Following a 9-0 run-rule victory over Butler University on Wednesday, Indiana softball is set to face Purdue in a three-game series at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington.
The first game of the annual rivalry series Friday marks the two programs’ 89th meeting since 1974. Indiana currently leads the all-time series, owning a 46-43 record against Purdue. The Hoosiers and the Boilermakers last met in May 2025 in West Lafayette, where the Cream and Crimson won two of three matchups.
Indiana enters the weekend 28-10 overall and 7-5 in Big Ten play. Despite being swept by UCLA in their conference series last weekend, the Hoosiers responded with a dominant victory over Butler. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers arrive in Bloomington with a 26-12 overall record and a 6-6 conference mark after dropping two of three against Wisconsin last weekend.
The Boilermakers are led by head coach Magali Frezzotti, who is in her third season at the helm. Frezzotti earned the role in 2023 after serving as an assistant coach at Purdue for two seasons.
In 2025, Frezzotti led the Boilermakers to a 30-23 record –– their first winning season since 2020 –– and earned a No. 12 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Despite ranking in the bottom half of the conference, Purdue defeated Northwestern and Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament, becoming the first No. 12 seed to advance to the semifinals. In those two victories, Frezzotti’s offense generated 18 total runs.
Purdue has built upon its offensive success in the Big Ten Tournament run so far this season, ranking ninth in the conference with 242 runs scored and tied for fourth with a .327 team-batting average.
Junior outfielder Moriah Polar has been key to the Boilermakers’ success in the batter’s box. Polar earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors last season, after collecting 68 hits and 31 RBIs. The Pearland, Texas, native was quiet against the Hoosiers in 2025, going without a hit in the series.
But Polar has taken a step forward in 2026. Entering the weekend, she leads the country with a .611 batting average and 77 hits. Polar’s emergence earned her recognition in Softball America’s April/Mid-Season position player rankings, where she was named the No. 7 outfielder in the country.
Freshman infielder Anna Moore has also received national recognitions in 2026. Moore’s .479 on-base percentage ranks second on the team. She earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week on March 16 for her performances against the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Indiana State University and Ohio State. Across five games, the Indianapolis native hit .533 at the plate, tallying eight hits and 10 RBIs.
In the circle, the Boilermakers are led by junior Julia Gossett, who owns a team-low 2.68 ERA across a team-most 104.1 innings pitched. This season, Gossett became the first pitcher in Purdue history to earn two consecutive Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors.
While this year’s Purdue team is more well-rounded than the last time it faced Indiana, the Hoosiers enter the weekend with momentum in the circle. The Cream and Crimson are coming off a shutout performance against Butler on Wednesday. Prior to its midweek clash, Indiana held UCLA –– the nation’s second highest scoring offense –– to 16 runs across three games.
Indiana program history is also at stake this weekend. Against Butler, senior catcher Avery Parker launched her 45th home run as a Hoosier, tying the program record for most in a career. Now, she has an opportunity to break this mark against Indiana’s rival.
The three-game weekend series will include matchups at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. The first two games will stream on B1G+, while the series conclusion will air on the Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
