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The Slate: Big Ten Week 2
Boilermaker Softball Stadium ~ West Lafayette, Ind.
Live Stats: purduesports.com
Audio: purduesports.com
Video (Saturday, Sunday): purduesports.com; BTN Plus via BTN2Go.com
Saturday, March 28: 1 p.m. vs. Rutgers
Boiler Block Party; Spend your Saturdays at the Boilermaker Softball Stadium and join us for the Boiler Block Party. Every Saturday this season, fans age 21+ are able to purchase alcoholic beverages at the game Baseball Double Dip: $1 GA ticket when you show your baseball ticket for the day. Baseball at 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 29: 11 a.m. DH vs. Rutgers
Youth Team Day; All kids who wear their youth team's softball or baseball jersey get in for just $1!
Summer Ball Sundays; Bring the family for a fun Sunday at the Boilermaker Softball Stadium. Enjoy inflatables, games, special promotions during the game and more!
A New Home
The Purdue softball program opened the Boilermaker Softball Stadium, located adjacent to Alexander Field and the Boilermaker Soccer Complex near the intersection of Cherry Lane and McCormick Road, March 20. The $13-million project was part of the Mackey Complex master plan approved by the trustees in May 2007 and designed to address the athletics department's facility deficiencies. The cost includes related site work and infrastructure.
The softball facility is built in traditional Purdue style with brick and masonry exterior facades and a concrete spectator area with a combination of bench and chairback seats. Seating capacity is 1,000, with the ability to expand in the future.
Both the home and visiting dugouts are heated, and both teams have dedicated bullpens and batting cages. The Boilermakers' home dugout is located along the third-base line and adjacent to a new clubhouse that features a locker room, lounge, team meeting area and athletic training treatment area. The clubhouse is attached to an enclosed and heated training facility that will allow for offseason batting and pitching workouts.A new press box includes media seating, radio and television announce booths, and a game-day operations area. Television-quality lights allow for night games to be televised.
The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: Purdue (22-9) has won 10 of its last 11 games heading into Week 2 of Big Ten play. The Boilermakers finished the 2014 season with a 27-28-1 overall record, falling in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Purdue returns 11 letterwinners, including three position starters and three pitchers from that team, which earned the No. 6 seed in the tournament after posting a 13-10 record in league play and winning five of its eight conference series. Head coach Kim Schuette is in her second season with the Boilermakers.
Last Time Out: The Boilermakers went 4-1 last week. The team split a Tuesday doubleheader with Central Connecticut State, falling 2-1 in Game 1, but rebounding with a 7-0 win. The Boilers then swept their weekend Big Ten, home and stadium opening series with Wisconsin, 9-0, 4-1 and 6-0.
Statistically Speaking: First baseman Ashley Burkhardt (.415) leads the Boilermaker bats and a group of seven starters with averages of .250 or better. Burkhardt has driven in a team-best 32 RBI, scored 29 runs, swiped 19 bases and launched eight home runs. Outfielder Alyssa Koorsen (.357), outfielder Kristen Hoppman (.321), designated player Katie Harrison (.319), catcher Kaylah Hampton (.313), outfielder Maya Hughes (.296) and shortstop Paris Andrew (.276) round out the group. Hampton has driven in 25 RBI, scored 14 runs and launched seven home runs. Koorsen has scored 19 runs, swiped 11 bases and tallied four doubles, while Hughes has stolen 16 bases and scored 16 runs. Andrew has scored 16 runs, driven in 18 RBI, stolen four bases and accounted for two triples and a home run. As a team, the Boilers are batting .305 with 20 home runs and 53 stolen bases.
In the circle, the Boilermaker pitchers are holding foes to a .183 average. Junior Lilly Fecho (15-5) has posted a 1.08 ERA with 160 strikeouts, four shutouts and a save in 123 innings of work, while allowing opponents just a .159 average. Freshman Gina Snyder (5-0) has struck out 45 batters in 36 innings, while boasting a 1.75 ERA and holding foes to a .165 average. Senior Lexy Moore (2-3) has issued 17 strikeouts in 35 innings, while senior Alex Whittemore (0-1) has added six Ks in nine innings.
What a Difference a Win Makes ...
If the Boilermakers top Rutgers on Friday ...
- They will extend their current win streak to five games.
- They will move to 4-0 to start Big Ten play for the second straight season and third time in the last four years (also 2012).
