Indiana softball will make an appearance in the NCAA Softball Tournament for the third consecutive year beginning Friday. This marks the first such stretch in the history of Indiana’s softball program.
The 33-18 Hoosiers will be the No. 3 seed in the Fayetteville Regional that takes place from May 16-18 at the University of Arkansas. The regional round is a double elimination tournament consisting of four teams.
Indiana will first face off against the No. 2 seed Oklahoma State University at 4 p.m. Friday, May 16. Oklahoma State comes into the tournament with a 33-18 overall record and a 13-9 record within the Big 12.
Oklahoma State has been battle tested with a tough schedule throughout the season. The Cowgirls have notable wins over then-No. 9 ranked Florida State University, then-No. 23 ranked University of Kentucky, then-No. 5 ranked Texas A&M University, then-No. 12 ranked University of Alabama and No. 18 Nebraska among others.
Oklahoma State has been plagued by inconsistencies throughout the season, as it started the season 15-4, but went 12-12 in its next 24 games. However, the Cowgirls showed resilience by finishing the regular season on a 6-1 tear.
The pitching of Oklahoma State is a strong point for the team and has shined as of late. In the last seven games of the regular season, the pitching squad combined for 51 total strikeouts.
The pitching efforts of the Cowgirls are led by junior Ruby Meylan. Meylan leads the team with a 1.61 ERA and ranks in the top 10 nationally in strikeouts, shutouts, and innings pitched.
While the Cowgirls strength lies in their pitching, the Hoosiers win with their potent offense. Indiana leads the nation in batting average and doubles per game. Senior outfielder Taylor Minnick leads the Indiana offense with a .470 batting average.
This year marks Oklahoma State's 9th straight NCAA tournament appearance. In 2024, Oklahoma State was eliminated by Stanford University after losing to University of Florida in its opening game of the Women's College World Series.
The winner of Indiana and Oklahoma State will face the winner between the No. 1 seeded Razorbacks and No. 4 seeded Saint Louis University. That game will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, following the first game in the regional.
Should the Hoosiers avoid elimination and advance beyond the Regional, they will move on to the Super Regional where they would face the winner of the Tucson Regional in a three-game series.
The Hoosiers will look to build on their last tournament appearance after losing to Oklahoma State and University of Missouri in the Columbia Regional as the No. 3 seed in 2024.
