Around the Horn: Softball back at home against Buckeyes

Friday, April 12

Madison, WI

5 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Ohio State University

Photo by: Ashley Steltenpohl

Around the Horn: Softball back at home against Buckeyes

April 10, 2024 | Softball

Wisconsin to host Ohio State for first time since 2016

By: Jake Ross

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin softball team (13-22, 2-7) returns home this week for a Friday-Saturday-Sunday matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Badgers have not played at home since March, and will host the Buckeyes at Goodman Diamond for the first time since 2016.

Here's what you need to know:

1. HILARY'S BIG GAME – Over half the runs Wisconsin scored in their Rutgers series were driven in by Hilary Blomberg. In game one, Blomberg drove in four runners in the Badger's 5-2 victory. The bulk of them came from a three-run home run in the third inning, the first of the freshman's career. Blomberg's four RBI is the most of any Badger in a single game so far this season.

🔼3rd | A SEISMIC SHOT FOR BLOMBERG!@BlombergHilary hits her first career home-run, a three-run blast to give the Badgers the lead!

WIS 3 | RUT 1 pic.twitter.com/NKtqJgg9QX
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) April 5, 2024

2. TESSA'S IRON ARM – Senior Tessa Magnanimo started two of the three games against Rutgers. She went seven innings in the first game, picking up the win with just two runs allowed, and then struck out six in six innings in her next start. Magnanimo has taken quite the workload this season, pitching almost half of her team's 230.0 innings. Her 103.0 innings are almost double her previous season high of 54.1, and she's already made as many starts this season – 16 – as she had previously in her career. Magnanimo is ninth in the Big Ten in innings pitched, fifth in games started, sixth in complete games, and second with three shutouts.

3. BUCKEYE BASHING – The last time Wisconsin took on Ohio State was 2021. Only three Wisconsin hitters have current experience against the Buckeyes, Peyton Bannon, Fiona Girardot, and Skylar Sirdashney, with all three finding success. Bannon is 4-for-11 in three games with a walk, a double, two RBI, and three runs scored. Those four hits also happen to be the first four hits of her collegiate career. In those same three games, Sirdashney is 3-for-10, with her recording her first multi-RBI game in game two of that series. Fiona Girardot only played in one game of the three, but made the most of it, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, walk, and stolen base.

4. OBSERVING OHIO STATE – Wisconsin owns a 27-22-1 record all-time against Ohio State, and are 17-6-1 against them in Madison. Ohio State did get the best of the Badgers in their most recent series though, taking two of three against Wisconsin in 2021. Ohio State is 19-15 overall this season, with a 2-7 conference record, most recently being swept by Minnesota in a three-game series. The Buckeyes sports a team batting average over .300, have hit the second most home runs in the conference, and are third in both slugging and on-base percentage. Tegan Cortelletti is an on-base machine, with a .458 average, and .518 OBP, and is surrounded by four hitters in the lineup who have hit 5+ home runs. The team has struggled to find consistency in the pitching staff besides ace Allison Smith, the team has a 4.19 ERA and has walked the most batters in the conference.

5. HOW TO WATCH – All games in the series will be streamed on Big Ten Plus, with the first set for 5 PM CT on Friday. Live stats for every game are available on the Badger softball schedule on uwbadgers.com, and live updates will be given on the @badgersoftball Facebook, X, and Instagram pages. Wisconsin Softball is played at Goodman Diamond. 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+).