While UW (12-22, 1-3 Big Ten) ranks near the bottom of the conference in most offensive categories, while UI (18-10, 3-2) is third in team batting average and second in team on-base percentage. In addition, the Illini have both power and patience, boasting five starters with at least three home runs and four starters with double-digit walk totals.
“If we put it anywhere in that strike zone, like in that belly, the ball is gone,” UW head coach Chandelle Schulte said. “So you know, we’ve got to be really good at the short game and defense … and try to make them put the ball where we want the ball to be put.”
The Illini are led by sophomores Danielle Zymkowitz and Hollie Pinchback, who rank second and eighth in the conference in batting average. Zymkowitz hits .459, with an on-base percentage of .518, and was recently named the Big Ten Player of the Week. Pinchback’s nine doubles are tied for second in the conference, and her 23 RBIs lead the team. UW center fielder Jennifer Krueger welcomes the challenge of facing a good hitter in Pinchback.
“That’s the best — going after those balls hard and making diving catches out there,” Krueger said. “I’ll definitely be giving it my all to keep her off [base].”
The Illini’s weakness is pitching, as their 4.12 team ERA places them at ninth in the Big Ten, over a run higher than UW’s 2.91 mark. In addition, UI pitchers allow opponents to hit at a .283 clip, also ninth in the conference. Schulte says the Badgers will need to take advantage of every opportunity they get on offense.
“It’s crucial — it’s been crucial all year for us. We don’t get too many things handed to us and too many opportunities don’t come our way, so we need to capitalize on every mistake they make and create some of our own energy,” Schulte said.
In Krueger, the Badgers have an offensive weapon of their own. Krueger leads UW with a .340 batting average and 17 steals. The Illini have allowed 34 stolen bases this season, ninth in the Big Ten. With speed at the top of the order, the Badgers may be tempted to steal at any chance they get.
“We’ve got a lot of speed varying through the lineup, so definitely being able to steal second … instead of having to sacrifice them over is a better advantage on our part,” catcher Theresa Boruta said. “So if you can run, you can run on them all day, that’s something else. You throw a catcher out of their element, that’s another huge thing.”
While the stats say the weak-hitting Badgers face the possibility of getting into a slugfest with the Illini, history suggests otherwise. Nine of the 17 games these teams have played were decided by one run, with UW winning only one of those contests.
In order to avoid being on the losing end of those decisions, UW will need to emulate its second game against Green Bay, when it scored 11 runs on 13 hits. A power outage like the first game, where the Badgers left 10 players on base, can be ill-afforded against the potent Illini offense. The aggressive approach to hitting in the second game is something Boruta hopes UW continues this weekend.
“Aggressiveness is always key when hitting,” Boruta said. “If you can throw a pitcher off her game by hitting a few hard balls right off the bat … if you can take them out of that element and take them out of their game, you’re golden for the rest of the game.”
