Badgers open fall schedule on the road
September 16, 2011 | Softball
Sept. 16, 2011
Fall Schedule | Fall Roster | Mobile Blog | Quick Facts
This weekend: Sept. 16-18
The Wisconsin softball team starts its fall season at Loyola in Chicago, Ill. on Friday, Sept. 16. Loyola was 26-26 in 2011, finishing first in the Horizon League with a record of 16-7.
The Badgers play Heartland Community College on Saturday at the University of Illinois- Chicago and again on Sunday in Madison. The Hawks went 24-2 in conference play and finished 2011 with an overall record of 39-21. Heartland is a member of the NJCAA D-II.
Wisconsin plays UIC in its second game on Saturday. The Flames closed out 2011 with 25-24 record, returning to postseason action for first time since 2004. UIC won the 2011 Horizon League tournament, defeating Butler 5-3 to earn the conference’s automatic bid.
Wisconsin takes on UW-Parkside Sunday in Madison at Goodman Diamond at 1 p.m. UW-Parkside had an overall record of 13-31 last season, with a conference record of 7-15. The Rangers are members of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference.
A live Gameday Blog will be available at UWBadgers.com for both of Wisconsin’s games on Sunday.
Head coach Healy
Yvette Healy is in her second season in 2011-12 as head softball coach at Wisconsin. In her first season at the helm of the program, Healy led the Badgers to 30 wins for just the sixth time in school history.
Of the Badgers' 30 victories in Healy's first season, 15 were comeback wins. Wisconsin also won all 21 games in which it outhit opponents, something no other team in school history had done.
Healy came to Wisconsin from Loyola (IL) where she was the 2007 Horizon League Coach of the Year. Healy earned her bachelor's degree in communication from DePaul in 1999 and her master's in secondary education and English from DePaul in 2007.
2011 in Review
The Wisconsin softball team enjoyed its finest season since 2005 as it finished 30-23 overall and 9-11 in the Big Ten. UW reached 30 wins for just the sixth time in school history. The Badgers’ nine conference wins put Wisconsin in a tie for sixth, earning UW its best Big Ten season since finishing fifth in 2005.
The Badgers won 30 games after winning 20 in 2010. That 10-win improvement is tied for the second-best in school history.
Honors and Awards
Jennifer Krueger capped her senior season at Wisconsin by being named 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region. She was named to the second team in the Great Lakes Region
Karla Powell was named first-team All-Big Ten, while Mary Massei was placed on the second team and Krueger was selected for the third team. Cassandra Darrah was also recognized as the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree.
Records and Milestones
• Krueger set multiple UW records in 2011. She became the school’s all-time stolen base leader, finishing with 98. She also set the single-season record with 43 stolen bases, which is more than any other player in school history has in their career.
• Massei set the single-season triples record with six and tied the single-game record with two against Green Bay on May 4.
• Michelle Mueller stole 15 bases, a UW freshman record.
• As a team, Wisconsin smashed the single-season stolen base record. After setting a record with 70 last year, the Badgers stole 107 in 2011.
• The pitching staff tied a school record by yielding just 39 doubles on the year.
• Wisconsin posted a .617 winning percentage against right-handed starters, a school record.
• Wisconsin won all 21 games in which it outhit its opponents, something no other team in school history had done.
• The Badgers scored three runs or more in 11 straight games from April 28, 2010 to Feb. 17, 2011, tying a school record.
• Wisconsin stole at least one base in 14 straight games from March 16 to April 5, shattering the old mark of nine set in 2008.
