Indiana softball is looking to build off its strong start to the 2026 regular season. After a 4-1 showing last weekend at the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Florida, the Hoosiers will now turn their attention to the Littlewood Invitational in Tempe, Arizona, which will run from Thursday to Sunday.
The invitational will feature Indiana taking on Portland State University at 2:45 p.m. Thursday, host school No. 22 Arizona State University at 8:15 p.m. Thursday and Pacific University at noon Friday. The Hoosiers will round out the invitational with two consecutive games at noon against the University of Nevada on Saturday and Sunday.
Here are some things to know as Indiana prepares for the Littlewood Invitational this weekend.
Strong start
Indiana came out to a hot start this regular season as it went 4-1 over its five games at last weekend’s Paradise Classic. Following a season-opening shutout loss to Florida Atlantic University, the Hoosiers didn’t lose again the rest of the way.
Indiana rattled off four consecutive wins, starting with an 8-2 victory over the United States Military Academy West Point (Army). Next, the Hoosiers dominated then-No. 25 Ohio State, defeating the Buckeyes 12-3 in five innings. Indiana defeated Delaware University on Saturday by a score of 14-2 and rounded out the Paradise Classic by defeating Stonehill University on Sunday 10-0 in five innings.
The Hoosiers now stand at 4-1 so far on the 2026 regular season.
Opponents all over the board
The opponents that Indiana will be facing off against at the Littlewood Invitational have had varying starts to their regular seasons.
Indiana’s first matchup will be with Portland State, which has posted a 2-3 record so far but won two consecutive games following an 0-3 start to the season. That includes wins over California State University, Fullerton, and California State University, Northridge, but losses to those two programs along with Boise State University.
Next, the Hoosiers will take on Arizona State. Like Indiana, the Sun Devils have gotten off to a strong start in 2026. Arizona State notched wins over the University of Toledo, Texas State University and the University of Memphis, along with an 8-0 shutout win over Northwestern and a narrow 2-1 loss to then-No. 3 University of Oklahoma.
Indiana will then face off against Pacific, which is 1-4 this year and coming off an 8-26 showing in the 2025 season.
To round out the invitational, Indiana will play two consecutive games against Nevada. The Wolf Pack have had a somewhat up-and-down start to the 2026 season, as they began the year with a 9-0 shutout win over Illinois, but then went 2-2 over their next four games. This included wins over North Carolina State University and Lamar University but two losses to then-No. 16 Louisiana State University.
Excellent individual performances
Several Hoosiers got off to strong individual starts over the first five games of the season.
Senior catcher Avery Parker was the Hoosiers’ best hitter during the Paradise Classic, and she currently leads Indiana starters with a .636 batting average. She racked up seven hits and five runs in 11 at-bats during the tournament. Parker also drove in five RBIs and hit two home runs over the five games.
Sophomore outfielder Hannah Haberstroh also had an excellent performance in the Paradise Classic. She ranks fourth on the team in hits with six, and she tallied four doubles.
Junior utility player Alex Cooper, who lined up primarily at shortstop for the majority of the 2025 season, has kept her steady play going so far in 2026. The versatile junior recorded a .571 batting average with eight hits and seven runs in 14 plate appearances. She also added two triples and seven RBIs.
Indiana will kick off the Littlewood Invitational against Portland State at 2:45 p.m. Thursday at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
