Senior Day for the Badgers
May 07, 2009 | Softball
As the UW softball team hosts Northwestern in its season finale this weekend, five seniors will be honored as they play their last games for the Cardinal and White. The Badgers and Wildcats are set to square off at 6 p.m. CT both Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, at Goodman Diamond. Both games will be shown live on the Big Ten Network .
Fans attending the game can park for free in lots 60 and 76 adjacent to Goodman Diamond ( map ). Fans not able to make the games can follow all the action on UWBadgers.com with Rudy Nigl's tag=Softball%20Blog"> --> Gameday Blog and Live Stats .
With it being the last weekend of softball there are a lot of promotions in store for the fans. Friday night is UW Student Study Break Night, meaning free admission to all UW students with a valid student ID. Free hot dogs and soda while supplies last, and the opportunity to win great prizes like gift cards to campus area restaurants.
Saturday is Team Day and Little League Day. High school and club softball teams will receive free admission by faxing their team roster to 608-265-0788. All softball and baseball players 12 and under wearing their team jersey to the game will also receive admission.
The Badgers enter the last weekend of the season with a 15-38 record, 3-15 in the Big Ten and will be looking to upset the 12th-ranked Wildcats (29-13, 12-6). Northwestern leads the all-time series, 20-8, and the Badgers haven't beaten the Wildcats since April 2004.
UW is led by sophomore Jen Krueger hitting .320 with a team-high 21 runs, 48 hits and 18 stolen bases, one away from tying the UW single-season record of 19. Senior Theresa Boruta is hitting .245 with 17 runs and 11 stolen bases of her own to go along with 11 sacrifice hits. In the circle, senior Leah Vanevenhoven has been the go-to arm as of late. She has started the last 10-straigtht games, pitching more than 57 innings, and has thrown a complete-game shutout against Northern Illinoins and struck out a career-high 12 against Minnesota.
The Wildcats are paced by Tammy Williams who leads the conference hitting .455 and slugging .871. Williams has 60 hits, 15 home runs, 36 RBIs and 47 runs scored on the season. On the mound, Lauren Delany brings a 27-10 record with a 2.70 ERA and 292 strikeouts throwing 244 innings, nearly 90 percent of the teams pitches.
Theresa Boruta, Alexis Garcia, Valyncia Raphael, Leah Vanevenhoven and Nichole Whaley will see their final action at Goodman Diamond this weekend and will be honored prior to Saturday's game. Be sure to arrive a little early to wish these five players a true Badger farewell.
