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The Indiana Daily Student

sports softball

IU softball returns majority of offense after record-breaking season

Members of the IU Softball team celebrate after freshman Mena Fulton hit a 3-run home run during the last inning of IU's game against Purdue April 22, 2015 at the Andy Mohr Field; resulting in a 6-3 win for the hoosiers.

IU softball relied heavily on its offense last season, and with eight members of its starting lineup returning this year, the experienced Hoosier bats will look to carry the team again and provide support for some new faces on the mound.

Led by senior slugger Kelsey Dotson and sophomore leadoff batter Rebecca Blitz, IU’s offense will seek to improve on last season’s numerous team records, including the most home runs ever hit by the Hoosiers in one season, 51.

The pitching staff was guided by a pair of seniors last season, so redshirt freshman Emily Kirk and two highly touted freshmen pitchers Tara Trainer and Josie Wood will serve as the anchors of the staff with just over 10 innings of college experience between them.

Despite the mix of veterans and young players on her team, Coach Michelle Gardner said she is confident she has a team that is ready to be competitive.

“We had to work hard this offseason, which we’ve done,” Gardner said. “I’m very excited about our group of talented young pitchers.”

Gardner is in her eighth season as softball coach at IU, and although the Hoosiers have had exactly 17 wins and 39 losses in each of the last two seasons, she said this year offers promise.

For Dotson, who is the team’s catcher and most powerful hitter, improving on last year’s team-high 14 home runs is not as important as winning games.

“As a team, we want to work toward the NCAA tournament, obviously,” Dotson said. “We kind of set a goal as a team to win each series, and the more I can do the more it’ll help the team win.”

Dotson said she particularly focused on getting stronger and improving her footwork behind the plate this offseason.

Offensive catalyst Blitz, who also mans centerfield for the Hoosiers, said she is only concerned with getting on base for her teammates behind her to knock her in. Blitz scored 41 times last season to lead the team and register the seventh most runs scored in a single season in program history.

Kirk, who was able to get 10 innings of college pitching experience under her belt before a season-ending injury last year, said she is excited to get back on the mound.

“You’re never really quite ready for it, it’s such an unbelievable and nerve-wracking experience,” Kirk said. “I’m just trying to get back and be better than I was.”

Fellow freshmen pitchers Trainer and Wood figure to get plenty of time as well, as all three are expected to pitch during the team’s opening weekend.

Wood was a four-time all-conference selection at North Miami High School in Denver, Indiana, while Trainer was named the 2015 Gatorade Ohio Softball Player of the Year last season during her senior year at Lebanon High School.

The Hoosiers open play this weekend by traveling to Tempe, Arizona, and the Kajikawa Classic at Arizona State for the fourth straight year. They are scheduled to take on Gardner’s former team, Nevada, in addition to Fresno State, Utah State, Georgia State and No.21 California.

IU will follow up the Arizona trip with tournaments each of the following three weekends, as the Hoosiers will visit the sunny states of Florida, Texas and Alabama before a nonconference game at Kentucky and a pair of tournaments at home at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington in the middle of March.

Big Ten action will see the likes of Iowa, Penn State and Ohio State visiting IU, in addition to a marquee home series against last year’s national runners-up Michigan in the first weekend of April.

Gardner said she was pleased with the amount of outdoor practice IU was able to get this offseason, and emphasized the need for the underclassmen to step up.

“We need our young players to play like veterans, and our veterans to guide the young players,” Gardner said. “We have a great group of players that represent Indiana very well.”

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