- They will match the program's best start since going 24-8 to open the 2011 season. Purdue also was 23-9 to open the 2012 season.
- They will move to 94-117 all-time in Big Ten home games and 181-237-1 all-time in conference play.
- They will move to 274-176-2 all-time in the month of March, including 5-3 on March 27.
Series Information
Rutgers (Series is tied 1-1): The Boilermakers and Scarlet Knights have split their two previous non-conference meetings, both at the Florida Atlantic Tournament in Boca Raton, Fla. Rutgers posted a 9-7 win on March 14, 2009. Purdue took the most recent contest, 6-5 on March 11, 2011.
Scouting The Scarlet Knights
At First Glance: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights (12-8) are set to play a Wednesday doubleheader at Hofstra before journeying to West Lafayette this weekend. Rutgers returns 13 letterwinners, including nine starters, from the 2014 team, which posted a 28-19 record and went 9-9 in American Athletic Conference play. The Scarlet Knights are coached by Jay Nelson, who is in his ninth year with the team.
Last Time Out: Rutgers won its first Big Ten series, taking two of three games from Indiana in Bloomington. The Scarlet Knights took the opener 11-5 and the finale 10-6, but fell 8-7 in Game 2.
Statistically Speaking: Third baseman Jordan Whitley and outfielder Jackie Bates pace the team with .403 averages. Whitley has scored 16 runs, added 12 RBI and tallied five doubles, while Bates has scored 25 runs, posted 15 extra-base hits, including seven home runs, and driven in a team-best 17 RBI. Five other RU players are batting .250 or better. First baseman Rebecca Hall (.356), outfielder Chandler Howard (.353), second baseman Stephanie Huang (.338), shortstop Melanie Slowinski (.328) and outfielder Carly Todd (.277) make up the group. Slowinski has driven in 17 RBI with nine extra-base hits, including three home runs, while Chandler has scored 19 runs and tallied a team-leading eight doubles. As a team, Rutgers is batting .309 with 15 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
Senior lefty Alyssa Landrith (6-5) has struck out 54 batters in 64 innings, including a shutout, to pace the pitching staff. Junior Dresden Maddox (4-2) has added 27 strikeouts in 33 innings, while sophomore Shayla Sweeney (2-1) has struck out 12 batters in 31 innings and earned a save. The staff has allowed foes a .297 average, 15 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
In The Nation
The Boilermakers rank among the nation's top 50 in four statistical categories: earned run average (8th with 1.65), stolen bases per game (30th with 1.71), fielding percentage (35th with .971) and triples per game (39th with 0.29).
Individually, junior pitcher Lilly Fecho ranks among the top 50 in five categories: strikeouts (5th with 160), wins (11th with 15), ERA (15th with 1.08), shutouts (21st with 4), and strikeouts per seven innings (25th with 9.1). Freshman pitcher Gina Snyder ranks 33rd in strikeouts per seven innings with 8.8. Senior first baseman Ashley Burkhardt is 34th in stolen bases per game (0.61).
A Tough Slate
The Boilermakers will face tough foes in 2014, including nine teams ranked or receiving votes in the preseason Top 25. Purdue will play 10 games against the Top 25: No. 15 Minnesota and No. 18 Nebraska three times each, No. 6 Kentucky, No. 7 UCLA, No. 13 Tennessee and No. 24 Texas A&M. The team also will take on vote-getters in Cal State Fullerton, Northwestern (three times) and Wisconsin (three times) boosting the tally to 17 games against ranked foes or those receiving votes.
The Boilermakers will play against 12 teams that participated in last year's NCAA Regionals and six teams that ended the year in the NFCA Top 25. Four of Purdue's foes went on to the Super Regionals, while No. 6 Kentucky competed in the Women's College World Series.
The Boilermakers will face three opponents for the first time in program history, taking on Memphis at the FIU Invitational, Stony Brook at the FGCU/Four Points by Sherton Invitational and Saint Joseph's at the Michelle Smith Spring Break Tournament.
Clearing the Bases
Redshirt junior Katie Harrison became the newest member of Purdue's grand slam club, lifting the bases-clearing shot to left field in the Boilermaker Softball Stadium opener, March 20 against Wisconsin. She becomes the 18th player to launch a grand slam in Purdue history, while her slam is the 24th in school lore.