesday and a three-game set with Ohio State beginning on Friday.
Follow reporters Austin Platt (@AustinPlatter) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) for updates throughout the softball season.
