The Wisconsin Badgers softball team (11-25, 1-10 Big Ten) wraps up their two week, 12 game home stand with back-to-back doubleheaders versus Northern Illinois (18-24) and South Dakota (12-25-1) on Tuesday and Wednesday at Goodman Diamond.
The Badgers are coming off a two-game weekend series with Purdue that saw Wisconsin split with the Boilermakers. The 3-0 victory on Saturday afternoon was the Badgers' first win in Big Ten conference play.
Wisconsin will be looking to close out their home stand on a high note behind senior pitcher Letty Olivarez. Olivarez has been the Badgers ace on the mound this season with a 7-19 record and a team leading 3.55 ERA and 119 strikeouts.
Olivarez earned the victory Saturday afternoon versus Purdue tossing her first shutout of the season while striking out six and only allowing one hit.
Another player who will be key for the Badgers this week is freshman infielder and Big Ten Freshman of the Year hopeful, Molly Spence. Spence has been the Badgers main offensive threat this season batting a team high .379 to go along with six home runs, and 23 RBI's. This past weekend versus the Boilermakers, Spence went 4 for 5 on the weekend and added an RBI in the Badgers win on Saturday.
Both Olivarez and Spence will have to be on top of their games as the Badgers are set to play four games in the next two days.
On Tuesday the Badgers play host to the Northern Illinois Huskies. The Huskies come into Madison with a 18-24 record.
Offensively, the Huskies are led by a pair of juniors: infielder Zoe Sinner and infielder/outfielder Andrea Colosimo. Sinner is batting .317 with eight home runs and 21 RBI's and Colosimo comes into play with a .310/4/21 line.
Northern Illinois boasts a freshman offensive threat of their own in Jennifer Barnett who carries a .303 average, with 33 hits and 18 RBI this season.
On the mound the Huskies lean on sophomore Morgan Bittner, who boasts a 13-10 record to go along with a 2.71 ERA and 100 strikeouts, as well as freshman Monica Segura who has a 3-9 record, 4.40 ERA and 40 strikeouts on the season.
Wisconsin welcomes the South Dakota Coyotes for another doubleheader, Wednesday at Goodman Diamond. The Coyotes boast a record of 12-15-1 and are led by sophomore Alexa Rundeen on offense, and in the circle by junior Mel Johnson.
Rundeen enters play with a .300 average, 36 hits and 18 RBI while Johnson carries a 9-10 record to go with a 3.44 ERA and 100 strikeouts.
—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
