Illinois
vs.
Maryland
April 6-April 8, 2018 || Eichelberger Field
Fri: 2:00 p.m. || Sat: 2:00 p.m. || Sun: 1:00 p.m. (all times EST)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Maryland softball team (15-20, 5-1 B1G) will be back on the road April 6-8 for a three-game series at Illinois. Maryland will look to build off the program's best-ever start in Big Ten competition, as the Terps have started 5-1 after a 2-1 weekend at Penn State and sweep over Iowa.
Illinois (22-13, 3-4 B1G) is coming off a 1-3 week in conference action, splitting two games with Northwestern before dropping two at Minnestoa. All three games are scheduled to be streamed via BTN2GO.
storylines
• Maryland's 5-1 start in Big Ten play is the best since joining the conference in 2014-15, and is the second-best start ever in conference competition in program history. Maryland's last 5-1 start in conference action came during the 1999 season, when the Terps started ACC competition 6-1 before winning the conference regular season and advancing to the NCAA Regional Finals.
• Maryland has posted nine wins in its last 12 games dating back to March 10, which has included six one-run victories and two extra-innings wins. Maryland bounced back from a loss in the first leg of its doubleheader against Penn State, run-ruling the Nittany Lions in five innings to take the second game 8-0. It was Maryland's first conference series win since 2016.
• Maryland then clinched back-to-back Big Ten series victories for the first time ever with a sweep of Iowa March 30-April 1. It was Maryland's first conference sweep since 2015 as the Terps are in the midst of their first five-game winning streak since 2015.
• Junior Sydney Golden has been outstanding during the first two weeks on conference play, holding a 0.84 ERA in 25.0 innings. Golden in 4-0 in four appearances the past two weeks, and has struck out 11 while throwing 24 shutout innings during the stretch.
• Senior Skylynne Ellazar came through in a crucial moments for the Terps in their first two Big Ten series of the season, launching a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the seventh to help the Terps clinch the series over Penn State on March 25. She went 6-for-9 from the plate while slugging 1.111 on the weekend.
• Ellazar was the hero again against Iowa on April 1, scoring the only run of the game with a solo homer in the fourth inning. It was the fourth home run of the season for the Kahului, Hawaii native, who has hit .524 in conference play with six RBIs and five runs.
