As Indiana softball faced a 2-1 deficit against the University of Nevada, Reno in the fourth inning of the final game of the Littlewood Invitational last weekend, Indiana senior outfielder Ellie Goins stepped to the plate.
Goins, a North Carolina State University transfer, launched her second home run as a Hoosier to tie the game at two runs.
But the Hoosiers surrendered two more runs and failed to generate additional offense. Following its 4-2 defeat against Nevada, Indiana moved to 7-3 on the season and suffered its second loss of the invitational.
Now, Indiana owns a prime bounce back opportunity at the University of Southern Florida Invitational in Tampa, Florida. The Hoosiers will face five teams, including three with losing records entering the weekend. The invitational will run from Thursday to Monday, with the Hoosiers’ first game Friday morning.
Here’s what to know about the Hoosiers’ USF Invitational opponents:
Colgate
Indiana’s first shot at rebounding comes against Colgate University at 9 a.m. Friday –– a team that has struggled through 10 games this season. Colgate won its season opener over North Dakota State University on Feb. 6 but has since dropped to 3-7 on the year.
The Raiders last competed at the Whataburger Invitational, where they finished 1-4. Colgate’s pitching staff sputtered during the weekend, allowing 60 runs across its five games.
However, the Raiders’ offense experienced bright spots at the invitational, including a nine-run outing against Tarleton State University on Feb. 14.
Indiana’s offense has been explosive at times, including a 23-run outburst against Portland State University last weekend, but has struggled to sustain production late in games. Colgate’s uneven pitching provides Indiana with a chance to regain offensive rhythm.
Saint Joseph’s
Following its contest Friday, Indiana will take on Saint Joseph’s University at 9 a.m. Saturday. Like Colgate, Saint Joseph’s opened the 2026 season strong, winning its first game against Elon University. However, the Hawks had just one victory since, taking a 2-4 record into this weekend’s tournament.
Saint Joseph’s has largely limited opponents’ offenses, surrendering 32 runs across six games. Senior pitcher Jules Scogna owns a team-low 1.50 ERA across 9.1 innings this season.
Meanwhile, the Hawks’ offense has struggled to produce early in 2026, scoring three or fewer runs in five of their six games.
The program enters the weekend coming off a one-run loss to the University of Delaware –– a team the Hoosiers defeated 14-2 at the Paradise Classic on Feb. 7. The Hawks have already faced Delaware three times this season, winning once.
Marist
After back-to-back games against opponents with a losing record, the Hoosiers will face Marist University in the first leg of a doubleheader at 9 a.m. Sunday. The Red Foxes own a 5-4 overall record entering the USF Invitational.
Marist is coming off a 7-6 walk-off victory over Jackson State University on Feb. 15. Graduate student infielder Haley Ahr roped the game-winning double and finished the game 4-4 at the plate with two RBIs.
After conceding 12 runs in their season opener against Central Michigan University on Feb. 6, the Red Foxes have not allowed more than seven runs in a single game to an opponent.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Stella Blanchard has been the catalyst behind this trend. Across 21.2 innings pitched this season, Blanchard owns a team-low 1.62 ERA and has tallied 21 strikeouts.
Boston College
Indiana will compete against Boston College in the second leg of its doubleheader at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The Eagles will take a 4-6 overall record into this weekend’s tournament. Indiana has not played Boston College since 2018, when the Hoosiers defeated the Eagles 8-3.
Despite its early losing record, Boston College has already faced a challenging schedule. The Eagles lost to the University of Tennessee on Feb. 7 –– the current No. 1 team in the nation, per ESPN and USA Softball rankings. Boston College has also lost to Penn State (8-2) and USF (10-4).
USF
Indiana will close the tournament with perhaps its toughest test of the weekend against USF. The Bulls are 10-4 heading into their home invitational.
USF is powered offensively by senior infielder Kathy Garcia-Soto, who is tied for the nation-lead with three triples on the year. As a team, the Bulls are tied for second in the NCAA with seven total triples.
In addition to being effective at generating extra base hits, the Bulls have limited opposing offenses. The Bulls’ nine double plays and four shutouts each tie for third in the country.
Sophomore pitcher McKenna Schroding currently owns a 0.00 ERA across 13 innings, which is tied with 14 other qualifiers for the nations’ lowest mark.
Indiana’s game against USF will be its only televised matchup of the weekend. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
