March 8, 2009
STANFORD, Calif. -
ILLINOIS STATE AT SAN JOSE STATE | SAN JOSE, CALIF.
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| Date |
Tuesday, March 10
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Location
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San Jose, Calif.
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Game Times
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2 p.m./4 p.m. CT
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| Radio |
 None
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| Webcast |
 None
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Live Stats
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GoRedbirds.com |
Game Info
|
 ISU Game Notes
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With an impressive 4-1 showing over the weekend at the Stanford Louisville Slugger Classic in Stanford, Calif., now in its back pocket, the Illinois State softball team (10-8) will focus its efforts Tuesday on its final pre-conference tune up during a doubleheader at San Jose State. ISU will conclude its seven-day, seven-game West Coast road trip with a twinbill against San Jose State that is slated to start at 2 p.m. CT Tuesday.
Live stats of both games between Illinois State and San Jose State will be available on GoRedbirds.com.
San Jose State enters Tuesday's doubleheader with Illinois State with a 5-13 record on the season after going 1-3 during a weekend series against Cal State-Bakersfield. The Spartans are batting .245 as a team and are averaging just 2.8 runs scored per game. In the circle, San Jose State pitchers own a combined 4.15 ERA, while opposing batters are hitting .293 against Spartan pitchers.
San Jose State leads the all-time series against Illinois State, 1-0. The Redbirds and Spartans last met Feb. 20, 1999, when San Jose State defeated ISU, 1-0.
Illinois State's 4-1 mark over the weekend included a 1-0 shutout of a San Diego State team that was receiving votes in the NFCA Coaches Poll entering play over the weekend. The Redbirds also recorded wins over Penn State (5-4), Vermont (14-0) and UC-Davis (3-1). Against No. 5/6 Stanford, the Redbirds were able to hold their own, suffering just a 3-0 loss to the Cardinal.
Four Redbirds batted over .400 during the weekend tournament, with senior left fielder Jessie Buker leading the offensive effort with a .538 average (7-for-13), which included three runs scored. Sophomore third baseman Abby Olson was ISU's most powerful hitter, as she produced seven RBI, including five runs driven in during the 14-0 rout of Vermont, along with two runs scored and a .647 slugging percentage.
In the circle, freshman right-hander Jordan Birch continued her impressive ascension up the Missouri Valley Conference pitching leaderboard, as she was a perfect 3-0 at the Stanford Louisville Slugger Classic. Included among those three wins was a one-hit, 1-0 shutout of San Diego State Friday. Birch also extended her scoreless innings pitched to 19-straight innings without giving up a run. That streak was broken Saturday night against Penn State when the Nittany Lions scored three runs off Birch in the top of the sixth inning of Illinois State's 5-4 win over PSU.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, TRC gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
