Complete Release in PDF Format
The Slate: Week 10
Andy Mohr Field, Bloomington, Ind.;
Boilermaker Softball Stadium ~ West Lafayette, Ind.
Live Stats: purduesports.com
TV (Wed.): BTN and BTN2Go.com; Talent: Lisa Byington, Carol Bruggeman
Video (Fri-Sat): BTN Plus via BTN2Go.com
Audio (Fri.-Sun.): purduesports.com
Wednesday, April 8: 3:30 p.m. at Indiana (DH)
Friday, April 10: 5 p.m. vs. Nebraska
Postgame fireworks show.
Saturday, April 11: 1 p.m. vs. Nebraska
Stadium Dedication Ceremony - Fans are invited to witness the official dedication of the Boilermaker Softball Stadium before the game. The dedication ceremony will begin at approximately 12:40 PM, so get to the game early.
Alumnae Reunion - Join Purdue Softball as we welcome back and recognize our Alumni during the game.
Boiler Block Party - Spend your Saturdays at the Boilermaker Softball Stadium and join us for the Boiler Block Party! Every Saturday this season, fans 21 and older are able to purchase alcoholic beverages at the game.
Sunday, April 12: Noon vs. Nebraska
Postgame Youth Clinic - First 100 youth 8th grade and under to sign-up by emailing sportspromo@purdue.edu get in FREE to the game and can participate in a FREE youth clinic after the game with the Purdue Softball coaching staff.
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.
The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: Purdue (24-14) looks to snap a three-game losing streak when they face off with Indiana on Wednesday live on the Big Ten Network. 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 1-3 last week, topping Ball State 10-9 on Wednesday, but dropping all three games of a weekend series at Northwestern (4-3 (8), 2-1, 5-1).
Statistically Speaking: First baseman Ashley Burkhardt (.407) leads the Boilermaker bats and a group of seven starters with averages of .250 or better. Burkhardt has driven in a team-best 39 RBI, scored 33 runs, swiped 21 bases and launched nine home runs. Outfielder Alyssa Koorsen (.348), designated player Katie Harrison (.333), outfielder Kristen Hoppman (.317), catcher Kaylah Hampton (.297), shortstop Paris Andrew (.278) and outfielder Maya Hughes (.275) round out the group. Hampton has driven in 28 RBI, scored 14 runs and launched seven home runs. Koorsen has scored 26 runs, swiped 13 bases and tallied six doubles, while Hughes has stolen 17 bases and scored 18 runs. Andrew has scored 18 runs, driven in 18 RBI, stolen five bases and accounted for two triples and a home run. As a team, the Boilers are batting .296 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases.
In the circle, the Boilermaker pitchers are holding foes to a .205 average. Junior Lilly Fecho (15-10) has posted a 1.65 ERA with 213 strikeouts, four shutouts and a save in 161 innings of work, while allowing opponents just a .187 average. Freshman Gina Snyder (6-0) has struck out 56 batters in 43 innings, while boasting a 1.95 ERA and holding foes to a .182 average. Senior Lexy Moore (3-3) has issued 20 strikeouts in 40 innings, while senior Alex Whittemore (0-1) has added six Ks in nine innings.
What a Difference a Win Makes ...
If the Boilermakers top Indiana in Game 1 on Wednesday ....
- They will move to 25-14 on the season, the most wins through 39 games since 2012, when Purdue started 26-13.
- They will move to 5-5 in Big Ten play and snap a three-game losing streak.
- They will move to 182-242-1 all-time in conference games.
- They will move to 223-210-2 all-time in the month of April, including 7-4 on April 8.
Series Information
Indiana (Purdue leads the series 28-18): The Hoosiers won seven of the first eight meetings in the series which began on March 26, 1994. Purdue responded with five straight victories and 10 of the next 11 from 1998 to 2003. Indiana won a game in 2003 and one in 2004, but the Boilers took the next three. IU swept the two 2006 meetings, but Purdue answered with six straight, sweeping the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons. The teams split the 2010 series, before Indiana won four straight. Since then, the Boilermakers have won seven of the last eight, including two games of the 2014 series in West Lafayette and the Big Ten Tournament opening round game.
Nebraska (Nebraska leads the series 4-3): The Boilermakers won the first two meetings in the series with the Huskers which began on March 15, 1996 in Sunnyvale, Calif. The teams did not meet for 14 years after that until Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2013. The Boilermakers and Huskers played five times in 2013, including a non-conference meeting in Tucson, Ariz. A May 10, 2013, Big Ten Tournament game in Lincoln, marked the most recent meeting. Nebraska won four of the five contests.
