Weekend Series In Michigan Looms Large
April 26, 2007 | Softball
The University of Wisconsin softball team (26-15, 5-7 Big Ten) will travel to Michigan this weekend for matchups with the Michigan State Spartans (26-23, 2-8 Big Ten) and the ninth-ranked Michigan Wolverines (37-8, 8-2 Big Ten). Game times for Michigan State are set for 3 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. UW will take on conference-leading Michigan in a doubleheader Sunday with games at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Plenty is at stake this weekend as teams continue to jockey for position into the eight-team conference tournament. The Badgers sit in seventh place in the standings entering the weekend, two games ahead of the Spartans, who sit 10th. Wisconsin wraps up the regular season next weekend at rival-Minnesota.
The Badgers began an eight-game road trip to close out the regular season with a two-game sweep of UW-Green Bay Tuesday. After winning a 2-1 pitcher's duel in game one, the Wisconsin offense exploded in the nightcap, riddling the Phoenix for 12 hits in a 10-1 victory.
Michigan State leads the all-time series with Wisconsin 17-9, but the Badgers have won five of the last seven games played in East Lansing. The two teams split a doubleheader in Madison a year ago with the Badgers winning 5-3 and the Spartans winning 5-4.
Five different Badgers recorded two hits in last year's series, with Valyncia Raphael (3-for-4, one RBI) and Theresa Boruta (3-for 5, two runs and one RBI) leading the way. Katie Hnatyk (2-for-6, two RBI) and Joey Daniels (2-for-5, three RBI) also had solid efforts. Eden Brock picked up the Badger victory in game one, surrendering one run in a complete-game performance.
Historically, Wisconsin has struggled against Michigan, with the Wolverines owning a 20-4 all-time series edge. Fortunately for UW, all four victories have come in Ann Arbor, the most recent being a 2-0 triumph in 2002. Both of last season's scheduled games between the two teams were rained out.
Michigan State: The Spartans have yet to play a Big Ten game at home this season. Their two scheduled home doubleheaders with Ohio State and Penn State were cancelled due to weather. They host Minnesota Sunday in a doubleheader and wrap up their Big Ten slate next weekend with a home and an away series with rival-Michigan.
The MSU offense is led by a pair of twins in juniors Nikki and Traci Nicosia. Nikki (.367) and Traci (.336) rank second and third on the team in terms of batting average and have played in every game for the Spartans this season.
Sophomore catcher Kara Weigle and junior third baseman Caitlin Mahoney have also proven to be tough outs, with each leading the team in batting average (.380) and home runs (10), respectively.
Mahoney was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week after going 7-for-15 at the plate (.467) in six games last week. She also tallied four home runs and one double, while adding nine RBI and seven runs scored.
In the circle, the Spartans routinely feature three different starters, with sophomore Megan Hair (8-7), junior Lesley Noel (6-6) and senior Rachel Turney (8-9) each having made double-digit starts. In MSU's eight league losses, the Spartan pitchers have surrendered nearly eight runs per game.
Michigan: The Wolverines are two years removed from their 2005 national title run and are on pace to win their 11th Big Ten title. Michigan is currently sweeping the Big Ten statistical categories, ranking first in offense, defense and pitching.
The Wolverines feature five batters hitting over .300, headlined by junior outfielder Alessandra Giampaolo (.409). She also leads the team in hits (61), runs (34) and doubles (17). Samantha Findlay already has 40 home runs in her career, now in her junior season. She was named the 2005 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in leading the Wolverines to the title.
Senior outfielder Rebekah Milian (.361 batting average) was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week after leading the Wolverines with a .611 batting average (11-for-18), in addition to 10 runs scored and four RBI last week.
Michigan boasts two of the conference's top pitchers in senior Lorilyn Wilson (20-4) and freshman Nikki Nemitz (17-4). Both rank among the top five conference leaders in earned run average, opposing batting average and wins. Wilson is tops among Big Ten hurlers in opposing batting average (.167) and strikeouts (245).
Who's Hot
Sam Polito: With hits in both games against Green Bay, Polito ran her hitting streak to a school record 16 games. Polito is batting .560 in her last 16 games and has scored 17 runs. She went a combined 5-for-7 against the Phoenix, with a run and two RBI. She is hitting a team-best .386 on the season.
Ricci Robben: After going three games without a hit, Robben broke out in a big way against Green Bay, blasting two home runs and driving in four runs in game two of the series. She currently ranks second on the team in batting average (.342) and home runs (7).
Letty Olivarez: Olivarez (9-6) struck out a career-high 12 batters in her win over Green Bay. She surrendered one run over six innings pitched while scattering four hits. Her 79 strikeouts on the season are the fifth-highest ever for a UW freshman.
Joey Daniels: Went 4-for-7 with three RBI and three runs scored against Green Bay. In game one, Daniels also blasted her fifth home run of the season, good for third on the team. She has hit safely in eight of her last 10 games.
