Breaking down the Big Ten softball tournament field
May 10—The Big Ten softball world descends on Eichelberger Field in Urbana this week to crown a Big
Ten tournament champion. Staff writer Scott Richey has the breakdown of the 12-team field:
1. Northwestern (35-11, 20-3)
Ace: The rest of the Big Ten would take any of the Wildcats' three top pitchers, but it's fifth-year lefty Danielle Williams that leads the way with a 17-1 record, 2.45 ERA, three saves and 152 strikeouts in 1171/3
* innings.
Best bat: Center fielder Skyler Shellmyer
* leads Northwestern for a second straight season with a .338 average out of the leadoff spot. The fifth-year veteran has struck out just 13 times in 142 at-bats and also boasts a team-high 17 stolen bases.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 28-19 (Champions in 1982, 2008)
2. Indiana (40-15, 18-5)
Ace: Brianna Copeland
* has been a stalwart at the top of the Hoosiers' rotation in 2023. The sophomore right-hander out of Pelham, Ala., is 20-2 with a 2.88 ERA in 39 appearances and has 127 strikeouts and 44 walks in 141 innings.
Best bat: Second baseman Taryn Kern has hit for average and power this spring, leading Indiana with a .434 average, 22 home runs and 67 RBI. The Californian freshman's elite OPS is a Big Ten best 1.627 with teammate Taylor Minnick
* close behind.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 6-12
3. Minnesota (36-16, 17-6)
Ace: Gophers coach Piper Ritter has handed the ball to Autumn Pease more than any other pitcher this spring. The veteran righty is 25-6 with a Big Ten-leading 1.31 ERA to go with 243 strikeouts (also a conference best) in 1921/3
* innings.
Best bat: Sophomore catcher Taylor Krapf
* is one of five Minnesota regulars hitting better than .300 this season. The Duke transfer is batting .361 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI. All three are team highs.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 23-16 (Champions in 1999, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018)
4. Nebraska (33-19, 13-10)
Ace: While Sarah Harness has a slightly lower ERA and WHIP, Nebraska's leader in the circle is Courtney Wallace
* . The right-handed senior out of Omaha, Neb., has 27 starts in 42 appearances and enters tournament play with a 22-13 record, 3.48 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 197 innings.
Best bat: Billie Andrews
* is the only Nebraska batter with double-digit doubles and home runs this season. The junior shortstop leads a fairly balanced Cornhuskers lineup with 15 home runs and is second on the team with a .366 batting average.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 7-7 (Champions in 2022)
5. Wisconsin (27-19, 12-10)
Ace: Four different Wisconsin pitchers have started at least seven games, but fifth-year right-hander Maddie Schwartz
* gets the nod most often. The Chanhassen, Minn., native ranks third in the Big Ten with a 1.66 ERA and is 11-12 with three saves and 72 strikeouts in 135 innings.
Best bat: It's more a 1-2 punch for the Badgers with first baseman Katie Keller and designated hitter Kayla Konwent
* at the top of the lineup batting .381 and .367, respectively, with none of the rest of their teammates all that close.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 11-13 (Champions in 2013)
6. Ohio State (32-19, 12-11)
Ace: Junior righty Allison Smith
* can get knocked around a bit — she's given up 20 home runs this spring — but she's still 17-11 on the season with a 3.01 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 117 innings in 36 appearances.
Best bat: The Buckeyes have leaned on sophomore right fielder Melina Wilkison
* in 2023. She leads the team in average (.382), on-base percentage (.447), triples (seven), home runs (11), stolen bases (13), RBI (44), runs scored (49) and hits (65).
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 19-18 (Champions in 2007)
7. Penn State (30-15, 11-11)
Ace: The ball will undoubtedly be in Bailey Parshall's hands in the tournament. The veteran left-hander has the second-best ERA in the Big Ten at 1.46 and boasts a 17-9 record with 171 strikeouts and 26 walks in 1582/3
* innings for the Nittany Lions.
Best bat: Emily Maddock missed Penn State's first tournament and came off the bench in a reserve role until late March, but the 5-foot junior has been a stalwart at third base since. She has 41 hits in 90 at bats, which is just four off senior shortstop Kaitlyn Morrison
* 's team lead in 137 at-bats.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 14-19
8. Maryland (36-16, 11-11)
Ace: How you order senior right-handers Courtney Wyche and Trinity Schlotterbeck is debatable. Both have started at least 21 games and have at least 15 wins. Wyche has carried a heavier workload, though, with 1632/3 innings pitched to Schlotterbeck's 1181/3 inning
* , and the former has a 176-89 edge in strikeouts, too.
Best bat: Junior center fielder Jaeda McFarland
* is a table setter at the top of the Maryland lineup. The Terrapins' regular No. 2 hitter simply makes things happen. She leads the team with a .375 average, six triples and 12 doubles and is 22 of 27 on stolen bases.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 1-3
9. Iowa (30-26, 10-13)
Ace: Breanna Vasquez and Jalen Adams have basically split the pitching duties for the Hawkeyes this spring with 139 and 1302/3
* innings, respectively. Vasquez has simply been more effective. The fifth-year righty is 16-8 with a 2.57 ERA and 132 strikeouts to 57 walks in her 31 appearances and 26 starts.
Best bat: Senior right fielder Nia Carter
* is in a class by herself. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native has vacillated between the leadoff and No. 3 spots in the Iowa lineup and leads the Hawkeyes with a Big Ten-leading .479 average. She's the only Iowa player with an average and on-base percentage above .400.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 24-17 (Champions in 2001, 2003)
10. Michigan (26-24, 10-13)
Ace: It's been a rough season for first-year coach Bonnie Tholl replacing the legendary Carol Hutchins, but the longtime Wolverines assistant has been able to rely on sophomore pitcher Lauren Derkowski. The 5-8 righty has an 18-13 record with two saves, a 2.07 ERA and 217 strikeouts in 1952/3
* innings this spring.
Best bat: Michigan's production at the plate has dipped in its first season without Hutchins. Four batters hit at least .323 in 2022, but Lexie Blair
* is the only one who can claim that this year. The fifth-year center fielder is batting .353 with a team-high 14 doubles and 16 stolen bases.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 46-18 (Champions in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2015, 2019)
11. Rutgers (32-24, 9-14)
Ace: Freshman right-hander Raimy Gamsby has started eight more games than Jaden Vickers
* , but the fifth-year lefty has more wins, a lower ERA and more strikeouts than her young teammate. Vickers is 11-7 with two saves this spring to go with 92 strikeouts in 102 innings.
Best bat: Nobody in the Big Ten has stolen more bases than Kyleigh Sand
* . The junior shortstop leads the conference with 26 steals in 31 attempts, and she also paces the Scarlet Knights with a .374 batting average to go with a .441 on-base percentage.
All-time Big Ten tournament record:
* 0-3
12. Illinois (28-26, 6-16)
Ace: All of the Illini pitchers have taken a step back statistically in 2023, but Sydney Sickels
* still has the top spot in the rotation. The fifth-year right-hander out of Indianola, Iowa, is 13-11 this spring with a 3.38 ERA, 141 strikeouts and 40 walks in 149 innings. It's her highest ERA and worst strikeout-to-walk ratio since her freshman season.
Best bat: Kelly Ryono
* is having a career year again this spring. The senior right fielder set career highs in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, home runs and RBI in 2022 and has bested all of them — except doubles, and she's only one off — with a .349 average, 59 hits, 37 runs, nine doubles, 12 home runs and 47 RBI to lead the Illini.
All-time Big Ten tournament record: 12-18
