In 2025, Indiana softball posted a 4.60 team ERA –– the fourth-highest mark in the Big Ten. Despite leading the nation in batting average, the Hoosiers’ pitching struggles proved costly after a season ending 16-8 loss to Oklahoma State University on May 17, 2025, in the regional round of the NCAA Tournament.
In the offseason, Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton focused on retooling the pitching staff. She brought in four additions, including three transfers and a freshman. With a new-look pitching unit, Stanton emphasized the importance of pitching “by committee” at Indiana’s open practice Feb. 2.
The Cream and Crimson embodied this message at the Elon & University of North Carolina Greensboro Tournament in North Carolina, which ran from Friday to Sunday, allowing just three runs across five games. Behind a dominant effort in the circle, Indiana finished 5-0 on the weekend to improve to 16-4 this season.
Indiana began the tournament with a matchup against a struggling Charleston Southern University team Friday. The Buccaneers took a 3-14 record into the weekend, and the Hoosiers capitalized.
Junior pitcher Brooke Mannon, who transferred to Indiana from the University of Arizona in the offseason, earned the start in the circle against Charleston Southern. She tossed a five-inning complete game, allowing just two hits and one earned run as the Hoosiers notched a 9-1 run-rule victory.
As she did to open the tournament, Stanton entrusted her offseason additions for the second leg of Indiana’s Friday doubleheader. Taking on Elon –– another struggling program –– freshman pitcher Aubree Hooks drew the start for the Hoosiers.
Across 4.2 innings, Hooks held Elon to one run and three hits. In the bottom of the fifth, sophomore pitcher Ella Troutt entered to relieve Hooks.
Troutt joined Indiana after transferring from the University of Georgia before the season. Against Elon on Friday, Troutt handled the final 2.1 innings without surrendering a hit, helping the Cream and Crimson cruise to a 20-1 win.
The Hoosiers faced another doubleheader Saturday, with the first game offering a rematch against Charleston Southern.
Much like the first matchup, Indiana dominated. This time, the Hoosiers did not concede a run.
Sophomore pitcher Jasmine Reyes earned the start in the circle. Across four innings pitched, Reyes allowed two hits and struck out two batters. Junior pitcher Megan Gregory relieved Reyes for the fifth frame. Gregory spent the first two seasons of her collegiate career at Campbell University, before transferring to Indiana for the 2026 season.
In her lone inning, Gregory surrendered no hits, closing out Indiana’s 9-0 victory over Charleston Southern. Gregory has yet to allow an earned run across four appearances this season.
In the Hoosiers’ second game of Saturday’s doubleheader against UNC Greensboro, redshirt junior pitcher Taylor Hess had perhaps her best outing in an Indiana uniform.
Despite missing nearly a month of action due to injury in 2025, Hess found success in her first season with the Cream and Crimson, pitching to a 3.39 ERA. But Hess struggled with inconsistencies to start 2026, carrying a 4.57 ERA into this weekend.
However, Hess dominated against UNC Greensboro. Across a seven-inning complete game, she allowed zero runs, while collecting seven strikeouts. Hess’ efforts in the circle powered Indiana to an 11-0 shutout win over the Spartans.
The Hoosiers faced UNC Greensboro again Sunday to close out the weekend. This time, Troutt began the game in the circle and delivered another strong outing. The sophomore pitched four innings, allowing three hits and one earned run.
Mannon entered the circle to relieve Troutt in the fifth frame, striking out two batters as the Hoosiers ended the weekend with a 10-1 run-rule victory.
After flashing inconsistencies earlier in the season, Indiana’s restructured pitching unit is beginning to take shape ahead of Big Ten competition.
“We got a very well-rounded pitching staff to go with the likes of Hess, who was a transfer into our program, and Jasmine Reyes, who's a sophomore now, and a gamer,” Stanton said Feb. 2. “So, I'm pretty excited about what we have, and how they're gonna mesh with our returners.”
Indiana now prepares to begin conference play. The Hoosiers return to Bloomington for their first home game of the season against Minnesota. The weekend series is set to start at 6 p.m. Friday at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington and will run through Sunday.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
