Wolverines to Hit the Road for Weekend Series at No. 9 Northwestern

THIS WEEK
Friday, April 1 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 3:30 p.m. CDT
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Video | Live Stats
Saturday, April 2 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 1 p.m. CDT
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Video | Live Stats
Sunday, April 3 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), Noon CDT
TV: B1G+ | Live Video | Live Stats

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan softball team (18-9, 0-2 Big Ten) will hit the road for the first time in three weeks when it travels to Evanston, Illinois, for a three-game set against No. 9 Northwestern (22-4, 3-0 Big Ten) at Sharon J. Drysdale Field. The series kicks off with a 3:30 p.m. CDT slate on Friday (April 1) before a 1 p.m. game on Saturday (April 2) and a noon CDT finale on Sunday (April 3). The series' first two games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

• Michigan snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-0 decision over Bowling Green in its most recent outing on Tuesday (March 29). U-M has started 0-2 in Big Ten Conference play for the first time since 2009 -- when it captured the league's regular-season crown and advanced to the NCAA Women's College World Series.

• Michigan is the three-time reigning Big Ten champion, posting a 36-6 record in its conference-only regular season last year and finishing eight wins better than second-place Minnesota (28-12) in the final conference standings. The Wolverines have captured 22 of the last 29 Big Ten regular-season crowns, including 12 of the last 13, and without a Big Ten Tournament over the last two seasons, remain the reigning tournament champion as well.

• Freshman outfielder Ellie Sieler knocked out her first home run as part of a 2-for-3 effort in U-M's win over Bowling Green -- her second two-hit effort in four appearances. Sieler opened scoring for Michigan against the Falcons with her two-out solo shot in the second inning.

• Graduate student Kristina Burkhardt ranks second nationally with 15 doubles and fourth with a .54 doubles-per-game average this season and, adding three triples, nearly half of her 40 total hits have gone for extra bases this season. She continues to lead the Wolverines at the plate with a career-best .430 average and boasts 19 RBI. She posted a triple and scored twice against BGSU after seeing her 14-game hit streak snapped in the Nebraska series. Burkhardt has recorded at least one hit in all but four games this season.

• Sophomore second baseman Sierra Kersten ranks second on the team with a .340 batting average -- a 116-point improvement over her rookie-season average. She leads the team with five homers -- after not hitting any last season -- and a .679 slugging percentage.

• Senior RHP Alex Storako leads the conference and ranks sixth nationally with 14 wins already his season; she also lists fifth with 164 total strikeouts and eighth with a 12 strikeouts-per-seven-innings average. She owns nine double-digit strikeout games, including 17 in her last start against Bowling Green. Storako also led the nation last season with a 12.9 strikeout average, while the Michigan staff posted the nation's top team mark with a 10.76 strikeout average.

Last Time Out

The Wolverines wrapped up their nine-game homestand with a 3-0 decision over Bowling Green on Tuesday (March 29). Senior RHP Alex Storako struck out 17 batters in a one-hit shutout from the circle, while freshman outfielder Ellie Sieler went 2-for-3 with her first collegiate homer -- a second-inning solo shot -- to highlight the Wolverine offense. Graduate student outfielder Kristina Burkhardt also posted two hits, including a triple in the third, and scored twice. [ Full Recap ]

Up Next

Wednesday, April 1 -- vs. Michigan State (Wilpon Complex), 6 p.m.