Hoosiers prepare for 'in-state rivals'

The IU softball team (10-26, 1-7) made critical strides this off-season with their sights centered on making the Big Ten Tournament. \nIU coach Stacey Phillips secured adept recruits, returned veteran leadership and revamped the pitching staff. \nBut aside from revising the program, many obstacles still remain. One of those obstacles will face the Hoosiers today when they take on in-state rival Indiana State in Terre Haute. \nPhillips’ squad is coming off a four-game stretch against Minnesota and Wisconsin where IU escaped with just one win, their first in Big Ten competition. \n“Playing away from Bloomington isn’t that much different than playing at home,” sophomore outfielder Kelli Ritchison said. “We feel that we can play just as hard in different places.”\nThe Hoosiers are 8-20 away from Bloomington and are currently last in the Big Ten conference (1-7).\nIn their last outing, the Hoosiers split a doubleheader with Wisconsin. Senior Jennilee Huddleston led the way for the Hoosiers, belting a three-run home run that led to the eventual victory. Junior second baseman Julie Dinallo said the win not only was a confidence booster, but also a prelude to better days ahead. \n“We really just trying to rebound as a team and trying to get better everyday,” Dinallo said. “Our ultimate goal is to come together as a team rather than as individuals.”\nFreshman pitcher Sara Olson also had a highlight day against Wisconsin, recording a season-high 10 strikeouts. \nEven though it’s seldom that a non-conference game falls in between Big Ten play, Phillips said there’s a lot to play for when competing against neighboring universities. \n“Obviously in-state rivals are there and we’re very excited for this game,” Phillips said. “There’s a lot of bragging rights at stake and we’re going to go out there and show what we have.” \nThe Sycamores (9-19-1) are having problems of their own. They are 1-5 this season on their own turf and post a dismal team batting average of .224. Indiana State will throw out the first pitch at 4 p.m. \nBecause Wednesday’s game doesn’t count toward IU’s Big Ten record, Phillips said there’s a chance she might alter the lineup and observe the results. \n“With this non-conference game, we may put some of our players in different positions and experiment a little bit,” Phillips said. “By all means, it’s not a practice game, but we may test the waters at some course.”\nFollowing today’s game, the Hoosiers will gear up for a conference series against Ohio State in Bloomington on Friday and Saturday.