Buckeyes, Wildcats Meet This Weekend in Evanston – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 23, 2015
RELATED INFO
- Game Notes
- BTN Plus
- 2015 Season Stats
- Follow the Buckeyes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State softball team officially enters the stretch run of its 2015 regular season with its final road trip of the year, a three-game set this weekend against Northwestern at Sharon J. Drysdale Field in Evanston, Ill. The first game is set for Friday at 5 p.m. EST (4 p.m. CST) followed by 1 p.m. EST (noon CST) contests on Saturday and Sunday.
FOLLOWING ALONG
All three games this weekend can be seen on BTN Plus (subscription required). A link to live stats will also be available at OhioStateBuckeyes.com along with Twitter updates at @OhioState_SB.
BUCKEYES IN A NUTSHELL
- Following a 12-4 win on Tuesday over Ohio, Ohio State is 25-19 overall and has won six of its last nine games.
- At the plate, the tandem of Caitlin Conrad, Erika Leonard and Maddy McIntyre continues to lead the way offensively. They have combined to hit 34 home runs, drive in 116 runs and are hitting a collective .385.
- Last weekend, McIntyre became the first Buckeye this year to enter the 40-40 club (40 RBI, 40 runs scored) with a solo home run in Friday’s 4-3 win over Rutgers. The next day, Caitlin Conrad joined the club. The last time Ohio State has two players to up 40/40 numbers was in 2010.
- With a solo home run against Ohio, McIntyre moved into seventh place on the single-season home run list (13). The record is held by Marder (19, 2009).
- Over the last 15 games, Leonard has improved her batting average 124 points and has hits in 14 of those 15 contests.
- Ohio State a base against the Bobcats on Tuesday, raising its season total to 49, over twice as many as all of last year (24).
- With 13 multiple RBI games, McIntyre is just five more away from tying the single-season school record of 18 set by Wendy Allen in 2002.
- In the circle, Lena Springer and Shelby Hursh each provided impressive performances last weekend against the Scarlet Knights. Springer pitched the final two innings in Friday’s 4-3 win and did not give up a hit. The next day, she went seven innings and allowed just two earned runs in the first game of a doubleheader before picking up a save in the second game. Shelby Hursh pitched 5.2 solid innings in game two, allowing just one run and six hits.
- Over her last four appearances, Springer has given up 14 hits in 15 innings, has a 2.33 ERA and has picked up two wins and a save.
TWEETABLE NOTES
- Ohio State’s .333 team batting average is tied with the 2002 squad for highest in school history.
- The 2015 Buckeyes are also chasing the season runs record (368). They currently have 294 (6.6 per game).
- The Buckeyes have hit 11 three-run home runs this year.
- In the last 15 games, Alex Bayne is 9-for-13 with two home runs, seven RBI and four runs scored.
- The Buckeyes have never had two 40/40s and three 30/30s (they’re on pace for it this year).
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Northwestern is 22-18 overall and 10-6 in the Big Ten following a doubleheader split with Illinois on Wednesday. The Wildcats, who currently stand in fifth place, are one of the better offensive teams in the Big Ten, hitting .311 as a squad and averaging 6.1 runs per game. Andrea DiPrima, a senior outfielder/infielder from Arlington Heights, Ill. and a All-Big Ten second team selection in 2014, is batting .400 this year with 37 RBI and 26 runs scored. In the circle, Kristen Wood is the Wildcats’ ace. She has a 11-8 record this year with a 4.45 ERA in 144.2 innings. She was the winning pitcher of Northwestern’s 12-3 game one victory over the Illini on Wednesday.
LAST TIME VS. NORTHWESTERN
Game One: Ohio State 3, Northwestern 1
Behind the pitching of Olivia O’Reilly, a two-run home run by Cammi Prantl and some key defensive plays late in the game, the Ohio State defeated No. 25 Northwestern, 3-1, in the series opener last year at Buckeye Field.
In the circle, O’Reilly gave up just one run over seven innings to earn her 11th win of the year and 12th complete game. Prantl blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to give Ohio State the lead for good, and Melaina Saalfeld ended a Northwestern threat in the top of the seventh when she snagged a line drive and doubled Mari Majam at first base to end the game.
Game Two: Ohio State 8, Northwestern 7
Cammi Prantl hit a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to plate the winning runs for Ohio State in an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over No. 25 Northwestern.
In a back-and-fourth game, eight different players recorded hits for Ohio State. Caitlin Conrad went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run, Taylor Watkins was 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored and Leesa Gresham was 2-for-2 with a double and a single. In the circle, Shelby Hursh started the game and eventually came back in the seventh inning to record her fourth save of the year. She struck out NU’s Mari Majam for the game’s final out.
Game Three: Ohio State 7, Northwestern 4
Seniors Evelyn Carrillo and Leesa Gresham made sure their last game at Buckeye Field was one to remember, as the duo combined 5-for-8 with five RBI in Ohio State’s 7-4 victory of No. 25 Northwestern to complete a series sweep.
Carrillo went 4-for-4 with two RBI while Gresham was 1-for-4 with a key three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning that gave Ohio State a 7-3 advantage.
IN THE CAREER RECORD BOOKS
- Taylor Watkins is third all-time in runs scored (160) and eight shy of tying record holder Alicia Herron (168, 2009-2012). She’s also fifth in hits (225), seventh in RBI (120), ninth in batting average (.339) and eighth in home runs (19).
- Caitlin Conrad is sixth in home runs (28), 13th in batting average (.318), seventh in runs (129) and eighth in RBI (118).
- Maddy McIntyre is sixth in walks (86) and ninth in home runs (17).
