Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

sports softball

IU softball to play first home games this weekend

When the Hoosiers take the field in the Indiana Classic at Andy Mohr Field this weekend, it will be the first time they play at home.

After 19 games and four tournaments in states across the southern half of the country, the Hoosiers are 11-8, their best start in three years.

The tournament starts Saturday, when IU plays Ohio University and Evansville. The Hoosiers will play Evansville again Sunday, and a doubleheader against Drake on Monday will conclude the Indiana Classic.

IU Coach Michelle Gardner said she is relieved and excited to start playing at home, and she added IU’s freshmen have plenty to look forward to.

“For the freshmen, other than fall games, this is the first time they’ll get to experience that atmosphere,” Gardner said. “It’s always exciting when you play at home for the first time.”

The tournament will likely present a good challenge for IU, as none of IU’s three opponents have a losing record. The Hoosiers have struggled with top teams this year, including five losses against ranked teams.

In two of their most recent games, the Hoosiers have dropped tight contests against ranked SEC opponents, No. 3 Auburn and No. 17 Kentucky. The outstanding pitching of freshmen Tara Trainer and Josie Wood kept IU in both games, but ultimately the Hoosiers lost both by one run and two runs respectively.

Trainer and Wood both carry identical 2.50 ERAs into the Indiana Classic.

Last year, the hard-hitting offense was regularly playing catch up and scoring about 5 runs per game in order to support a pitching staff that posted a combined 6.95 ERA. But with solid pitching and most of their offense back this year, IU only has a team batting average of .238.

Regardless, IU is off to a strong start and is seeking to post a winning record for the first time since 2012. Both Gardner and the Hoosiers are confident the offense will pick it up thanks to playing 19 of the next 20 games at home.

After last weekend’s tournament at Auburn University where IU led No. 3 Auburn by seven runs at one point before giving way and losing in extra innings, junior CaraMia Tsirigos said IU will learn how to beat top teams.

“I really think we’re going to play well going forward,” Tsirigos said. “That Auburn game is going to teach us to get out to that good early start and protect it.”

Gardner is optimistic about the team’s prospects for the weekend and wants to take a patient approach as IU prepares for the start of the Big Ten schedule.

“After being on the road for almost five weeks, we get to be on our field for the next month and that is tremendous,” Gardner said. “We cannot wait for this weekend.”

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe