Softball Primed for 1st Home Weekend Series of Season

Friday, April 7 
vs. Wisconsin | 5 p.m. ET | B1G+
 
Saturday, April 8
vs. Wisconsin | 2 p.m. ET | B1G+

Sunday, April 9
vs. Wisconsin | 1 p.m. ET | B1G+
 
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Weekends at Bittinger Stadium return as Purdue softball is slated to host its first weekend series of the season beginning this Friday. The Purdue softball team (17-19, 2-5 B1G) will welcome Wisconsin (17-10, 4-2 B1G) for a three-game series, beginning Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

The series kicks off an eight-game homestand for the Boilermakers, the longest home stretch of the 2023 campaign. All games will be streamed on B1G+.
 
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

• For the first time this season, Purdue will face just one opponent this week.
• The series vs. Wisconsin will mark Purdue's first home weekend at Bittinger Stadium.
• Promotions include a mug giveaway on Friday, Strikeout Cancer/Riley Day on Saturday and Youth Day/Sunday Funday at Bittinger on Sunday.

 
TOP TAKEAWAYS: LAST WEEK VS INDIANA / AT RUTGERS

• Last Wednesday's attendance for Game 2 vs. Indiana was 805, ranking at the 7th largest crowd in Bittinger history.
• The Boilermakers won its first Big Ten series of the year with a 2-1 decision at Rutgers, a team which was tied for No. 1 in the Big Ten standings. Results: W, 3-2, W 6-3 (8 IN) and L 0-9 (5).
• Alex Echazarreta secured the game with a 2 RBI home run with two outs in the eighth inning. Freshman Rita Nuss followed it up with an insurance run with her first career RBI double.

SCOUTING THE WISCONSIN BADGERS

• Wisconsin is ranked fourth in the Big Ten conference winning four out of their 6 conference games.
• The Badgers have won six out of their last 10 games with a 17-10 overall record.
• The Badgers defeated #13 ranked, Alabama 7-6 as well as Indiana 12-1 earlier this season.
• Wisconsin's pitching staff is second in the conference with an overall 2.26 ERA.
• #15 Gabi Salo leads the Big Ten in pitching and is ranked seventh nationally with a 0.76 ERA. Following Solo, the Badgers pitching staff is led by #17 Patyn Monticelli with a 2.44 ERA and then by #15 Maddie Schwartz (2.44).
• #18 Brooke Kuffel leads the Badgers in batting average (.340) followed by #12 Kayla Konwent (.338) and then #99 Rylie Crane (.329).
• #11 Katie Keller leads the team with 18 runs followed by #21 Ellie Hubbard (15).
• #22 Peyton Bannon is second in the Big Ten for triples with a total of three while #12 Kayla Konwent is seventh in the conference for homeruns with a total of seven.

 
OLIVIA MCFADDEN: HEATING UP

• One of Purdue's most consistent players, Olivia McFadden has stepped up during Big Ten play as she's switched between third base and first base.
• McFadden was selected as the team's GFDF Player of the Week after a team-leading 6 hits last week.
• The sophomore posted a career-high three hits in Purdue's 6-3 (8 IN) victory at Rutgers last Saturday, an effort which included an RBI double by McFadden to put Purdue up 1-0 in the first inning.
• Meanwhile, McFadden leads the team in Big Ten play with a .385 batting avg. and six RBI. She ranks second on the team in on-base % (.429), runs scored (3), doubles (2) and total bases (12).

 
KIARA DILLON

• Centerfielder Kiara Dillon has played in 98 of the last 99 consecutive games, dating back to the 2021 season.
• Dillon is one of the fastest players in the league, ranking #2 in stolen bases with 17 on 18 attempts.
• The junior is also Purdue's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president.

 
PUTTING ON THE PRESSURE

• Six of Purdue's eight Big Ten games have been decided by three runs or less.
• In half of Purdue's conference losses (3 of 6), the Boilermakers held the lead until the middle or end of the game: L 7-9 at Nebraska with the Husker game-winner coming in the 6th inning, L 4-5 vs. Indiana with the game-winner coming in the 7th inning and L 5-8 vs. Indiana with the game-winner coming in the 4th inning.