Sophomore infielder Riley Peschek prepares to throw the ball during Washington's third game against Oregon on Mar. 16, 2025 at Husky Softball Stadium in Seattle.
The Washington softball team had a rocky start to its home opener against No. 8 Oregon, getting blown out 9-0 on March 14, and losing again 5-2 in game one of the doubleheader on Sunday.
“You’ve gotta move on,” head coach Heather Tarr said. “Short memory, get better, let’s go.”
Game two fared better for the Huskies (21-9, 1-2 Big Ten), who squeaked out a 4-3 victory to salvage the series. The team will look to maintain this forward momentum, facing Rutgers on Friday and Saturday at Husky Softball Stadium.
The Scarlet Knights (16-17, 1-2 Big Ten) didn’t host a stellar opening conference series either. Rutgers managed to clinch its first conference win March 14 against Maryland and then went on to lose 4-1 and 11-7 over the next two days.
Despite these losses, Rutgers did manage to pick up two non-conference wins against Oregon State and Portland State on Tuesday and Wednesday. The early trip to the west coast and the pair of victories may give the Scarlet Knights a confidence boost heading into the weekend, but it could also prove advantageous for the better-rested Huskies.
Washington and Rutgers have only met one time prior, in 2022 for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. In this matchup, the Huskies swept 9-0, ending after only five innings.
Comparing more recent stats, the Scarlet Knights and Huskies each played less-than-excellent games against their first conference opponents. Washington ceded its highest number of runs and hits to Oregon so far this season, being nine and 14 in a mercy-rule loss. Against Maryland, Rutgers also gave up its highest number of hits and yielded a season-high four home runs.
Beyond statistical parallels, both teams will look to maintain winning streaks and improve deficiencies. UW hopes to claim its first series win as a new member of the Big Ten Conference, but RU is also hunting for its first conference series win of the year.
“[We’ll] see how quickly we can get better as a group, and it’s exciting,” Tarr said. “It’s daunting, but it’s exciting.”
The first pitch of game one of this upcoming series is set for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 22 at Husky Softball Stadium.
Reach contributing writer Hayleigh Husby at sports@dailyuw.com. X: @HayleighHusby
Like what you’re reading? Support high-quality student journalism by donating here.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.