Wisconsin softball will face an uphill climb to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament. A home sweep against UW-Green Bay on Wednesday has the Badgers brimming with confidence heading into a critical two-game series with Ohio State.
Wisconsin (2-14 Big Ten, 14-37 overall) currently sits in last place in the conference. Only eight teams participate in the postseason tournament, meaning the Badgers would have to catch Penn State or Illinois, which is still mathematically possible. No. 7 Illinois and No. 8 Penn State are the only teams currently in the top eight that Wisconsin could catch. If the Badgers are able to pass either Illinois or Penn State, Wisconsin would also have to leapfrog No. 10 Indiana and No. 9 Ohio State, making the two games the Badgers and Buckeyes play very important.
The odds are stacked against Wisconsin, which would undoubtedly have to win all four of its remaining conference games and get plenty of help elsewhere. But head coach Chandelle Schulte is still confident that her team can continue on to the postseason after their performance Wednesday.
If we play like we did [Wednesday], we'll win four games and go to the Big Ten tournament,"" Schulte said.
Senior shortstop Lynn Anderson, who had a career day Wednesday with two home runs and four hits in the doubleheader, agrees with Schulte that their wins against the Phoenix provide momentum for this weekend.
""I think [the wins] help us a lot. Getting a couple of wins going into Ohio State this weekend will help us,"" Anderson said.
The newfound confidence for Wisconsin should provide them with a mental boost, but the Badgers are facing a much tougher team this weekend than they faced Wednesday. Sophomore pitcher Letty Olivarez said she knows Ohio State will be a difficult opponent.
""[The wins] leave us on a good note, but Ohio State is a good team, so we still have to play our best,"" Olivarez said.
The Buckeyes (5-11 Big Ten, 27-20 overall) will also be hungry to advance in the Big Ten standings and qualify for the conference tournament.
Wisconsin may be catching Ohio State at a good time, though. The Buckeyes have lost seven of their last eight conference match ups.
Wisconsin's bats were hot Wednesday, but Ohio State has hit more consistently this season than the Badgers and should have the offensive advantage.
The Buckeyes are hitting .266 as a team this season, much better than Wisconsin's team average of .208.
Ohio State also presents more potent individual threats in the batting order than the Badgers. Ohio State has two players batting over .300 in sophomore catcher Sam Marder and senior second baseman Brittany Vanderink. Wisconsin's highest individual batting average comes from senior catcher Joey Daniels, who is hitting .271.
Ohio State has also shown a considerably better output in pitching this season, as well. The Buckeyes have a team earned run average of 2.76, which compares favorably to Wisconsin's team ERA of 4.29.
None of the Badgers' pitchers has an ERA under 4, and all three Buckeyes who have started games this season have ERAs below 3.50.
