Following its 2-1 series win against Iowa over the weekend, Indiana softball returns to Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington for a midweek nonconference matchup against Valparaiso University.
The Hoosiers enter the matchup at 34-12 overall and sit fifth in the Big Ten with a 12-6 record. Meanwhile, Valparaiso comes to Bloomington with a 17-27 record, having lost seven of its last eight games. Its lone win came in its series opener against Drake University last weekend, but the Beacons dropped the final two games of the series.
Valparaiso and Indiana last met in March 2024 for a two-game series, which Indiana swept. This season, the Beacons are 0-1 against Big Ten opponents, as they lost 10-2 to Purdue on March 25. The Hoosiers swept the Boilermakers in their weekend series April 10-12.
The Beacons are led by second-year head coach Mike Armitage. Prior to his arrival, Valparaiso had not achieved a 20-win season since 2018. Armitage accomplished this in his first year with the program. In 2025, Armitage led the Beacons to 20 wins — an 11-win improvement from their 9-40 record the previous season.
Over its recent eight-game stretch, Valparaiso has scored just 15 combined runs and has been shut out three times. Generating offense will not get easier when the Beacons face Indiana, which holds a 3.15 team-ERA — the third lowest mark in the Big Ten.
Freshman Indiana pitcher Aubree Hooks has anchored the unit recently, pitching in each of the Hoosiers’ last five games. Hooks takes a team-leading 2.32 ERA into Wednesday’s game. Sophomore pitcher Ella Troutt is not far behind Hooks, posting a 2.48 ERA across a team-high 90.1 innings.
While Valparaiso has struggled through much of the season, its lineup has shown flashes of offensive firepower. It ranks sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference with a .275 batting average. However, the Beacons have struggled to hit the long ball in 2026, with just 17 total home runs as a team, which ranks second to last in the conference.
Sophomore catcher and utility player Madison Vrastil and senior infielder Mack Gallagher headline the Beacons’ lineup.
Vrastil leads the team with a .381 batting average and 56 hits while also being one of the more effective baserunners in the nation this season. The Oak Forest, Illinois, native’s 21 stolen bases ties for second in the MVC and 34th in the country.
Gallagher has provided much of Valparaiso’s home run production in 2026. Through 117 plate appearances, the senior has launched a team-high nine home runs and 39 RBIs. Gallagher also ranks second in the MVC in walks, drawing 32 so far this season.
In the circle, the Beacons have limited opponent’s scoring. Despite losing its last series against Drake, Valparaiso did not surrender more than five runs in any of the three games.
Junior pitcher Sydney McDermott pitched in all three games last weekend, allowing one earned run across five innings. McDermott owns a team-low 4.29 ERA heading into Wednesday, while striking out 94 batters on the season. Her strikeout mark is 43 more than redshirt junior Taylor Hess, who leads Indiana in the category.
Armitage typically relies on the trio of McDermott, sophomore Caitlyn Quickle and senior Azalya Lopez in the circle, with the group accounting for 238.2 of the teams’ 280 total innings pitched. Quickle owns a 4.37 ERA across 59.1 innings, while Lopez has posted a 4.91 ERA through 81.1 innings.
This trio will be tasked with pitching against an Indiana lineup that ranks 15th in the country with a .348 batting average. The Hoosiers have utilized a balanced approach throughout their lineup this season. Of the 10 hitters with at least 50 at-bats, nine of them are hitting above .300 at the plate.
First pitch at Andy Mohr Field is slated for 5 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be streamed on B1G+.
Follow reporters Conor Banks (@Conorbanks06 and conbanks@iu.edu) and Joe Elms (@JoeElms1 and @jpelms@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana softball season.
