COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two of the hottest teams in the Big Ten collide this weekend as the regular season comes to a close in Ann Arbor, Mich. where Ohio State and Michigan are set for a three-game series beginning on Friday evening. The two teams will also meet on Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).
Ohio State enters the weekend as winners of nine of its last 10 games while Michigan is on a season-best 13-game winning streak.
The Basics
Ohio State at Michigan // Friday, May 3 // 6 p.m. // Alumni Field; Ann Arbor, Mich.
Watch: B1G+ // Live Stats // Ohio State Schedule/Results // Michigan Schedule/Results
Ohio State at Michigan // Saturday, May 4 // 2 p.m. // Alumni Field; Ann Arbor, Mich.
Watch: B1G+ // Live Stats // Ohio State Schedule/Results // Michigan Schedule/Results
Ohio State at Michigan // Sunday, May 5 // 1 p.m. // Alumni Field; Ann Arbor, Mich.
Watch: BTN // Live Stats // Ohio State Schedule/Results // Michigan Schedule/Results
How To Follow Along
Friday and Saturday's games this weekend will appear on B1G+ (subscription required). Sunday's series finale will be carried live on BTN.
A link to live stats will be available on the schedule page at OhioStateBuckeyes.com. In-game updates can be found by following Ohio State softball on Twitter at @OhioStateSB. The softball homepage at OhioStateBuckeyes.com is also the best place for schedule updates, stats and game recaps.
Briefly on the Buckeyes
- Winners of nine of their last 10 games, Ohio State brings a 29-18 overall record into this weekend's series and has won eight of its last nine Big Ten games.
- The Buckeyes average just over six runs per game and are ranked either first or second in the Big Ten in team batting average (second - .305), home runs (tied for first – 61), slugging percentage ( second - .510), on-base percentage (.392) and OPS (second - .902).
- Six everyday starters are batting .300 or better, led by fifth-year senior Tegan Cortelletti (.386) and followed by McKenzie Bump (.346), Taylor Heckman (.336), Kami Kortokrax (.329), Kaitlyn Farley (.318) and Jasmyn Burns (.311).
- Kortokrax is also among the Big Ten leaders in home runs (fifth – 12) and RBI (fifth – 41). Over the last 10 games, she is batting .387 with four home runs and 10 RBI.
- In the circle, Allison Smith (17-9) has a team-best 2.41 earned run average and has pitched 142.1 innings with 21 starts this season. She's started four pervious games in her career vs. Michigan and last season had 12 strikeouts in 14.1 innings in the three-game series.
- Another senior, Emily Ruck, is second on the team with 79.1 innings pitched and last season had a win and a save in the Buckeyes' series win vs. Michigan.
Scouting Michigan
- Michigan is 17-3 in the Big Ten and just a half game out of first place entering the final weekend. After sweeping Penn State last weekend, the Wolverines have won 13 consecutive games.
- Lauren Derkowski's 2.19 earned run average and 174 strikeouts are among the best in the Big Ten. She enters this weekend with a 15-7 record and also has three saves.
- Freshman Maddie Erickson leads the team in home runs (10), RBI (40) and is second in batting average at .363. She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Tuesday after hitting .429 with six RBI and three extra base hits last week.
- Head coach Bonnie Tholl is in her second season guiding the Wolverines. She spent the 29 seasons prior at Michigan as an assistant coach.
History Against Michigan
- Ruck and Smith pitched all 22.0 innings last season against Michigan and combined for 16 strikeouts, two wins and a save while holding the Wolverines to just two extra base hits.
- At the plate, Sam Hackenbracht hit .333 with a home run and four RBI in nine at-bats. Kaitlyn Farley and Destinee Noury also finished the series with .333 batting averages.
- Ohio State and Michigan have split the last six games against each other; the home team has claimed the series in each of the last two years by winning the final two games after dropping the respective openers.
Ohio State as of Late
- The Buckeyes hit nine home runs in their three-game series last weekend vs. Illinois. Farley went deep twice with a pair of solo shots while Kortokrax also had two along with five RBI.
- Ohio State has top 25 national rankings in home runs per game (18th – 1.30), scoring (24th – 6.1 runs per game), and slugging percentage (25th - .509).
- Over the last 10 games, freshman Jasmyn Burns is hitting .414 with three extra base hits, six RBI and a .485 on-base percentage. In the middle game of last weekend's series vs. Illinois, she went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
- Ohio State's team ERA over the past 10 games is 2.72. The staff has allowed just 26 earned runs over 67.0 innings.
- In that span, Smith is 5-0 with two saves and has a 1.50 ERA. She's also held opponents to just a .227 batting average.
The Old and the New
- Kami Kortokrax, the Big Ten Player of the Week on April 22, broke her nose on April 20 during her first at-bat vs. Maryland.
- She returned to the lineup the next day, however, and since then has hit .357 with three home runs, seven RBI and a 1.143 slugging percentage in four games since the injury.
- In the 42 games prior, she was hitting at a .326 clip with nine home runs, 34 RBI and a .621 slugging percentage.
What's Next
- Ohio State will head to Iowa City, Iowa for the 2024 Big Ten Tournament, which is slated to be held May 8-11.
- Seedings will be announced on Sunday evening after the conclusion of the regular season.
- The entire tournament will be broadcast on BTN, beginning on Wednesday, May 8 with the opening round games and continuing through the championship game on Saturday, May 11.
