April 2, 2012
CHICAGO -The UIC softball team (15-16/2-1 Horizon League) plays host to Wisconsin in a non-conference match up Tuesday. The single-game contest begins at 4:30 p.m. (CT) inside Flames Field in Chicago, Ill.
LEAD-OFF HITS
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
UIC has a 15-16 record, with a 2-1 Horizon League record … Melissa Preish continues to lead the Flames with a .376 batting average and .548 slugging percentage … Coryn Schmit has six homeruns, while Ashley Hewett and Jenna Marsalli have four … Schmit has 22 RBI … Hewett and Devin Miller lead UIC inside the circle as Hewett has a 5-6 record (3.47 ERA) and Miller is 9-10 (3.84 ERA).
SCOUTING THE BADGERS
Wisconsin is currently 14-12, with a 3-3 Big Ten record … Maria Van Abel has .429 batting average on 63 at-bats, with 27 hits … Molly Spence has 20 RBI, while Whitney Massey is close behind with 19 … Spence is also leading the Badgers in homeruns with five … Meghan Mcintosh, Cassandra Darrah and Amanda Najdek are the three pitchers for Wisconsin … Mcintosh (2-5/2.69 ERA), Darrah (9-6/2.94 ERA) and Najdek (3-1/4.08 ERA).
100 AND COUNTING …
Miller recorded her 100th strikeout of the season during the final out of the 2-0 victory over the IUPUI on March 31 … Miller has put in 120.1 innings of work this season, and has a 9-10 record with a 3.84 ERA.
ALL-TIME RECORD WITH THE BADGERS
The Flames carry a 4-5 record against Wisconsin … the team met on Sept. 17, 2011 during a fall game inside Flames Field, where UIC won 12-9 … they were supposed to meet March 30, 2011, but the game was canceled … during the 2007 season, the teams met twice … April 3 (five years ago to the date of this season's meeting), and the Badgers won 21-1 … and again on April 17, when Wisconsin edged UIC, 4-3.
BIG TEN OPPONENTS
Wisconsin is the final Big Ten opponent that UIC faces this season … the Flames have faced, Indiana (three times), Michigan State (once) and Northwestern (doubleheader) … UIC is 0-6 against the Big Ten Conference this season.
HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON PICK
A 2012 Horizon League Tournament championship gave the Flames their first NCAA berth since 2004. UIC concluded the 2011 season with the top fielding percentage in the league, .968 percent. Schmit tied for third place in homeruns with 10, while Miller blanked 227 batters to finish third in strikeouts.
LAST TIME OUT
UIC played IUPUI in a doubleheader March 31 … the team split decisions in the twin bill … UIC won 2-0 in the first contest as Hewett hit a two-run homerun to center field to ignite the Flames victory … IUPUI won the second game with a single-run home run.
2011 HORIZON LEAGUE HONORS - SCHMIT & HERNANDEZ
Schmit was a postseason first-team all-Horizon League honoree as she had a league-best slugging percentage of .800, while also leading the Flames in homeruns with six. The first baseman logged 16 RBI in 20 League contests, and concluded the season with a .315 batting average. Hernandez garnered 2011 postseason all-second and all-newcomer Horizon League honors after the shortstop posted a .349 batting average, while committing only four errors on the season. She added nine RBI, three homeruns and a triple during her rookie season.
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--UIC—