Hints About the Hoosiers
At First Glance: The Indiana Hoosiers (11-28, 2-7 Big Ten) have lost 10 of their last 12 games heading into Wednesday's BTN doubleheader. Indiana returns 12 letterwinners, including seven starters and a pitcher, from the 2014 team, which posted a 17-39-1 record and finished 10th in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers are coached by Michelle Gardner, who is in her seventh year with the team.
Last Time Out: Indiana went 1-2 at home against Maryland last weekend. The teams split a Saturday doubleheader with the Terrapins taking Game 1 6-3 and the Hoosiers winning Game 2 11-8. Maryland took Sunday's game 21-8.
Statistically Speaking: Outfielder Shannon Cawley (.352) leads a group of eight Hoosiers batting .250 or better. Cawley has driven in 36 RBI with seven doubles and nine home runs, while scoring 22 runs. Outfielder Rebecca Blitz (.339), second baseman Erin Lehman (.333), catcher Kelsey Dotson (.321), outfielder Michelle Huber (.286), third baseman Rachel O'Malley (.278), shortstop Taylor Uden (.273) and pitcher Brianna Meyer (.258) round out the group. Dotson has driven in 34 RBI with six doubles and a team-best 10 home runs. Blitz has scored a team-leading 30 runs and swiped 10 bases. Uden has added a team-high nine doubles and three home runs, while scoring 22 runs. Huber and Lehman have tallied seven doubles each. As a team, Indiana is batting .290 with 37 home runs and 21 stolen bases.
In the circle, senior Lora Olsen (7-20) has done the bulk of the pitching, striking out 79 batters in 151 innings, including five complete games. Senior Miranda Tamayo (4-7) has added 61 strikeouts in 90 innings and earned one save. Freshman Emily Kirk has struck out four in 10 innings. The staff has allowed foes a .356 average and 47 home runs.
News About Nebraska
At First Glance: The Nebraska Cornhuskers (20-17, 8-3 Big Ten) have won six of their last 10 games entering their Tuesday doubleheader with Drake. Nebraska returns 11 letterwinners, including eight starters and a pitcher, from the 2014 team, which posted a 44-18 record, finished tied for first in the Big Ten and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Huskers are coached by Rhonda Revelle, who is in her 23rd year with the team.
Last Time Out: Nebraska went 2-3 last week, dropping a Tuesday doubleheader to North Dakota State (3-0, 10-6) and winning two of three against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, over the weekend (W 7-5, W 11-7, L 5-4).
Statistically Speaking: All nine Husker starters are batting .300 or better, led by third baseman MJ Knighten's .444 average, 40 RBI, 36 runs, three triples and six home runs. Outfielder Kiki Stokes (.416), catcher Steph Pasquale (.374), pitcher/designated player Cassie McClure (.366), first baseman Dawna Tyson (.345), shortstop Alicia Armstrong (.346), outfielder Kylee Muir (.318), second baseman Laura Borrow (.318) and outfielder Kat Woolman (.316) round out the group. Infielder Mattie Fowler is batting .368 in limited action. Stokes adds 38 RBI, eight doubles, nine home runs, 10 stolen bases and a team-best 42 runs. Pasquale has tallied eight doubles and eight home runs to go with 30 RBI. Armstrong has scored 31 runs and added six home runs and 26 RBI. As a team, Nebraska is batting .350 with 39 home runs and 30 stolen bases. Eight players have hit homers for the team.
In the circle, junior Emily Lockman (11-10) has struck out a team-best 62 batters in 117 innings, including one shutout. McClure (7-2) has added 29 Ks in 68 innings, including four saves. Freshman Kaylan Jablonski (2-5) has issued 18 Ks in 38 innings and freshman Caitlin Bartsch has chippedi n three Ks in four innings. The staff is allowing foes a .313 average with 43 home runs.
In The Nation
The Boilermakers rank among the nation's top 50 in four statistical categories: earned run average (18th with 2.09), triples per game (15th with 0.34), stolen bases per game (26th with 1.71) and fielding percentage (39th with .970).
Individually, junior pitcher Lilly Fecho ranks among the top 50 in five categories: strikeouts (4th with 213), strikeouts per seven innings (22nd with 9.2), wins (29th with 15), hits allowed per seven innings (33rd with 4.69) and ERA (35th with 1.65). Freshman pitcher Gina Snyder ranks 25th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.1) and 27th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.56). Senior first baseman Ashley Burkhardt is 37th in sacrifice flies (3) and 44th in stolen bases per game (0.55).
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, and will be officially dedicated at 12:40 p.m. on April 11. 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.
