IU will travel to the country this weekend as it travels to Miami to participate in the Panther Invitational Tournament played at Florida International University.
In their second tournament of the season, the Hoosiers will play two games on both Friday and Saturday. IU will face Delaware both days, in addition to FIU on Friday evening and Holy Cross on Saturday afternoon.
After a rocky start last weekend at the Kajikawa Classic in Arizona, where the Hoosiers went 2-3, the team will look to rebound and capitalize off a strong finish that saw them win both of their Saturday games and lose a tough one-run decision to No. 21 California on Sunday.
IU Coach Michelle Gardner said she is confident in the offense’s ability to pick things up where they left off and continue the hot streak that plated 15 runs in the last three games.
“We were on a roll at the end last weekend, and we know they can do it,” Gardner said. “The offense will absolutely be ready.”
One steady offensive contributor throughout the tournament was junior designated hitter CaraMia Tsirigos. The Atlanta native batted in both the fifth and sixth slots in the lineup during the three-day tournament and managed to get five hits in 12 at-bats, good for a .417 batting average.
Like the rest of her teammates, Tsirigos did the most damage at the end of the tournament. She racked up three hits, a home run and three RBIs in her five at-bats against Georgia State and Cal. She credited her offseason work for what she called the best start to a season she’s had at IU.
“I just felt so much more prepared this year, especially mentally,” Tsirigos said. “After about two years of subpar performance, at least in my mind, I went back home and really got in the best shape of my life both physically and mentally.”
Tsirigos played more than 40 games in each of her first two seasons with the Hoosiers and has registered a solid career on-base percentage of .369, but her .232 batting average has left something to be desired.
She said she is looking to continue her productive start by maintaining the focus and aggression she had at the plate last weekend.
Another key for IU this weekend will be the performance of its freshman pitching staff in its second weekend of college action.
Freshmen pitchers Tara Trainer and Josie Wood both secured wins last weekend, with Trainer throwing a complete game and striking out 10 against Georgia State and Wood throwing 5.1 scoreless innings of relief against Utah State.
Redshirt freshman Emily Kirk also threw 5.1 innings during the tournament.
Gardner said her pitching staff definitely met her expectations last weekend, and they impressed her. She noted it takes time for freshman pitchers to realize college lineups are far deeper and more talented than they are in high school.
Both Gardner and Tsirigos said they were excited and optimistic about the team’s chances this weekend, citing the tough teams and games they faced in Arizona as a good way to start the season.
“I think this weekend we can really go 4-0 with the slate that we have and the way we played last weekend,” Tsirigos said. “If we carry on what we had this past weekend, there’s no reason why we can’t win some ball games.”
