The University of Wisconsin softball team (12-13, 3-1 Big Ten) will attempt to continue its hot conference start this weekend when it hosts Michigan and Northwestern at Goodman Diamond. Wisconsin will have its work cut out for it against the two conference powers. Michigan is ranked No. 1 in the country, and Northwestern is No. 20.

The weekend will begin Friday night against the Wolverines, with the first game of a series that will conclude Saturday afternoon.

Michigan (36-3, 3-1 Big Ten) brings in one of the nation’s top offenses, a unit that averages just a shade fewer than six runs a game. The Wolverines are hitting a gaudy .322 and have accumulated 50 more hits than the next Big Ten squad. However, the most impressive aspect of the Wolverine offense is their power — Michigan has swatted 55 home runs this season, far and away the most in the conference (Iowa is second with 40).

Michigan has hit home runs in 35 of its 39 games this season, including 17 of its last 18. The most dangerous hitters in the line-up of sluggers are Jessica Merchant and Samantha Findlay, the top two RBI leaders in the Big Ten. Merchant is hitting .402 with 13 home runs and 36 RBI, all among the conference leaders, while Findlay is not far behind with a .320 batting average, 11 home runs and a team-high 37 RBI.

Michigan’s pitchers have held up their end of the bargain as well, toting a conference-best 0.84 ERA. The tandem of Jennie Ritter and Lorilyn Wilson has been lights out for Michigan. Ritter is 16-0 with a 0.98 ERA and has pitched complete games in an astounding 15 of her 16 starts this year, eight of which were shutouts. Wilson is 15-2 with a 0.68 ERA and opponents have batted just .124 against her, good for best in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines hold the all-time series edge between the two teams, winning 17 of 21 games against the Badgers.

“[Michigan] can hit, they can run, they have the pitching, and they play great defense,” Wisconsin head coach Karen Gallagher said. “You mix that together, and you have a team that can compete for a national championship, and they deserve that No. 1 ranking. They have something like 50 or 60 home runs, and that is amazing. You better hope that your pitchers are on that day. You can’t make mistakes.”

Wisconsin will then play a doubleheader against Northwestern Sunday. The Wildcats (22-9, 4-0 Big Ten), like Michigan, are a very complete team.

Northwestern is hitting .284 as a team this season, fourth in the Big Ten. The trio of Garland Cooper, Jamie Dotson and Stephani Churchwell key the Wildcat offensive attack. Cooper is hitting a team-high .425 with six home runs and 25 RBI. Dotson is the Big Ten’s second-best run producer with 36 RBI, and is batting .363 with six homers, while Churchwell is hitting .361 in her own right. Junior Kristen Amegin has provided additional power for the Wildcats, blasting a team high nine home runs on the year.

Northwestern also shines in the field, second to only Michigan in the conference in team ERA (1.27). Eileen Canney and Courtney Foster share the pitching load and have both enjoyed successful starts to the season. Canney is 12-4 with a 1.08 ERA and three shutouts, while Foster is 10-4 with a 1.25 ERA.

The Wildcats are also the best fielding team in the conference with a .972 fielding percentage, and have only committed 24 errors in 31 games this season.

“Strong defense, strong pitching and strong hitting,” Gallagher said. “Those are the keys to success. [Northwestern has] some fine hitters, but they are beatable, and we have had some success against them in the past. We have to play our best ball though.”

Wisconsin will look to remain near the top of the conference, and wins against two of the top teams in the conference would go a long way toward improving on last season’s 10th-place Big Ten finish.

“We have to compete with the mindset that we can stay with these guys and even more know we can beat them,” Gallagher said. “We are capable of beating these teams, but we can’t have breakdowns.”