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Coming off a series loss on the road to Purdue, the Wisconsin softball team finds itself in a stretch of three nonconference games that have become must-wins if the team wishes to solidify its RPI and build a stronger résumé for the NCAA tournament.
With the season winding down, Wisconsin (30-15, 12-6 Big Ten) will welcome Bradley (19-27, 9-14 MVC) for a single game Tuesday night and then proceed to face Green Bay (21-23, 10-11 Horizon League) in a Wednesday night doubleheader. All three games will be played at the Badgers’ Goodman Diamond.
Wisconsin head coach Yvette Healy said her team will try to play the brand of softball that has worked thus far for the team while focusing only on the game in front of them.
“Our goal right now is to play with passion and determination every game,” Healy said. “We’re focusing on the process, trying to improve each time we step on the field. The team has really bought in to [head coach Bret Bielema] and the football team’s 1-0 philosophy. We’re putting all of our energy into one game at a time.”
While Bradley does not bring in an impressive record, the Braves do have some talented players on their roster. Leadoff hitter Julie Sherman adds versatility to the Braves, as the senior infielder can bat from both the right side and left side of the plate. The switch-hitter is currently batting .297 along with a perfect 18 stolen bases on 18 attempts.
However, Healy is confident the Badgers’ starting catcher, Maggie Strange, has the arm and talent to neutralize any threats on the base path their opponents may bring.
“We’ve been thrilled with junior catcher Maggie Strange’s performance this year,” Healy said. “We’re looking for Maggie to play her game, keep it simple and continue doing what she’s done all season in terms of leading behind the plate.”
Sophomore Madeline Lynch-Crumrine is the only Braves hitter with a batting average over .300, boasting a .313 mark coming into Tuesday’s contest along with a .401 slugging percentage and 46 hits this year. One of Bradley’s top hitting threats, Lynch-Crumrine is also Bradley’s best pitcher. A right-handed starter who has eaten up more than 175 innings of work for the Braves’ staff, the do-it-all player currently holds a 10-16 record along with a 2.63 ERA, good for sixth-best in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Phoenix bring potent offense to Madison
Looking ahead to Green Bay, the Phoenix have an offense that can compete with the best of them, with seven players batting above .270 on the season.
In a program fed largely by in-state talent, Wisconsin natives occupy 17 of Green Bay’s 19 roster spots. One of those players is sophomore Miranda Reinke. The sophomore outfielder from Milwaukee leads all Phoenix players with a batting average of .374, 11th best in the Horizon League. Rounding out the Phoenix’s .300 hitters are sophomore Stacey Butts (.340, 18 RBI) and senior Amanda Omahen (.321, 18 RBI).
In terms of pitching, Green Bay will most likely start senior Ashley Nanneman on the mound. Nanneman currently holds a 10-9 record with 3.20 ERA. In the second game, the Phoenix could start either Allison Goecks (5-7, 3.71 ERA) or Lauren Danner (1-3, 6.61 ERA) against the Badgers.
If Green Bay does decide to start Danner, it could make for an interesting storyline, as the Phoenix pitcher is the high school teammate of the Badgers’ Maria Van Abel. Both hailing from Kaukauna High School, Danner was named to the All-State squad and earned the 2011 ESPN/Gatorade Player of the Year award in the state of Wisconsin. Van Abel was also named All-State that same year.
While her teammate may be struggling in her freshman year with the Phoenix, Van Abel continues to be one of the finest bats in the Badger lineup in 2012. She has struggled a bit in Big Ten play but has found her swing as of late, going 6-for-9 from the plate in the Badgers’ last five games and bringing her batting average on the season to a team-best .378.
Although the Badgers lost two out of their three games against the Boilermakers last weekend, they became the fastest team in program history to reach 30 wins and also won a school-record 12th conference game on the season.
For Wisconsin shortstop Stephanie Peace, the records and wins are all just part of the constant work that goes into improving as a player and team every day.
“This season has been very special,” Peace said. “We’re very excited; we’re all thinking about the records, but ultimately you have to come out every day and keep improving in practice and keep improving out on the field during games.”
