Boilermakers Primed for Big Ten Softball Tournament

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue Softball team (25-25, 11-12 Big Ten) is set to begin the Big Ten Softball Tournament tomorrow at Noon ET / 11 a.m. CT in Iowa City, Iowa. The Boilermakers enter the tournament as the No. 9 seed, and will face the No. 8 seeded Indiana Hoosiers (37-17, 12-11 Big Ten) in the first game of the postseason, with the winner to face the regular-season champions No. 1 seed Northwestern on Thursday at Noon ET / 11 a.m. CT.
 
The entirety of the Big Ten Softball tournament will air on linear television on the Big Ten Network.
 
 
RECORD-SETTING SEASON

• The program record for longest Big Ten game winning streak was set (7).
• Matched the program triples record on Friday vs. Michigan State (18) with the hit by Tyrina Jones.
• Moriah Polar tied a program record for most triples by a freshman (7).
• Sage Scarmardo's 19 hit-by-pitches set a Purdue record.

 
PURDUE IN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT

• Last Big Ten Tournament appearance: 2022 (vs. Ohio State, 0-8 in 6 innings).
• Last Big Ten Tournament win: May 9, 2019 (vs. Rutgers, 4-3)
• Purdue's record in the Big Ten Tournament: 5-15
• The Boilermakers have advanced out of its first game five times in program history (last: 2019).
• Purdue will be looking for its advancement to the Big Ten semifinals in program history.
• Purdue's ninth-place finish in the regular season is its best since 2017, when it also finished ninth in the league.

 
NATIONALLY RANKED

• As a team, Purdue is ranked in the top-15 in two categories: 8th in triples per game and 13th in stolen bases.
• Sage Scarmardo is fourth in hit by pitch (19).
• Moriah Polar is third in triples.
• Kendall Klochack is 14th in walks allowed per 7.0 innings (1.03).
• Julia Gossett is 41st in saves (4).
• Khloe Banks is 35th stolen bases (24).

 
NEVER COUNT 'EM OUT: 6TH INNING OR LATER

• 48% of wins this season (12 of 25) have come on runs scored in the 6th inning or later.
• Meanwhile, 54.5% of wins in Big Ten Play (6 of 11) were won in such a fashion.
• The game-winning run scored in the 6th inning or later came on the bat of eight different Boilermakers, proving anyone can rise to the occasion.
• Among the leaders: Banks (3 runs, 1 RBI), Jones (2 runs, 2 RBI including a walk-off homer), Hailey Hayes (2 runs, 2 RBI, including a 2-run homer), Campbell (1 run, 1 RBI).

 
RIVALRY RENEWS IN BIG TEN TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND

• The two teams met at IU just 21 days ago in a doubleheader, which was split with a 1-5 loss followed by a 6-5 victory.
• It will be just the second time the two teams have faced off in the Big Ten Tournament. In that 2014 battle, the Boilermakers won 4-2 in Evanston, Illinois.

 
LAST TIME OUT VS. INDIANA

• Moriah Polar led Purdue with a .400 batting avg. over the doubleheader at IU earlier this season.
• Five different Boilermakers scored a run over the doubleheader.
• Ryen Ross led the team with two RBI.
• Purdue's 6-5 win in Game 2 was its first win over Iowa since 2021. Kendall Klochack picked up a win and Gossett the save.
• There were six lead changes in Game 2's victory. Purdue loaded the bases in the 7th inning, with freshman Ashlynn Campbell scoring the game-winning run on a wild pitch.
• The game-tying run in the sixth inning was the result of pinch hitter Jordyn Ramos, who recorded the RBI double to score Tyrina Jones.

OUTSTANDING OUTFIELDERS

• Arguably the best outfield the nation, Purdue's outfielders combine for 337 putouts and 11 assists this season.
• Freshman Moriah Polar leads the entire Big Ten outfield in putouts 130.
• Only four league players, two of which are Boilermakers, have reached triple digits in putouts: Polar, Morgan Smith (Rutgers, 118), Kelsey Nader (Northwestern, 108) and Kiara Dillon (107).

 
ON THE RISE: 4 BIG TEN SERIES WINS

• Purdue's 11 Big Ten wins are the most since 2014 (excluding the 2021 league-only season) and are the fourth-most wins in a season in program history.
• Purdue is 4-2-1 over the last seven Big Ten series.
• In each of Purdue's last four wins, Purdue has given up just one run in each game.
• The series sweep vs. Iowa marked the first Big Ten series win since 2018.
• Purdue rode an 8-game winning streak with series wins vs. Rutgers, Iowa and Illinois and a midweek vs. Indiana St. It came just three shy of tying the program record for longest winning streak.