The Wisconsin softball team will wrap up its nine-game home stand this weekend at the Goodman Softball Complex. The Badgers will face Michigan at 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday and then play Penn State in a doubleheader starting at noon Sunday.
Wisconsin (1-7 Big Ten, 11-29 overall) is coming off a tough non-conference loss Wednesday against Northern Iowa. Junior pitcher Leah Vanevenhoven threw a complete game, struck out 11 batters and gave up just one hit. Vanevenhoven had a no-hitter through six innings, but an error opened the door for the Panthers in the seventh, making all three runs Vanevenhoven allowed unearned.
After such a brutal loss assistant coach Julie Wright said it is important that her players keep their heads up entering the weekend of conference competiton.
You [have to] point to the good things that they did,"" Wright said. ""They stung the ball well. They hit it solid; they hit it right at people, but they hit it solid.""
The Badgers will have to be confident to have any chance against the Wolverines, who enter the weekend ranked No. 6 in the USA Today/NFCA softball poll. Michigan is 34-4 this season and 7-1 in the Big Ten.
Michigan's greatest strength this season has been its pitching. Freshman Jordan Taylor and sophomore Nikki Nemitz have been the only two pitchers to take the hill this season for the Wolverines, and each one has posted jaw-dropping numbers.
Taylor is 19-2 this season in 22 starts. The true freshman has allowed nine earned runs in 138.2 innings which equates to a 0.45 ERA. The right hander also has nine shutouts, 187 strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .162 batting average.
Nemitz's statistics are just as impressive. The southpaw is 15-2 in 16 starts and has allowed 14 runs in 122.1 innings pitched, which translates to a 0.80 ERA. Nemitz is holding opponents to a .155 batting average and has 137 strikeouts.
UW head coach Chandelle Schulte called the duo the best pitching combination in the nation.
Penn State's strength also lies in its pitching. Although the Nittany Lions' staff has not been as dominant as Michigan's, Penn State's pitching has been efficient all year.
The ace off the club is senior Ashley Esparza. Esparza is 12-8 with a 1.31 ERA and has demonstrated great stamina by completing 16 games in 19 starts.
The team's second starter is freshman Jackie Hill, who has started 16 games for Penn State. The redshirt is 12-6 with a 2.04 ERA.
Despite Wisconsin's potential to play well offensively, the Badgers have failed to produce runs of late, scoring just five runs in their last three games.
But Wisconsin has reason to be optimistic entering this weekend because of its recent pitching performances. Vanevenhoven has not allowed an earned run in her last two starts, and freshman Kristyn Hansen turned in a complete game shutout in her first Big Ten start last weekend.
