SIUE COUGARS (10-18, 0-7 Ohio Valley)
VS. ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (18-12, 0-3 Big Ten)

Tuesday, March 28, 5 p.m.
Champaign, Ill. / Eichelberger Field

Follow the Game
Video: https://www.bigtenplus.com/en-int/playerpage/1585338
Audio: https://fightingillini.com/showcase?Live=5548
Live Stats: https://SIUEstats.com

SCHEDULE UPDATES: SIUE's doubleheader at Western Illinois has been shifted to Tuesday, April 4 at 3 p.m. Thursday's doubleheader at Kansas City now will start at 2 p.m.
BYE WEEK: This is SIUE's bye week in the Ohio Valley Conference. SIUE's next action in the OVC is at home April 7-8 against Tennessee State.
NECK AND NECK: SIUE's Lexi King and Paige Rocha have been 1-2 in the Cougar batting order for most of the season as well as the top two hitters in the lineup. King now leads the Cougars at .398 and 35 hits. Rocha is just .001 behind at .397 with a team-leading nine doubles and .628 slugging percentage. King and Rocha are No. 2 and No. 3 in batting average among OVC players.
SERIES VS. ILLINOIS: Illinois has won all four meetings between the two schools dating back to the 2017 season. SIUE is 0-1 at home and 0-3 at Eichelberger Field.
SWINGING A HOT BAT: Emma Neuman is batting .311 this season and currently holds the team's longest hitting streak at six games
IN THE CIRCLE: Kelsey Ray is tied for the OVC lead in saves with three. She is ranked 11th nationally in that statistical category,
LEADING THE PITCHING STAFF: Sydney Baalman boasts the lowest season earned run average at 2.87. She also holds a 5-6 record with half of the team's pitching victories.
BLANKED: SIUE pitchers have recorded four shutouts this season. That includes one each from Baalman, Ray and Lexi King. Ray and Baalman also combined on a fourth.
RATHER BE AT HOME: SIUE will be road warriors for the near future. After today's single game, SIUE heads to Kansas City for a 2 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday. The Cougars also have a makeup doubleheader April 4 at Western Illinois.
STEAL AWAY: SIUE has 28 stolen bases this season led by 10 from King. Ten different players have stolen at least one base this season.
SCOUTING THE ILLINI: The Illini dropped three straight to Big Ten rival Rutgers over the weekend. Illinois' last win was a nonconference 5-1 victory over Bradley. Kelly Rhono is the team's leading hitter at .371. The team earned run average is 2.98.
START OF AN ERA: After spending nearly the last decade as an assistant coach in the Big Ten Conference, Ben Sorden was tapped as the new leader of the SIUE softball program. Sorden comes to SIUE after holding positions at Michigan State and Indiana, helping the pitching staffs to national honors and top-notch results. The Lone Tree, Iowa, native most recently spent five seasons at Michigan State, where the Spartans sported a 2.38 earned run average and a 1.11 WHIP over 350 innings of play.