Indiana softball returns to the diamond with two midweek non-conference matchups against the University of Louisville and the University of Notre Dame on Tuesday and Wednesday. After losing two of three against Minnesota, the Hoosiers are looking to get back into the win column before returning to Big Ten play on Friday against Nebraska.
Louisville is coming off losing two of three against Notre Dame on April 8 but had won nine of its last 10 before the series against the Fighting Irish. The Cardinals enter Tuesday’s matchup at Andy Mohr Field fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 25-12 record and a 15-8 non-conference record.
The Cardinals are led at the plate by the trio of freshman Sarah Gordon, sophomore Korbe Otis and graduate Taylor Roby. Each of the three have an on-base plus slugging percentage north of 1.000 and have combined for 135 hits and 95 RBIs so far this season.
Not only is Roby tied for the most home runs in the ACC with 14, but she also leads the Louisville pitching staff alongside freshman Alyssa Zabala, boasting a 2.22 ERA and a 7-5 record in 15 starts. Zabala has posted a 12-5 record in 22 appearances, racking up an ERA of 2.46 and holding the batters that she has faced to a .243 average.
Although Indiana’s program record 23 game win streak was broken over the weekend, freshman second baseman Taryn Kern hit her 17th home run of the season, setting a program record for the most home runs in a season. Kern continues to lead the Big Ten in seven statistical categories, headlined by her 17 home runs and 1.611 OPS.
Sophomore utility player Brianna Copeland has cemented her place as Indiana’s ace in the circle this season with her perfect 14-0 record. Copeland has compiled an ERA of 2.83, giving up 96 hits and 48 runs in 101 1/3 innings pitched.
While it defeated Louisville twice in the three-game series that ended on April 8, Notre Dame has struggled by its historical standards up to this point in the season with its 23-11-1 record and 16-4 in non-conference play. The Fighting Irish have struggled in ACC play with a 7-7-1 record and are one loss shy from totaling last season’s loss total of 12.
At the plate, juniors Carlli Kloss and Karina Gaskins and senior Joley Mitchell lead the Fighting Irish as they have totaled 44, 34 and 37 hits, respectively. Kloss leads the team with a .367 batting average alongside her team-leading 44 hits this season. Gaskins has totaled a team-leading 12 home runs, a mark that is good for second in the ACC.
Graduate student Payton Tidd leads the Fighting Irish in the circle with an 11-6 record in 21 appearances up to this point. In her 104 innings pitched, she has allowed 54 runs on 113 hits and has an ERA just north of three.
Winning against Louisville has not been an easy feat for Indiana with an all-time record of 3-20. Against the Fighting Irish, however, the Hoosiers have had slightly more success with a knotted up 10-10 record as Team 50 will look to break that tie Wednesday evening.
First pitch against the Cardinals is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Andy Mohr Field, whereas the matchup against the Fighting Irish is slated to begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Melissa Cook Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Tuesday’s game will be televised on B1G+ while Wednesday’s matchup will be televised on ACC Network Extra.
Follow reporters Austin Platt (@AustinPlatter) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) for updates throughout the softball season.
