Coming off a midweek victory against Western Kentucky University, No. 19 Indiana softball begins its pivotal two-week stretch with a three-game set against Minnesota. The Hoosiers enter the weekend with a perfect 8-0 record in conference play after sweeping Ohio State on April 2.
Freshman second baseman Taryn Kern is coming off yet another game with a home run, tying the program record for the most in a single season with 16. Kern continues to lead the Big Ten in a plethora of categories and has been awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times, but she is not the only Indiana freshman to impress this season. Utility player Avery Parker was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Week on April 3 and enters the series on a 10-game hitting streak.
Sophomore pitcher Brianna Copeland collected her 13th win of the season in the 3-0 defeat of Western Kentucky with five scoreless innings and four hits allowed. During the 22-game win streak, Copeland has become Indiana’s ace with her team-leading 2.65 ERA in 87 1/3 innings.
Minnesota enters the weekend at 21-14 with a 2-4 record in conference play, but head coach Shonda Stanton knows that their record is not indicative of how good they are.
“(Our team) is going to see a really nice pitcher at Minnesota in Pease and they’ve got a great ball club,” Stanton said after defeating the Hilltoppers on April 4.
Fifth-year Autumn Pease leads the Golden Gophers in the circle as she is one of the best pitchers in the Big Ten.
In 123 2/3 innings, Pease has amassed a Big Ten-leading 160 strikeouts, 20 more than Ohio State’s Allison Smith in second. Pease has also accumulated a 14-5 record in 22 appearances, giving up 39 runs in her time in the circle.
Sophomore catcher Taylor Krapf leads Minnesota at the plate with her .357 batting average with 35 hits in 98 at-bats. Krapf has also totaled 10 home runs on the season, good enough for fourth in the Big Ten. She has also amassed 29 RBIs, 71 total bases, a .412 on-base percentage and a .724 slugging percentage.
“We were perfect on the fast start, now this is the grind,” Stanton said on April 4 before the weekend series against Minnesota. “If this team plays hard, we will win more than we lose these next few weeks.”
The Hoosiers look to extend their win streak into this weekend with a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday. A 3 p.m. start time is scheduled for Saturday with the series finale beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Each game this weekend will be available for viewing on B1G+.
