Indiana softball’s 2025 season came to a close in the NCAA Tournament at the Fayetteville Regional Saturday with a 16-8 loss against Oklahoma State. Despite holding a 2-1 lead after the first two innings, the Hoosiers’ pitching staff allowed 12 runs in the third frame and couldn’t bounce back at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The Hoosiers played three games over the weekend, losing twice to eliminate them from the tournament.
They kicked off regional play with a matchup against Oklahoma State on Friday. Senior outfielder Taylor Minnick started the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning and hit a solo home run in the third frame to propel Indiana to an early 3-2 lead.
Redshirt junior outfielder Melina Wilkison launched a three-run home run in the fourth inning to add to the Hoosiers’ early lead.
But it was all Oklahoma State from there.
The Cowgirls scored nine unanswered runs, including seven in the sixth inning to secure an 11-6 victory over the Hoosiers.
With the NCAA Tournament regionals featuring a double-elimination format, the Hoosiers faced a win-or-go-home contest against Saint Louis University on Saturday.
After surrendering five earned runs across five innings against the Cowgirls on Friday, senior pitcher and utility player Brianna Copeland still earned the start and a shot at redemption in the circle against Saint Louis.
Copeland delivered for the Cream and Crimson with their season on the line.
The Pelham, Alabama native held the Billikens to just two earned runs across a seven-inning complete game to guide the Hoosiers to a 4-2 victory.
With the win, Indiana advanced to compete against Oklahoma State for a second time in Fayetteville.
While the Hoosiers’ strong offensive attack led the nation with a .365 batting average, their struggles lied within their pitching staff, who owned a 4.58 ERA. These inconsistencies in the circle continued to plague the Cream and Crimson against the Cowgirls on Saturday.
As it has done for much of the season, the Hoosier offense got out to a strong start offensively with Minnick and Junior catcher Avery Parker each driving in a run during the opening frame.
Facing a 2-1 deficit in the third inning, the Oklahoma State offense reached new heights, while the Indiana pitching staff had zero answers.
The Cowgirls collected 10 hits, including back-to-back home runs, on their way to an explosive 12-run third inning. Throughout the inning, the Hoosiers cycled through their entire pitching staff. Head coach Shonda Stanton made three different calls to the bullpen before freshman pitcher Jenae Berry secured three outs to stop the bleeding.
The Hoosier offense threatened a comeback in the fourth inning, scoring six runs to cut the deficit to 14-8.
But the Cowgirls responded with two additional runs of their own in the sixth inning and secured a 16-8 run-rule victory to end the Hoosiers’ 2025 season with a 34-20 record.
This year’s NCAA Tournament marked Indiana’s third consecutive appearance—the longest streak in program history. But the Hoosiers have failed to advance past the regional round in all three of these seasons. Head coach Shonda Stanton and her squad hope to make a deeper tournament push during the 2026 season.
It was a historic season for the Cream and Crimson seniors. Copeland hit her 41st career home run to break the program’s all-time record before Minnick surpassed that mark with 45 career home runs. Minnick also concludes her Indiana career with a program-leading 204 career RBIs.
The Hoosiers have significant holes to fill in the offseason as the program will be left without Minnick, Copeland and senior outfielder Kinsey Mitchell, next season.