- Olivia O’Reilly is tied for eighth in wins (38) and strikeouts (257).
- Cammi Prantl is fourth in doubles (42) 12th in batting average (.337) and 13th in runs scored (107).
BAYNE = RED HOT
Alex Bayne, who came into Tuesday’s game with Ohio having just 23 at-bat on the year, mostly as a pinch hitter, was given the starting nod at the designated player spot and made the most of her opportunity. Her first-inning home run, a blast to right center, made the score 5-0. She hit another one out in the bottom of the fourth, also a two-run shot, to make the score 10-3. In her last 13 at-bats over the past 15 games, Bayne has nine hits, two home runs, seven RBI and one double. For the season, she’s batting .423 with three home runs and nine RBI.
4/5 vs. Nebraska: 2-for-2, 1 2B, 2 RBI
4/12 at Michigan State: 1-for-1, single
4/15 at Penn State: 1-for-1, single
4/18 vs. Rutgers: 2-for-2, 1 BB, 1 run
4/21 vs. Ohio: 2-for-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI
SPRINGER COMING ON
Lena Springer has provided a much-needed lift to the pitching staff, as over her last four appearances she has a 2.33 ERA in 15.0 innings with two wins and a save.
4/17 vs. Rutgers: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER (win)
4/18 vs. Rutgers: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 Ks
4/18 vs. Rutgers: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER (save)
4/21 vs. Ohio: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 0 BB (win)
ALL-AMERICA/ALL-REGION CANDIDATES
Caitlin Conrad | Sr. | OF | Richwood, Ohio/North Union
2015: Has reached base in 33 straight games … has a hit in 15 of the last 18 games … hit three home runs in a doubleheader vs. Nebraska (4/4) … first member of this year’s 30-30 club (30+ RBI, 30+ runs) … fifth on the team in batting average (.382), first in hits (58), total bases (109), and triples (three) as the leadoff hitter … second on the squad in slugging percentage (.717), RBI (40) and runs (40) and third in on-base percentage (.450) … team captain … has nine assists from her spot in right field/center field … ranks in the Top 15 in Big Ten in five categories — home runs (sixth), slugging percentage (11th), hits (sixth), and total bases (fourth) … has a 1.167 OPS (on base + slugging), second best on the team … 18 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games … hitting .360 in the last 15 games with eight RBI, one double, six home runs and a .740 slugging percentage.
Maddy McIntyre | Rs.-Jr. | SS | San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo
2015: First on the team with a .389 average … leads the team in runs scored (45), RBI (42), slugging percentage (.824), on base percentage (.538) and OPS (1.362) … first member of the 40-40 club this year (45 runs, 42 RBI) … is 18-or-42 (.429) with 21 RBI, 19 runs scored, four doubles and seven home runs over the last 15 games … has hit safely in 19 of the last 23 games … in a doubleheader vs. Pittsburgh on March 31, went 4-for-6 with seven RBI, two doubles, one home run and three runs scored … ranks fourth in the Big Ten in on-base percentage and fourth in slugging … 13 multi-hit and 11 multi-RBI games … came into the season with four career home runs and has nine already in 2015 … team captain … has reached base in 14 straight games.
Erika Leonard | Rs.-Jr. | 1B | Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy/Florida State
2015: Over the last 11 games, has improved her batting average by 140 points … currently hitting .385 with 36 RBI, nine home runs and a .673 slugging percentage … multiple hits in seven of the last 14 games … had three home runs and eight RBI in a doubleheader sweep of Maryland (3/29) … hitting .417 in Big Ten-only games … eighth in the conference with 24 RBI in 17 Big Ten games … all nine of her home runs have come with runners on base … she and Maddy McIntyre have combined to drive in 46 runs over the last 15 games.
30/30 and 40/40
There are currently two members of the 40/40 club and two 30/30s this year, the first time since 2002 that the Buckeyes have made two in each category.
40/40s
Maddy McIntyre: 45 runs, 42 RBI
Caitlin Conrad: 41 runs, 40 RBI
30/30s
Taylor Watkins: 38 runs, 31 RBI
Anna Kirk: 31 runs, 33 RBI
Cammi Prantl is set to be the next member of the 30/30 group (she currently has 33 runs, 27 RBI). Ohio State has never made three 30/30s and two 40/40s.
THE POWER CLUB
Ohio State is enjoying some of its best power numbers in school history this year. Through 44 games, the team has 57 home runs, just 11 off the school record of 68 set in 2009. In addition, it has 128 extra base hits, the third most since 2009.
MAKE B1G PLANS
For the first time since 2007, the Big Ten Tournament is coming to Columbus. From May 7-9, the conference championship will take place at Buckeye Field, where Ohio State was 10-2 last year. Twelve of the conference’s 14 teams will qualify for the tournament, which kicks off with four games on Thursday, four quarterfinals games on Friday and the semifinals and championship game on Saturday.
DOWN WITH OPS
Last year, the 16 teams that advanced to Super Regionals had an average OPS (on base percentage + slugging percentage) of .943 and at least one player with an OPS of .980 or higher. Through 44 games this year, the Buckeyes’ OPS is .937 and four players have an OPS of 1.000 or higher — Maddy McIntyre (1.362), and Caitlin Conrad (1.167), Erika Leonard (1.115) and Alex Bayne (1.313). McIntyre leads the team with a .538 on base percentage and .824 slugging percentage. Conrad is second in both categories (.450 on base, .717 slugging).
UNIFORM WATCH
Ohio State’s 2015 record when it wears…
White jersey/red pants: 2-0
White jersey/white pants: 6-5
Gray jersey/gray pants: 7-7
Red jersey/red pants: 10-8
