The Illinois State softball team travels to Omaha, Neb. this weekend to take on the Creighton Bluejays in a critical Missouri Valley Conference series, one that could ultimately have Valley title implications. The Redbirds will test their mettle when they face the Bluejays, who are riding a 14-game win streak.
Under head coach
Melinda Fischer, ISU is 24-17 against the Jays and has compiled an impressive 11-4 record in Omaha. The Birds, who are in the midst of a five-game win streak, are 12-2 in March, while the Bluejays are 14-0.
Both the Bluejays and Illinois States losses have come in similar fashion. Each of Creightons losses came to a ranked opponent ... two losses to then No. 13 Oklahoma and one to then No. 8 Michigan. Meanwhile, all of Illinois States losses have been to teams that have been in and out of the national polls all season. The Birds losses were to Florida International, South Florida, Arizona State, Cal State-Fullerton and Illinois. All of CUs losses were to teams currently ranked in the top ten, while Michigan moved up to the No. 1 spot after running out to a 27-1 start on the strength of a 27-game win streak. The Bluejays were shutout in two of their losses and scored just two runs in the other. The Jays are coming off a 6-5 extra-inning win over No. 18 Nebraska on Wednesday.
Last weekend, the Birds and the Jays each swept their opening series in league play. Illinois State shutout Bradley (8-0, 2-0, 8-0) at Redbird Softball Complex in Normal, while Creighton downed Evansville (2-1, 2-1, 3-0) in Indiana. The Bluejays first game against the Purple Aces went into extra innings, but CU came out on top courtesy of an eighth inning home run by Abby Johnson.
Last season Creighton swept the three-game Valley series against the Birds at Redbird Softball Complex. The Bluejays outhit ISU each game, giving the Redbirds a 0-3 start to their home schedule as well as to their conference slate. A conference team hadnt swept Illinois State since 2000, when the Redbirds dropped two games apiece to three teams.
Redbird Kate Stake, this weeks Valley Player of the Week, and Bluejay Tammy Nielsen, the reigning Valley Pitcher of the Week, will go head-to-head in this weekends series. She is hitting .414 with a team leading 29 hits, four home runs and 21 RBI. Stake, who also has the fewest strikeouts among Redbird regulars, and the rest of the Birds will be tested by Nielsen. The 2004 Valley Pitcher of the Year and two-time Valley Tournament MVP has already pitched 100.1 innings, compiling a 13-2 record and 133 strikeouts with a 1.67 ERA.
The doubleheader on Saturday at Creighton Sports Complex starts at noon. The two teams will complete the series with one game at noon on Sunday.
