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Softball to Host 4 Contests This WeekSoftball to Host 4 Contests This Week

Softball to Host 4 Contests This Week

Purdue (17-22, 2-9 Big Ten) will take on SIUE (15-20, 2-8 Ohio Valley) on Wednesday before facing Michigan (19-15, 5-4 Big Ten) in a weekend series.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue softball's homestand continues this week with four games slated to be played in Bittinger Stadium. Purdue (17-22, 2-9 Big Ten) will take on SIUE (15-20, 2-8 Ohio Valley) on Wednesday before facing Michigan (19-15, 5-4 Big Ten) in a weekend series.
 
Fans are welcome to enjoy free admission to all Purdue softball home games this season.  

THE BOILERMAKER DEFENSE
  • Purdue ranks among the top defenses in the league, including No. 1 in assists (365).
  • In 2022 and 2021, Purdue has recorded their best fielding % marks in program history with 2021's .972 % the Purdue record, while 2022's .921 mark ranking No. 2.

BOILERMAKERS IN THE CIRCLE
  • An evenly spread-out pitching staff includes three Boilermakers with four or more wins this season: Madi Elish (6-2), Alex Echazarreta (5-9) and Mo Wimpee (4-4). All three have pitched in the 51-58 innings range this season.
  • Alexa Pinarski is racking up more innings in the circle during Big Ten play, 2nd-most on the team, in fact. The senior has made nine appearances in the circle with four starts (the most among the pitching staff). Pinarski has tossed 19.2 innings (most: Elish with 23.0) and has struck out 11 batters.
  • Elish, a sophomore transfer from Arizona, notched both wins for Purdue at Rutgers and appeared in all five games last week. She has thrown for 23 innings during conference play and tallied nine strikeouts, five of which came on Sunday vs. Wisconsin, setting a Big Ten play-high as well as the second-most in any game this season.
  • Echazarreta has pitched a team-leading 48 strikeouts with an opponent batting average of .255. She reached her 200th career strikeout vs. North Dakota State (W, 2-1) on March 15.
  • Mo Wimpee leads the team with the most starts in the circle (10), shutouts (3) and ERA (3.00). 
  • Meanwhile, Echazarreta posted a one-hitter during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with 11 strikeouts and 1 run vs. NC State (2/18).

SCOUTING THE SIUE COUGARS
  • Leading the team in batting average is #2 Lexi King (.414) followed by #8 Paige Rocha (.408) and #3 Emma Neuman (.313). 
  • The leading pitcher is #6 Kelsey Ray with an ERA of 2.75 followed by #12 Sydney Baalman (2.98).
  • #2 Lexi King and #3 Emma Neuman lead the team in RBI with 19 each. 

SCOUTING THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
  • Leading the team in batting average is #3 Lexie Blair (.362) followed by #1 Ellie Sieler (.319). 
  • Blair enters the weekend currently ranked 10th in the Big Ten for batting average. 
  • #18 Lauren Derkowski is the leading pitcher with an ERA of 1.90, a mark that ranks as 5th-best in the league. Her opponent batting average of .202 is fifth. Meanwhile, she has pitched more innings than almost any other Big Ten player. As the Wolverines heavily rely on Derkowski, she has tossed 121.2 innings, 4th-highest in the league. 
  • Derkowski has struck out 135 batter this year, 40 of which looking, making her one of the toughest pitchers the Boilermakers have faced thus far.
  • Michigan is currently ranked 7th in the Big Ten Conference and owns a .260 team batting average.