March 28, 2014
By Tom Schott
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Head coach Kim Schuette's first Purdue softball team takes a six-game winning streak into this weekend's three-game Big Ten series against Michigan State. Due to weather issues and poor field conditions in East Lansing, Mich., the series will be played at Purdue, with games at 4 p.m. today and 1 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday.
The Boilermakers (16-16-1, 3-0-0 Big Ten) opened conference play by sweeping Penn State on the road and did so in convincing fashion with 10-3, 9-2 and 13-4 victories.
Senior infielder Tori Chiodo was named Big Ten Player of the Week after collecting seven hits in nine at-bats (.778 average), reaching base in 15 of 17 plate appearances and driving in 11 runs in four games.
Senior outfielder Andie Varsho continues to pace Purdue with a .465 batting average, with 10 doubles, one triple, one home run, 11 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships Under Way
Ten members of the men's swimming and diving team are competing at the NCAA Championships in Austin, Texas. The three-day event got under way yesterday and continues today and tomorrow.
Today's events include the 200 medley relay; 400 IM with junior Guillermo Blanco; 100 breaststroke with junior Lyam Dias; and 3-meter diving with junior Jamie Bissett, junior Nate Cox, junior Sean Mokhtari and sophomore Layne Rogers.
Tomorrow, it's the 200 backstroke with Blanco, 200 breaststroke with Dias; 400 freestyle relay; and platform diving with Cox and Mokhtari.
The Boilermakers did not score in any of their four opening-day events, with their best finish being 22nd in the 200 freestyle relay.
Tennis Home and Away
No. 41 men's tennis (9-3, 1-1 Big Ten) entertains a pair of ranked Big Ten foes in No. 50 Minnesota (8-7, 2-1) at 1 p.m. today and No. 62 Wisconsin (9-7, 1-2) at noon Sunday. Sophomore Mateus Silva has won eight straight singles matches and has a 9-1 record (6-1 at No. 6 and 3-0 at No. 5).
Meanwhile, No. 46 women's tennis (5-7, 1-2) plays at No. 63 Minnesota (13-3, 3-0) today and at Wisconsin (7-4, 2-1) on Sunday. Junior Daniela Vidal has an 11-5 record in singles play. She was a combined 10-2 at No. 2 and No. 3 before being promoted to the No. 1 position earlier this month.
NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Wrap
Buoyed by All-America performances from senior Michelle Cabassol and junior MacKenzie Tweardy, the women's swimming and diving team placed 25th at the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis last weekend. Cabassol placed fourth from the 3-meter board, while Tweardy was eighth in the platform event. Cabassol also earned honorable mention All-America recognition from the 1-meter board.
Winter Academic All-Big Ten
Forty-two Purdue winter sport student-athletes have been named Academic All-Big Ten. Women's basketball sophomore Hayden Hamby was one of just nine athletes, conference-wide, to post a flawless 4.0 grade-point average. To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten honors, student-athletes must be letterwinners who are in at least their second academic year at their institution and carry a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. For the complete list, click here.
Etcetera
Baseball (4-16) opens Big Ten play with a three-game series at Illinois (12-10) this weekend. The Boilermakers won their home opener 7-1 over IPFW on Wednesday ... Both track and field teams were scheduled to compete outdoors at home for the first time today and tomorrow with the Mike Poehlein Invite at Rankin Track and Field, but the meet was cancelled this morning due to a less-than-desirable weather forecast. The meet will not be rescheduled, and the Boilermakers are next in action at the Texas State Invite on April 4 and 5 ... Mike Waugh has been hired as director of player personnel for the football program ... The Big Ten has released the single-play and home-and-away opponents for the 2014 volleyball season. With the addition of Maryland and Rutgers, Purdue will play seven home-and-away series and six single-play opponents. For more information, click here ... Tracking the Boilermakers will return April 11.