Five Things To Know: Badgers wrap up Big Ten play with showdowns against Minnesota, Michigan

Wednesday, May 4

Minneapolis, MN

1 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Minnesota

Photo by: Victoria Dombeck

Five Things To Know: Badgers wrap up Big Ten play with showdowns against Minnesota, Michigan

May 03, 2022 | Softball

UW opens the week at Minnesota before hosting Michigan to close out Big Ten action

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin softball team wraps up Big Ten Conference play with a pair of series this week. UW opens the week with a trip to the Twin Cities to take on Minnesota on Wednesday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader before hosting Michigan this weekend at Goodman Diamond. First pitch on Friday is set for 5 p.m., Saturday's game begins at 1 p.m. while Sunday's Senior Day contest begins at noon.

Friday's game will feature a Bucky Book giveaway while Saturday's game will feature a t-shirt giveaway, while supplies last.

All tickets are general admission and sold at the event only. There are no advanced single game sales. Tickets go on-sale starting one hour prior to the event and are available at the ticket booth located right outside the entrance. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, and $2 for youth (2-17), UW students, and seniors (55+).

1. LAST TIME OUT: The Badgers are coming off of their fifth Big Ten series win of the year and their sixth overall series triumph after taking two of three at Penn State. Maddie Schwartz went the distance and then some in Friday's 1-0 10-inning victory as Morgan Kummer hit a go-ahead solo home run in the 10th inning to break the deadlock. UW's bats came to life in game 2 as the Badgers claimed an 8-1 five-inning win before falling in the series finale, 4-3, thanks to a walk-off hit by the Nittany Lions.

2. PAIR OF BADGERS EARN HONORS: Maddie Schwartz and Ellie Hubbard took home Big Ten honors after leading UW to the series win at Penn State. Schwartz, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week, went 2-1 in the circle for UW and sported a 0.34 ERA while posting 14 strikeouts. The senior pitcher also claimed her 11th and 12th Big Ten wins to break the school record for the most league wins in a single season. Hubbard posted a team-high six hits during the series, including a pair of doubles and led UW with a .545 average. She also matched a career high in hits with 3 in UW's 8-1 win on Saturday.

3. HEADING DOWN THE STRETCH: The Badgers enter the weekend with a 12-6 league record and currently sit in fifth place in the Big Ten Conference standings. UW is two games behind Maryland, who sits in fourth, but has played two fewer games than the Terrapins. The top four teams in the Big Ten standings get byes at the Big Ten Softball Tournament that takes place next week in East Lansing, Michigan.

4. AGAINST THE OPPONENTS: Wednesday marks the first meeting between UW and Minnesota since the 2019 season as the two Border Battle rivals did not meet during the 2020 shortened season while their series last spring was canceled. The Badgers look for their first series win against the Golden Gophers since they won a pair of games on April 12, 2016 at Minnesota.

The Badgers look for their first-ever series win in Madison against the Wolverines as the Badgers have won two series at Michigan in 1999 and 2014.

5. SENIOR SALUTE: On Sunday's game versus Michigan, it will mark the last game at Goodman Diamond for seven seniors; Megan Donahue, Morgan Kummer, Kayla Konwent, Lauren Foster, Jolie Fish, Maddie Schwartz and Ally Miklesh. This senior class will be honored before the game for all they have done in a Badger uniform both on and off the field. Game time is set for noon on Sunday.