Badgers searching for big win over Iowa during rough stretch

The Wisconsin Badgers softball team has had a rough stretch over the last month.

They started the season strong, but have struggled over their last 12 games, winning just three games.

Prior to the Big Ten tournament, the Badgers are desperate for a few wins over the Iowa Hawkeyes during the final series of the regular season.

During the weekend, Wisconsin will recognize seven seniors, and is looking to send the group out with a big series win.

Let’s take some time to recognize the seven seniors: Kayla Kownwent, Katie Keller, Maddie Schwartz, Tessa Magnanimo, Fiona Girardot, Christaana Angelopulos, and Alyssa McClelland.

Congratulations to all of the Seniors!

The series against the Hawkeyes should be a good series. The Hawkeyes are 10-10 in conference play, while the Badgers are 9-10 in conference play, with one game being canceled.

The Hawkeyes are led by senior Nia Carter, who is hitting a whopping .481, with 87 hits on the year. In fact, Carter leads the Big Ten in batting average and hits this season.

The ace in the circle for the Hawkeyes is none other than Breanna Vasquez, who holds a strong 16-7 record and an ERA of 2.37.

Seniors Kayla Konwent and Katie Keller lead the Badgers.

Keller leads the team in batting average with a .357 average, while Konwent is the power hitter who leads the team with 11 home runs on the season.

The Badgers' top pitcher is senior Maddie Schwartz, who holds a 1.79 ERA.

As a team, Iowa is batting .285 with only 20 home runs. They’re a team that doesn’t have the power, as they only average 4 runs per game.

However, the Hawkeyes' pitching staff is solid, holding a 2.48 ERA, although they have given up 28 home runs to their opponents.

Looking at the Badgers, they hit a lower batting average, hitting .263. However, the Badgers have more power in their lineup, as they have hit 27 home runs.

The Badgers' pitching staff is also good, coming in with a 2.43 ERA, while giving up 20 home runs on the season.

From the numbers, it appears that the bout between the two teams will be a tightly matched series.

Additionally, when looking at their records, both teams are similar in win percentage with the Hawkeyes' record of 30-23 versus the Badgers' 24-19.

Not only is this series big for the Badgers in terms of getting back to the winning ways, but this also has Big Ten Tournament seeding implications on the line as well.