Big Ten Road Test Awaits This Weekend at Indiana
3/30/2023 8:55:36 AM | Softball
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State’s first Big Ten weekend road series awaits, as the Buckeyes head west to Bloomington, Ind. for a three-game set against No. 24 Indiana this weekend.
The series gets underway with a 6 p.m. game on Friday and then continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. The finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed live on BTN+ and live stats will be available on the schedule page of OhioStateBuceyes.com.
The Basics
Ohio State at No. 24 Indiana // Friday, March 31 // 6 p.m. // Andy Mohr Field; Bloomington, Ind.
Watch Live: BTN+ // Live Stats // Twitter Updates
Ohio State at No. 24 Indiana // Saturday, April 1 // 2 p.m. // Andy Mohr Field; Bloomington, Ind.
Watch Live: BTN+ // Live Stats // Twitter Updates
Ohio State at No. 24 Indiana // Sunday, April 2 // 1 p.m. // Andy Mohr Field; Bloomington, Ind.
Watch Live: BTN+ // Live Stats // Twitter Updates
Basics on the Buckeyes
- Following a 17-6 run-rule win at Dayton on Wednesday afternoon, Ohio State is 21-8 on the season.
- Overall, the Buckeyes have won 15 of their last 16 games and bring a 2-1 Big Ten record in this weekend’s series.
- In Monday’s NCAA RPI rankings, the Buckeyes were one of five conference teams with an RPI or 35 or higher.
- Sophomore Melina Wilkison, a native of Greensburg, Ind., continues to be one of the top hitters in the Big Ten. Her .400 average ranks sixth in the Big Ten while her OPS of 1.118 is 10th.
- Kaitlyn Farley (.373), Mariah Rodriguez (.342), Kami Kortokrax (.337), Destinee Noury (.308) and Jaycee Ruberti (.304) are among the six everyday starters who bat .300 or better.
- Ohio State’s average of 5.8 runs per game for the season is third-best in the Big Ten.
- In the circle, junior Allison Smith is among the Big Ten’s statistical leaders in strikeouts (second – 130), wins (fifth – 11), complete games (sixth – eight) and innings pitched (third – 100.2).
- In her last 10 appearances, Smith has a 1.27 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 60.2 innings and a 8-1 record.
- Junior Emily Ruck has the second-most innings pitched this year, logging 52.2 innings with a 5-4 overall mark.
About the Hoosiers
- Indiana enters this weekend’s series as one of the hottest teams in the country. Following a doubleheader sweep on Purdue on Wednesday, the Hoosiers are 25-9 overall, 5-0 in Big Ten play and have won 18 consecutive games.
- The Hoosiers possess the conference’s top overall batting average at .333, led by freshman Taryn Kern, who is hitting .446 with 14 home runs and 39 RBI.
- Indiana’s pitching staff has a 3.77 ERA and is led by Brianna Copeland, who is 12-0 with a 2.37 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 76.2 innings.
History Against IU
- The Buckeyes and Hoosiers have split their last 16 meetings dating back to 2017.
- Last year, the two teams squared off in the opening weekend of conference play as the Buckeyes took two of three from IU in Columbus.
- Ohio State last played in Bloomington during the conference-only season of 2021. The Hoosiers who three of four games that weekend.
The Last 16 Games
- During its run of 15 wins in the last 16 games, one of Ohio State’s hottest bats has been sophomore Kaitlyn Farley.
- She’s hitting .462 in that stretch with six extra base hits, 10 RBI and a .553 on-base percentage.
- Farley had an 11-game hitting streak during the stretch and has reached based in 15 games of the 16 games.
- For the season, she’s increased her batting average by 108 points from last season.
- Two other starters – Melina Wilkison and Sam Hackenbracht – are hitting .400 or better in this stretch.
- Wilkson has 24 hits in the last 16 games and has driven in 18 runs, both team highs.
- Hackenbracht is hitting .406 in the 11 games that she’s played with two home runs and 12 RBI.
- The Buckeyes’ pitching staff has a sub-2.00 ERA, led by Allison Smith (8-1, 60.2 IP, 1.27 ERA) and Emily Ruck (4-0, 32.1 IP, 3.03 ERA).
- All five starters have at least one win over the last 16 games.
