The UW softball team takes the field today against the University of Illinois-Chicago for a tune-up before a crucial weekend of Big Ten play.

UW will play Indiana and Purdue this weekend with a chance to all but ensure a berth in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The top eight teams in the Big Ten standings at the end of the season make the tournament.

It is because of those upcoming games that head coach Chandelle Schulte sees Wednesday's game as a dress rehearsal of sorts for her squad.

"Sure, we want to win," Schulte said of the game against UIC, "but we are going to use it as a tool to get ready for the coming weekend."

UW will play just one game against the Horizon League leaders today as part of a home and home series which will see UIC visit Goodman Diamond a week from today.

UIC enters today's game having won seven of their last nine games and sitting one and a half games up on conference second place Cleveland St. On the season, UIC is 0-4 against Big Ten competition and 0-2 at Flames Field.

Offensively, UIC is led by two seniors. Shortstop Joyce Cathey, a two time first team All-Horizon League selection, is batting a robust .355 with a team-leading six home runs and twenty RBI. Cathey is the only member of the Flames to play in every game.

Centerfielder Nicole Shepard ranks second on the team in each batting average and on base percentage, with .299 and .395 marks respectively. The 2004 second team All-Horizon League selection has also worked opposing pitchers for 15 walks.

When UW is batting, it will face a quandary. UIC enters the game with a 3.49 team ERA, substantially higher than previous Big Ten opponents. While this may seem to be an encouraging statistic for an offensive outburst, the opposite might just be true.

"We're in trouble," Schulte said only half jokingly in reference to the fact her team tends to hit better the better the opposing pitcher. "A good hitting team will hit pitching no matter [how good] it is."

As for what the root of such issues, Schulte believes it lies in her players taking a more aggressive approach when facing top of the line pitchers.

"When they go up against a good pitcher, they know they will probably only get one pitch to hit and they attack when they get it," Schulte said of her hitters.

The key then is to transfer that approach to everyday play.

"I think we've turned a corner and hopefully we'll see against UIC against a weaker staff as far as ERA goes, if we can make those adjustments

Schulte went on to say that while UIC's staff ERA may not be quite as good as Michigan or Michigan St., they still are no pushover.

Today's game may also be an opportunity for the UW coaching staff to try and get their pitchers at-bats, something Schulte said will probably be forthcoming.