Purdue Softball Off To 12-3 Start

It seems like Purdue sports has been in a funk since That night In Reno, if not That Night In Louisville. Football stumbled to 4-8 after entering the year with high expectations. Men’s basketball is currently 14-14 and likely needs four straight wins now just to have a chance at the NCAA Tournament. Women’s basketball... still has Sharon.

There is good news though: Purdue Softball is rolling early on.

Through 15 games Purdue is a stellar 12-3, tied for the most wins of any Big Ten team. They have played in a variety of far-flung locations (Boca Raton, Madeira Beach, Greensboro), but they keep winning. They are riding the momentum of last seasons’ 34-29 record (most wins since 2008) and they are 3-0 on opponents’ home fields, beating Florida Atlantic twice at home and winning at UNC-Greensboro.

This past weekend they went 4-0 in the UNCG Invitational. Two games were cancelled due to weather, but they beat North Carolina, UNC-Greensboro, and Fairield (twice). it was the team’s second undefeated weekend after going 5-0 in the FAU First Pitch Classic and 3-3 in Maderia Beach Tournament.

So far Purdue leads the Big Ten in batting average at .289 as a team with eight home runs. The pitching has also been solid with a 2.31 ERA. Madison Douglass is third in the conference with a .472 average and 2 HR. Sydney Bates is second in the conference in ERA with a 1.47 ERA and a 7-1 record. She also has recorded 52 strikeouts. Skye Webb leads the conference in runs scored (16), batted in (18) and triples (3).

The ladies will head back to Florida this coming weekend to face North Florida, Jacksonville, and Virginia Tech int he JU/UNF Spring Break Challenge. They then will go west to the Colorado State Classic. Big Ten play begin in Ann Arbor March 20th.