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Thursday, March 28
The Indiana Daily Student

sports softball

Softball finishes season against Huskers

With the regular season nearly complete, IU softball has one more Big Ten series before the postseason.

IU’s (17-35-1, 5-15) final series against No. 19 Nebraska (37-14, 15-5) this weekend is in Lincoln, Neb. The Huskers has won 11 of its last 12 games, including an 11-game win streak before a 6-4 loss Wednesday against Wisconsin.

IU Coach Michelle Gardner wants to see the team make noise before the conference tournament begins.

“I want a couple wins from Nebraska,” Gardner said. “I know that we can do it and we have shown we can at times this year. We need to put together a complete game.”

That isn’t the only thing Gardner wants to see from the team in the final days of the regular season.

With the conference tournament beginning in Evanston, Ill., May 5, Gardner knows the team will have a lower seed. Regardless, she thinks the team has the potential to shake things up.

“This is a good ball club,” Gardner said. “We can do some serious damage in the Big Ten Tournament if we can continue to work and put everything together.”

Nebraska has one of the best offensive attacks in the Big Ten.

The team’s .303 batting average trails only Michigan and Northwestern for the best in the conference. The Huskers’ lineup has produced 57 home runs, giving them an average of 1.06 home runs per game, tied for 27th in the nation.

Senior catcher Taylor Edwards has been a problem for opposing pitchers all season.

She has a batting average of .373 and her 16 home runs are tied for the 12th-highest amount in the nation.

Senior shortstop Breanna Saucedo said IU’s pitching is going to be key during the weekend.

“Our pitchers have been doing really well lately,” Saucedo said. “If they keep it up we are going to be successful.”

Hitting isn’t the Huskers’ only strong point.

The team’s earned run average of 2.00 is not only the third lowest in the conference, it’s also the 25th lowest ERA in the nation.

Senior Tatum Edwards and sophomore Emily Lockman lead the pitching staff. The two have a combined record of 37-13, an ERA of 1.98 and they have struck out 276 batters. Edwards alone has fanned 178.

They will be opposed by an IU offense that is averaging nearly six runs per game in the last five contests.

Saucedo’s .350 batting average and 16 steals continues to lead the team.

Saucedo thinks in order for the team to leave Lincoln, Neb., victorious, timely hitting is going to be important.

“They key is to keep hitting like we have been,” she said. “We need to put timely hits together to score runs.”

Junior center fielder Brianna Meyer has continued to be a threat to reach base. She is currently on a 22-game streak in which she has reached base at least once.

Meyer, who Gardner has praised in the past because of her patience at the plate, wants to see the offense stay disciplined and take advantage of opportunities with runners on base.

“We need to come out strong like we have been doing,” Meyer said. “I think, especially against Iowa, the offense has been doing really well. We need to string together good hits.”

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