Redbirds Renew Rivalry with Fighting Illini Tuesday

March 17, 2008

The `Birds are back in town. After having three-straight series called off (a total of eight games) - including its originally-scheduled Missouri Valley Conference-opening series against Creighton last Saturday and Sunday - due to a stubborn winter that has been slow to release its bitter hold on the Midwest, the Illinois State softball team (10-10) will finally return to action after a 16-day layoff with its first home game of the season Tuesday when in-state rival Illinois (14-11) makes the trip to the Redbird Softball Complex for a 6:30 p.m. game. The Redbirds' single game against the Fighting Illini will be broadcast live on WJBC-AM 1230, Bloomington, with R.C. McBride providing the play-by-play, and the regular voice of ISU softball, Zach Parcell, taking care of the color commentary.

Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer was unsure what effect the team's long layoff will have on the team's readiness for Tuesday's game.

"It's hard to say what effect the layoff will have on our team," Fischer said. "Our approach has to be to just get on the field and play to the best of our ability. The good part is that our players will be well rested. I think that they were a little tired (before the layoff) from all of the travel earlier in the season. They have had an opportunity to catch up on their academics and on their rest, so they should be ready to play.

"From our standpoint, we need to get back on the field and get some games under our belt. At this point in the season, we can't do anything more than just get mentally prepared. Now, it's up to us to get back to being game ready. We're going to have to be mentally and physically tough following this layoff."

The Fighting Illini are currently 14-11 on the season, including victories over then-No. 10 UCLA (6-2) and No. 18 Louisiana-Lafayette (2-1). The win over the Bruins was significant given the fact that UCLA is now ranked No. 2/3 and is receiving first-place votes in both major national polls.

As a team, Illinois is hitting .271 this season through 25 games, with 25 home runs (1.00 home runs per game) and 104 RBI, 31 more than its opponents. Illinois owns a .454 team slugging percentage, over 100 points better than its opponents (.342). In 2007, the Fighting Illini boasted one of the nation's most powerful lineups, as they were first on the NCAA Division I level in home runs per game (1.53). In the circle, Illinois pitchers currently own a 2.85 team ERA, led by Claire DeVreese, who is 10-7 with a 2.01 ERA this season.

"Illinois is a strong offensive program, evidenced by its 25 home runs so far this season," Fischer said. "Pitching-wise, Illinois returns all of its pitchers from last year, so it is strong in the circle."

Illinois State was 3-0 last season against Illinois, after it took a neutral-site victory over the Fighting Illini (5-2) and then won both games in the first-ever home-and-away series between the two teams, 7-6 and 10-7. Senior second baseman Tiffany Prager was the top Redbird hitter in ISU's three games against the Fighting Illini last season, as she batted .455 with four runs scored, five hits, three RBI and a home run for a .727 slugging percentage.

Illinois State leads the all-time series with Illinois, 5-4, and is currently riding a four-game winning streak after its three victories over the Fighting Illini last season. The Redbirds' series with the Fighting Illini is ISU's third-shortest against a team from the state of Illinois.

Illinois State last saw action Feb. 29-March 2 at the prestigious National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., where it finished 4-1, including a 2-0 shutout of then-No. 23 North Carolina (March 2) Illinois State is led offensively by pitcher/first baseman Amber Smith, third baseman Kara Nelson and Prager, all of whom are hitting .300-or-better (.372, .361, .345, respectively) on the season. As a team, the Redbirds are hitting .234 with eight home runs, four of which came over a span of three games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

Smith also leads the Redbirds in the circle, where she owns a 4-4 record with a 2.38 ERA. She recorded her first-career shutout March 1 against Hofstra (2-0), while she also picked up the upset victory over then-No. 23 North Carolina March 2. ISU pitchers own a 2.92 team ERA, slightly above their opponents' 2.62 ERA.