Purdue at Minnesota
Friday, April 28 / 7 p.m. ET
Siebert Field / Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Purdue at Minnesota
Saturday, April 29 / 1 p.m. ET
Siebert Field / Minneapolis, Minnesota
/ Watch
Purdue at Minnesota
Sunday, April 30 / 1 p.m. ET
Siebert Field / Minneapolis, Minnesota
/ Watch
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The toughest challenge of conference play awaits Purdue (17-31, 6-10 B1G) this weekend as the Boilermakers are prepared to face No. 4 Minnesota (45-3, 15-1 B1G) on Siebert Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Gophers currently own a 16-game winning streak with its last loss coming on April 1 in a 4-3 loss to Illinois.
Purdue is in the midst of six-straight road contests as Lexi Valone enjoyed her best series of conference play last weekend against Northwestern. The redshirt senior finished the series three-for-five with a double and her first career home run. The three hits lift her to a .444 batting average against Big Ten opponents. Alexa Binckes has also swung a hot bat of late as the freshman is hitting .350 over her last nine games with seven hits in 20 at-bats.
Mallory Baker continues to lead the offense in her sophomore campaign, hitting .426 in conference play with 20 hits in 47 at-bats with a .500 on-base percentage thanks to eight walks. She has also driven in eight runs while scoring 10 of her own. Lexi Huffman has also strung together an impressive conference season at the plate as her three hits over the weekend give her 15 in 50 at-bats, lifting her to a .300 batting average with 10 RBI and four runs scored this season against Big Ten opponents. Of those 15 hits, six are for extra bases as she has four doubles and two home runs in conference play.
Maya Hughes and Kristen Hoppman have been the two setting the table for Baker and company as Hughes is hitting .271 out of the leadoff spot for the Boilermakers and Hoppman is hitting .283 as Purdue's two hitter. The two have combined for 12 stolen bases and 31 hits to drive in 11 runs and score 19 runs for the Boilermakers. Hoppman has been one of Purdue's most consistent hitters of late with hits in 11 of her last 13 games.
Purdue's series with Minnesota is its final road test of the regular season as it will then come back to West Lafayette, Indiana, for a series with Nebraska in Bittinger Stadium beginning Saturday, May 6.
SERIES RECORDS
Purdue vs. Minnesota: Minnesota leads 30-21
Home: Minnesota leads 17-9
Away: The series is tied 11-11
Neutral: Minnesota leads 2-1
Streak: Minnesota has won nine in a row
