In Wisconsin’s current 13-game winning streak, third baseman Michelle Mueller has stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball out of the park, quite literally, on more than one occasion.
After another solid weekend aiding the Badgers to a series sweep over Purdue at Goodman Diamond, the Big Ten Conference named Mueller Big Ten Player of the Week Monday afternoon.
Mueller finished a solid junior season last year with a .317 average, seven home runs and 39 RBIs, but has made a large jump in her play this season, especially as of late.
This past weekend against the Boilermakers Mueller batted an astronomical .714 while picking up four RBIs, two of which produced the only runs in Wisconsin’s 2-1 win in the first game of the doubleheader Friday.
Then in Saturday’s Senior Day game, Mueller picked up two hits, one of which drove in a run to give her 49 RBIs for the season, a new UW single season record.
Outside of this weekend, Mueller’s play has been crucial in the Badgers’ streak, as she has hit .432 with seven of her 11 home runs this season coming during the last 13 games. She has also recorded more than half (26) of her RBIs during the streak, while it took her 32 games to record the first 23 RBIs.
Mueller and Wisconsin return to the diamond this Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Goodman Diamond for a two-game set with No. 19 ranked Nebraska.