In A Season
Junior Lilly Fecho is just three strikeouts away from tying the Purdue season record in the category. She has issued 213 Ks in 2015, three behind Suzie Rzegocki's tally of 216 in 2010. Senior Ashley Burkahrdt is one sacrifice fly away from the season top five in the category, having lifted three so far in 2015. The fifth place tally of four was achieved by Burkhardt in 2014 and Heidi Foster in 2003.
In A Career
Senior first baseman Ashley Burkhardt has lifted seven sacrifice flies in her Purdue career, ranking tied for fifth on the Boilermakers all-time listing, matching Heidi Foster (2000-2003). She needs one more to tie Jennifer Blasnick (1994-97) for seventh, and two more to match Jesse Jones (2000-03) and Tricia Lilley (2003-06) for second (9).
Junior pitcher Lilly Fecho is approaching or moving up the career top five in a few categories. She ranks fifth in strikeouts (516), after surpassing Sheryl Scheve (1996-98)'s tally of 448 earlier this season. Fecho also has thrown 54 complete games in her Purdue career, ranking third on the all-time listing. In 2015, she has moved ahead of Sheryl Scheve's tally of 53 from 1996 -98, Diana LaRiva's 44 (2003-06) and Leighann Burke's 41 (2000-03).
Small Screen Stars
The Boilermaker softball team will be coming to a TV or computer near you 18 times in the 2015 season. Three contests will be aired on the Big Ten Network, while eight home games plus eight road contests will be available on BTN 2 Go through the BTN Plus streaming service.
The April 8 doubleheader vs. Indiana in Bloomington will be broadcast live beginning at 1 p.m. The April 5 contest at Northwestern will be streamed on BTN Plus, but will re-air on BTN at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 8. Select games of the Big Ten Tournament May 6-9 in Columbus, Ohio, also will be broadcast on BTN Plus and on the Big Ten Network.
Seven home games - March 22 vs. Wisconsin, March 28-29 vs. Rutgers, April 1 vs. Ball State, April 10-11 vs. Nebraska, April 19 vs. Iowa - will be available through BTN Plus streaming. Road games at Northwestern (April 3-5), Ilinois (April 25-26) and Minnesota (May 1-3) also will be broadcast online.
Hall of Famer
All-American infielder Andrea Hillsey will be the Boilermaker softball program's first inductee into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. Hillsey, a White Lake, Mich., native was selected as part of an eight-member 2015 class which will be inducted on April 18.
Hillsey was a four-year letterwinner in softball (2002-05) as a second baseman and shortstop under head coach Carol Bruggeman. Hillsey garnered NFCA All-America honors in 2003 (the only player so recognized in program history) and All-Mideast Region accolades in 2003 and 2005. She also was All-Big Ten the same two years and Academic All-Big Ten three consecutive years (2003-05) while winning the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 2005. Hillsey was a GTE/Verizon Academic All-American and Academic All-District V selection in 2003; team captain in 2003, 2004 and 2005; and team Most Valuable Player in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Hillsey is one of two players in school history with a record three doubles in a game and one of seven with two triples in a contest. She set season records in batting average (.454), walks (40) and on-base percentage (.563) in 2003. Hillsey is Purdue's career leader in on-base percentage (.487) and walks (116) while ranking second in batting average (.374) and tied for third in runs scored (140).
Going Pro
Senior first baseman Ashley Burkhardt had quite a night on April 1. First, she helped lead the Boilers to an exciting 10-9 walk-off win over Ball State. After the game, she found out that her softball career won't end at Purdue as she was selected with the No. 15 pick in the National Pro Fastpitch draft during the game by the newest league member, the Dallas Charge.
Burkhardt boasts a .332 career average with 121 runs, 109 RBI, eight triples, 20 home runs and 47 stolen bases. She owns the Purdue career for stolen bases in a game (4 vs. Western Michigan, March 15, 2015) and a share of the game record for home runs (2 vs. Coastal Carolina, Feb. 14, 2014). The two-time NFCA All-Region selection and 2014 first team All-Big Ten selection ranks fifth in career sacrifice flies (7) and is approaching the Purdue top five in triples, home runs, RBI, runs, doubles and hits.
Burkhardt is the latest Boilermaker to join the professional softball ranks. In 2015, Andie Varsho signed a contract to play for the NPF's Pennsylvania Rebellion. Purdue previously has had two players affiliated with the NPF as Sheryl Scheve was on the Durham Dragons opening day roster in 1998 and Jenny Schoen was listed on the Virginia Roadsters' 1999 roster. Scheve and Schoen were drafted by Durham in 1998. Sam Mercier was drafted by the Tampa Bay Firestix in December 1998, but did not play for the team. Liane Horiuchi was drafted by the Akron Racers in 2010, but did not play for the team.