Around the Horn: Badgers on the road against Rutgers

Friday, April 5

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2 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

Rutgers University

Peyton Bannon SCTop10 catch against Nebraska

Photo by: Nolan Kromke

Around the Horn: Badgers on the road against Rutgers

April 02, 2024 | Softball

Wisconsin to face Scarlet Knights on Big Ten Network

By: Jake Ross

MADISON, Wis. – After three tough losses to Nebraska at home, the Wisconsin softball team (12-20, 1-5) goes back on the road to face Rutgers in a three games series. It's the first time the two teams will meet since 2021, with the second game being aired on the Big Ten Network.

Here's what you need to know before the series:

1. PLAYING THE HITS – Even though they were unable to add to the win column, Wisconsin had no problem reaching base in their series against Nebraska. The team put up hit totals of 12, 11, and 10 in each of their games, with 12 of those hits going for extra bases. It's the first time that Wisconsin's accumulated double-digit hits in three straight games since April of 2023. The Badgers outhit Nebraska in each game of the series as well.

2. BANNON'S HEROICS – Leading the charge offensively over the weekend was Peyton Bannon. In the final two games of the series, the center fielder went 5-for-8 with a double, two triples, and a home run. Her two triples put her career total up to 12, two away from the program record of 14. Bannon also made one of the best defensive plays of the season, snagging a ball over her shoulder to prevent a go-ahead run from scoring in the eighth inning. Bannon is also a player to look out for this upcoming series, as she is 4-for-12 in her career against the Scarlet Knights, with a two home runs, and seven runs scored.

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3. RAKING AGAINST RUTGERS – Bannon is not the only player though who has dealt damage to Rutgers. Skylar Sirdashney is 6-for-12 against the Big Ten opponent in her career, with four RBI in four games played. Fiona Girardot is another player who raked against Rutgers in Wisconsin's one series against them since 2021. Girardot went 6-for-12 in four games, including a 3-for-3 game with a double and a home run, ultimately good for a .500/.625/.917 career slash line against the Scarlet Knights.

4. SCARLET SCOUTING – Wisconsin owns a 9-3 record all-time against Rutgers, winning the last six games in a row. This includes a four-game sweep in the latest series against the two teams back in 2021. So far this season, Rutgers is 21-15 overall. They sport a 3-3 conference record with close series against Ohio State and Purdue. The Scarlet Knight's Morgan Smith is one of the best hitters in the Big Ten, slashing .422/.471/.879 with 13 home runs and a conference-best 42 RBI. The team also sports a true ace in Mattie Boyd whose pitched more innings than anyone else in the Big Ten – 109.1 – while having a top ten ERA of 2.69. As a team, Rutgers has scored the most runs in the conference.

5. HOW TO WATCH – The first and third games of the series will be streamed on Big Ten Plus, with the second game on Saturday, April. 6 being aired on the Big Ten Network at 11 AM CT. 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.