9-game home stand up next for Hoosiers

The IU softball team returns to its home stadium after two weeks on the road to play Indiana State at 6 p.m. today. The matchup kicks off the next nine games to be played in a row at the Andy Mohr Field for the Hoosiers.

“Traveling is definitely tiring, so to be able to return home and play the next nine games at Andy Mohr Field will be a nice change for us,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “We always seem to play well at home, and to be able to do so in such an amazing stadium is something we look forward to doing.”

The 11-20 Sycamores, reigning from the Missouri Valley Conference, are currently posting a 1-12 record at away games.

Sophomore Ashli Scott leads the Sycamore pitching squad with a 3.55 earned run average, while the team posts an overall 4.57 earned run average. Indiana State’s offense is led by sophomore utility player Megan Stone (.378 batting average), while the team posts an overall batting average of .254 on the season. The Sycamores have been outscored by opponents 155-122 in their 2013 campaign.

“We just need to make sure we do well in all aspects of the game: pitching, hitting and defense,” Gardner said of the team’s game plan against Indiana State. “If we can produce in each of those areas and continue to come out and play, we should be successful.”

The Hoosiers are currently posting a .249 batting average while keeping opponents to a .298 batting average. In the last weekend out, IU posted eight runs in its three-game series against Michigan State, while allowing the Spartans to score 17 runs. The Hoosier’s defense is led by the 2.86 earned run average of junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy, while the team is posting an overall 3.36 earned run average.

“To be successful against Indiana State, what we really need to do is stay where we’re at and focus on communication and team camaraderie,” junior infielder Shelby Gogreve said. “We have pitching and hitting. We just have to find a way to get it all working at one time.”

The Hoosiers currently have a 3-0 record at home in their first season playing at Andy Mohr Field.

“It’s just always so much better to be at home,” Abraham said. “We want to protect our home turf, so that’s something else we want to play for, as well.”

IU is looking to improve its 16-19 overall record on the season.

“It will be really nice to sleep in our own beds and have our fans cheering for us,” Gogreve said. “Hoosier Nation is powerful.”