The Wisconsin Badgers softball team heads into two conference games against Illinois this weekend after handedly beating South Dakota Wednesday.
After a lengthy homestand, the Badgers are on the road again. Traveling to Champaign, Ill., after 12 straight home games, they are prepared for the next conference matchup.
""I think we're ready,"" freshman infielder Molly Spence said about the upcoming games. ""We've been home for a while, and we're getting a little bit antsy. It will be good to go out and see Illinois.""
Wisconsin, tied at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference, will take on the fourth-ranked Fighting Illini Saturday and Sunday. Illinois has a 5-2 record in the conference and an overall winning record of 32-5 so far. Their current streak is five consecutive wins.
The Fighting Illini have three players in the standings for the top five highest batting averages in the conference, two players leading in on base percentage, one player ranked in runs scored, two women on the list for number of total hits and one for number of stolen bases. Offensively, Illinois freshman pitcher Pepper Gay stands at third in ERA and is tied at second for the most saves in the conference, while sophomore pitcher Monica Perry is third for wins.
""They're good, we're going to need to go out there and be aggressive both on the defensive and offensive side,"" senior pitcher Letty Olivarez said.""I think that if we just go attack right away, we should be in the game with them.""
The Badgers plan on playing off the energy they gained from their recent wins. Riding a three-game winning streak with victories against Northern Illinois and South Dakota, Wisconsin is confident heading into the weekend games. The team racked up 25 hits over those last three games, and the pitching has been spot on for the most part. If the Badgers can keep the offense and defense simultaneously strong, an upset could be in the picture.
""[Wednesday's game] brings some confidence, for sure,"" said Spence, who had a .857 batting average the past three games. ""We showed our bats and we showed some defense, and that builds confidence. Hopefully that will continue on into the weekend.""
Olivarez agreed with her teammate, adding a comment about the attitudes of the team as a whole and how the team relies on each other to keep the spirits up.
""We will carry on the momentum,"" she said. ""We actually talked about it as a team and how we just need to keep moving on and being positive about everything. Whether we are struggling or not, we have to pick each other up.""
The games this weekend are important for the Badgers; if they can pull off the two wins, their conference record will increase 3-9, potentially moving them up in the Big Ten standings.
Freshman infielder Shannel Blackshear was confident that the team can manage the wins this weekend.
""We are just going to rely on our bats again and defense and just trust one another that we're going to get the job done,"" she said.
