The Big Ten Softball Tournament is finally nearing after being put on pause in 2019 and 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first regular season following the break, has thrown a wrinkle into the Big Ten standings that we thought we would expect to see. One of the most pleasantly surprising performances has been from the Wisconsin Badgers, and they are hitting their stride at the right time, looking like a dangerous team to face in the Big Ten Tournament.


The Wisconsin Badgers started out strong in their preseason tournaments, beating a ranked University of Central Florida team and a ranked Clemson team. They capitalized on other must win games and but fell short of other early upsets. The Badgers struggled early in the conference season, getting swept by Illinois by scores of 4-1, 4-2, and 7-1. In the series, the Badgers struggled to get on base and score runs. This, however, was the only series of the regular season that the Badgers have lost, and it was in the beginning of April, only their second away conference series. Since the Illinois sweep, the Badgers have had many things going for them.


On Saturday, April 22, 2022, and Sunday, April 23, 2022, the Badgers added to their tournament resume once again, by taking the series over number 25 ranked Nebraska, and snapping the Huskers’ 18 game win streak. With a little over two weeks to go in the regular season, the Huskers sit in second in the Big Ten, behind only Northwestern. This win will prove to give the Badgers the energy they need to finish out the regular season successfully, as the series win over Nebraska took a team effort.


Pitching for the Badgers has been consistent all year, and they are now beginning to capitalize on its success. During the series against Nebraska, senior Wisconsin pitcher Maddie Schwartz claimed her nineteenth and twentieth win of the regular season. This makes Schwartz one of only five Badgers to complete those numbers in a single regular season in program history. Schwartz looks to keep the streak rolling into the Big Ten Tournament.


The Badgers also have senior, Kayla Konwent back in the lineup. In 2019, Konwent was Unanimous First Team All-American, 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year, and Academic All-Big Ten. Konwent did not play last season, but with her .459 batting average and .582 on-base percentage back in the rotation, the Badgers have yet another position on their roster finding extreme success. In the series against Nebraska, Konwent continued to do what she does best, and got on base five times, including four walks. As the Big Ten leader in on-base percentage, Konwent has remained consistent throughout the season, proving to be reliable for her Badger teammates and coaching staff.


With all momentum looking to be favoring the Badgers, they look close out the regular season in a rescheduled series at Minnesota, followed by a home series Michigan. This will be an important stretch for the Badgers as Minnesota and Michigan combined have won the last six Big Ten Tournaments.

Minnesota and Michigan are historically powerhouses in the Big Ten, although both teams find themselves sitting in the middle of the pack this season. Expect Minnesota and Michigan to be hungry against this Wisconsin team, who sit spots above them in current standings as an opportunity to move up in the rankings and to continue their success where they left off before the pandemic.


The Wisconsin Badgers have everything going for them at just the right time to make a deep run in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament. The Badgers have won the tournament only once, in 2013, but this could be their year for the repeat.