Following an 8-3 victory over the University of Louisville, Indiana softball will look extend its five-game winning streak as it travels to Goodman Softball Complex in Madison, Wisconsin, for a weekend series against Wisconsin.
This weekend marks just the second Big Ten series on the road for the Hoosiers — the first coming against Ohio State on March 29 — as they look to improve upon their 1-2 away conference record.
The Hoosiers currently occupy eighth place in the Big Ten standings and have a 6-5 conference record entering their matchup with the Badgers. With a successful series, they have an opportunity to jump Ohio State (6-4) and Michigan (6-4) in the conference standings.
Meanwhile, the Badgers sit right behind the Hoosiers with a 6-7 Big Ten record. Three of Wisconsin’s conference wins have come against Iowa — a team which picked up back-to-back wins over Indiana on March 15-16.
Wisconsin is led by long-time head coach Yvette Healy, who is in her 14th season at the helm. Throughout her time coaching the Badgers, Healy has a .602 winning percentage — the highest in program history — and has led Wisconsin to six NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Badgers offense is powered by sophomore catcher Hilary Bloomberg. During her 2024 campaign, Bloomberg strung together one of the best seasons ever by a Wisconsin freshman, batting .365 at the plate with 50 hits. The Verona, Wisconsin, native earned 2024 All-Big Ten First Team honors and was a unanimous 2024 All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection.
Bloomberg’s first-year success has carried over to her 2025 season, where she leads the Badgers with nine home runs and 29 RBIs.
Freshman pitcher and infielder Kendra Lewis has been a strong addition to the Badgers’ lineup this season. In the batter’s box, Lewis owns a team-leading .387 batting average, while contributing four home runs.
Lewis earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors March 17 for her performance in a 2-1 series win over Illinois. The Milan, Illinois, native went 6-11 at the plate and added three home runs and eight RBIs over the weekend.
Despite their offensive firepower, the Badgers face a tough task in slowing down the red-hot Indiana offense. The Hoosiers lead the nation with a .384 batting average and own a nation-leading .475 on-base percentage, while riding a five-game win streak heading into the series.
During the Hoosiers’ victory over Louisville on Wednesday, senior pitcher and utility player Brianna Copeland secured a spot in Indiana softball history. In the third inning, Copeland launched her 41st career home run and became the program’s all-time leader in career home runs.
In all-time matchups against Wisconsin, Indiana holds a 20-32 record. In three games played against each other during the 2024 season, the Hoosiers finished just 1-3 in the matchup.
The Cream and Crimson will look to close the gap and extend their winning streak as the three-game series begins at 5 p.m. Friday. The second game will follow at 1 p.m. Saturday, and the matchup will conclude at 1 p.m. Sunday. All games in the series can be streamed on Big Ten+.
