The MSU softball team is taking its six-game winning streak on the road for a five-game, three-state weekend that begins at 4 p.m. today against Loyola-Chicago.
After facing Loyola-Chicago, which MSU defeated twice last year, the team will travel to Wisconsin for a two-game series with the Badgers and then to Iowa for a Sunday doubleheader against the Hawkeyes.
"It's not an easy thing to do but it's part of life in the Big Ten, so our returning players are familiar with the process," head coach Jacquie Joseph said about the traveling.
MSU (28-11 overall, 6-0 Big Ten) has relied on stifling pitching from its three-starter rotation to win six straight games and 10 of the last 11. Junior Rachel Turney, sophomore Lesley Noel and freshman Megan Hair have combined to pitch every inning during the 11-game span while only giving up 15 runs.
"It's great that we have three kids who are all really performing well right now, and it'll help us in the long run because maybe one player is not going to be really fatigued and will still be fresh come May," Joseph said.
Physical and mental breakdowns can occur late in the season for pitchers who are over-pitched during long stretches, she said.
While pitching has been strong as of late, the team's offense has been struggling.
During the current six-game streak, MSU has compiled more than six hits just once, and three times the team was able to only muster three hits. The lone offensive breakout was an eight-run, 13-hit win over Purdue.
"When we're pitching shutouts we're taking pressure off our offense, and lately we've just been doing enough to be successful," Joseph said. "But I'm a little concerned about our offense."
The team is capable of at least eight hits per game, she said.
After six conference games, MSU remains the lone unbeaten team in Big Ten play. The team swept two-game series against Minnesota, Purdue and Indiana, and this weekend offers four chances to widen the gap between its Big Ten opponents.
Iowa (25-14, 4-2) entered play Wednesday on a five-game winning streak, including a two-game sweep of Minnesota. MSU didn't face Iowa last season but the Hawkeyes took two from the Spartans in 2004.
"Iowa is always very difficult because they are one of those teams that are very well coached," Joseph said. "They have created a real good home environment that is difficult for the visitor to play in."
Amanda Scott, Iowa's pitching coach, served as pitching coach at MSU under Joseph from 2002 to 2004.
When MSU heads into Madison, Wis., to face the Badgers (16-15, 2-4), it'll play a team that ranks last in the Big Ten in batting average and runs scored. Nonetheless, Joseph views the Hawkeyes as a dangerous team because they have a new coach that has injected emotion into the players.
"It'll be important against Wisconsin to not play their game plan but to really take it to them and have our experience show up."
The Spartans swept a two-game series against Wisconsin in 2005.
