Illini ready for weekend
Doubleheader tonight, stadium dedication scheduled for tomorrow

by Jamie Jennings
Daily Illini sports reporter

A memorable weekend lies ahead for the women's softball team. Not only do they hope to sweep Valparaiso University in their doubleheader today, but they will also dedicate their new stadium at the ground-breaking ceremony Saturday morning.

Before the festivities begin, the Illini will travel to Valparaiso, Ind., to face the 10-10 Crusader team. For the first time in weeks, the Illini will have only two games in the weekend. Head coach Terri Sullivan says that it's a nice break for the team, but the girls are anxious to play, especially coming off two wins against Kankakee Community College.

"They really kept a good attitude and a good work ethic for the entire week, and that puts them in a good position to win (against Valparaiso)," said Sullivan.

The Crusaders are coming off a losing weekend to Loyola but have attained a .500 record with a primarily freshman-based team. This weekend they'll be led by senior pitcher Kelly Morris who just received Mid-Continental Conference Pitcher of the Week recognition for the week of April 10.

"(Morris) is not overpowering, but she gets the job done and obviously has a lot of experience on the mound," Sullivan said.

The Illini have a few pitchers to rotate, but according to Sullivan, freshman pitcher Pam Almanza will start the first game and the team will go from there.

"All the pitchers at different times of the year have stepped in, and that's the key. They're all ready to go no matter who it is," Sullivan said.

The big rotation isn't only limited to the mound. To Sullivan's surprise, her team has remained injury-free except for the loss of junior Reed Evans who tore her ACL over spring break. Sullivan attributes her team's health to their trainer and strength training coach.

"Tonya, our trainer, has done a really good job of keeping everybody healthy," Sullivan said. "The strength training they've been doing with coach Evans has really made them stronger and prevented a lot of injuries."

Sullivan hopes that her team's big lineup and good health will result in two victories against Valapraiso and help them finish the season strong.

"They're feeling pretty good and at the right time," Sullivan said. "We're at the end of our season, and we're getting right there to .500. We'll keep setting our goals and see what happens."

In the meantime, the Illini are also preparing for the dedication of the Eichelberger Stadium which will be home to the team next season. The ground-breaking ceremony is part of a day of festivities including the spring football game and street fair.

"It's very exciting for our program," Sullivan said. "I think it shows the commitment of the athletic administration and the University to women's athletics."

The inaugural team returns home tonight to take part in the dedication.

"Any time you've got something new that involves a lot of people and a lot of planning, and you see it come to a reality, it's definitely something special," Sullivan said. "We're looking forward to it, but we want to take two away from Valpo first."