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(03/29/13 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team plays in its second Big Ten series this weekend against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. Play starts with a game at 4 p.m. Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. game Saturday. IU closes the weekend with a 1 p.m. matchup Sunday.After Michigan State’s first Big Ten series with Penn State was postponed due to poor weather conditions, this weekend will mark the 14-13 Spartans’ conference opener, as well as their home opener.“I want to have a complete game. We had bits and pieces of a complete game last weekend, but I really want to see us do all three parts of the game,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the team’s goal for this weekend. “I want good pitching, because I think that’s kind of where the game starts. Obviously I want to be able to score runs and get some run production, and defensively we have to play clean.”The Hoosiers’ pitching squad is currently posting a 3.24 earned-run average and will go up against a Spartan offense posting a .277 batting average. Michigan State’s offense is led by the .434 batting average of senior outfielder Kylene Hopkins, who was selected earlier in the season for the watch list for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. The Spartans have been outscored by their opponents 97-92 in their 2013 campaign.“Last year we played (Michigan State) in our last Big Ten series, and I would say it was one of the harder series we had in the whole Big Ten Season,” sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley said. “They didn’t win a single conference game last year, but they’ll score runs and play hard from the first inning to the last inning.”Senior infielder Amanda Wagner, sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer and Cawley combined for 17 of IU’s 25 hits in last week’s games against Louisville and Ohio State. Wagner led the way for the Hoosiers, posting a .636 batting average in the four games last week, followed by a .500 batting average for Meyer and a .364 batting average for Cawley. Wagner currently ranks first in the Big Ten Conference for batting average (.473) and on-base percentage (.574). The senior’s batting average is also eighth-best among NCAA Division I hitters. “Last weekend we had two really big performances by Amanda Wagner and Bri Meyer, and everybody contributed here and there,” Cawley said. “I’m hoping to see a little bit of everybody stepping up and playing a big role (this weekend).”The Hoosiers head into East Lansing with a 1-2 record in the Big Ten and a 16-16 record on the season.Both Gardner and Cawley said the team will need to play a complete game in order to be successful against Ohio State.“The last few weekends we’ve had games where we’ve been able to hit but then we haven’t been able to play good defense, or vice versa. I think in order for us to really be successful this weekend and win the series and potentially sweep, we’re going to need to bring together all of the elements of our game,” Cawley said. “(We need) solid defense, good pitching, and then obviously a lot of run support.”
(03/28/13 7:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team plays in its second Big Ten series of the season this weekend against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. The weekend of play starts off with a game at 4 p.m. Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. game Saturday. The Hoosiers close out the weekend with a 1 p.m. matchup Sunday.After Michigan State’s first Big Ten series with Penn State was postponed due to poor weather conditions, this weekend will mark the 14-13 Spartans’ conference opener, as well as their home opener.“I want to have a complete game. We had bits and pieces of a complete game last weekend, but I really want to see us do all three parts of the game,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the team’s goal for this weekend. “I want good pitching, because I think that’s kind of where the game starts. Obviously I want to be able to score runs and get some run production, and defensively we have to play clean.”The Hoosiers’ pitching squad is currently posting a 3.24 earned-run average and will go up against a Spartan offense posting a .277 batting average. Michigan State’s offense is led by the .434 batting average of senior outfielder Kylene Hopkins, who was selected earlier in the season for the watch list for the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. The Spartans have been outscored by their opponents 97-92 in their 2013 campaign.“Last year we played (Michigan State) in our last Big Ten series, and I would say it was one of the harder series we had in the whole Big Ten Season,” sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley said. “They didn’t win a single conference game last year, but they’ll score runs and play hard from the first inning to the last inning. When we score, they respond, so it’s just going to be a matter of playing a full game from the first inning to the seventh inning and never really coasting.”Senior infielder Amanda Wagner, sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer and Cawley all combined for 17 of the team’s 25 hits in last week’s games against Louisville and Ohio State. Wagner led the way for the Hoosiers, posting a .636 batting average in the four games last week, followed by a .500 batting average for Meyer and a .364 batting average for Cawley. Wagner currently ranks first in the Big Ten Conference for batting average (.473) and on-base percentage (.574). The senior’s batting average is also eighth-best among NCAA Division I hitters. “Last weekend we had two really big performances by Amanda Wagner and Bri Meyer, and everybody contributed here and there,” Cawley said. “I’m hoping to see a little bit of everybody stepping up and playing a big role (this weekend).”The Hoosiers head into East Lansing with a 1-2 record in the Big Ten and a 16-16 record on the season.Both Gardner and Cawley said the team will need to play a complete game in order to be successful against Ohio State.“The last few weekends we’ve had games where we’ve been able to hit but then we haven’t been able to play good defense, or vice versa. I think in order for us to really be successful this weekend and win the series and potentially sweep, we’re going to need to bring together all of the elements of our game,” Cawley said. “(We need) solid defense, good pitching, and then obviously a lot of run support.”
(03/25/13 4:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team went 1-2 this weekend in its Big Ten opening series against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. The three-game matchup marked the team’s first of eight series in Big Ten play.In the series opener on Friday, the Hoosiers fell 9-5 to the Buckeyes. After neither team posted runs in the first two innings, IU took the lead 3-0 in the top of the third. Ohio State responded with three runs of its own in the bottom of the third to tie the game. In the remaining four innings, the Buckeyes drove in six runs to the Hoosiers’ two, securing the win. Sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer and senior infielder Amanda Wagner both posted two runs in the matchup, with sophomore utility player Shannon Cawley claiming the other run for the Hoosiers. After a combined pitching effort by junior Meaghan Murphy, sophomore Lora Olson and freshman Brooke Boetjer, Olson would take the loss to fall to 6-6 on the season.“We did a lot of things right,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the Hoosiers’ weekend series. “We scored runs, I had three kids absolutely tear it up at the plate this weekend. We battled on Friday, we battled at the plate and we were able to score runs, but we didn’t have a complete game.”IU claimed the win in the team’s Saturday afternoon matchup, snapping the Buckeyes’ seven-game winning streak. The two teams went back and forth for nearly three hours before the Hoosiers secured the 6-4 win in a nine-inning game. “We did a great job of bouncing back and hanging in there the second game,” Wagner said.IU dropped the series finale 8-2 in the second game of their Saturday doubleheader. The Buckeyes led the entire game, with the Hoosiers’ lone runs coming in the fourth inning. Wagner and Cawley each posted a single run in the team’s three-hit, two-run effort. Murphy took the loss for the Hoosiers, falling to 9-9 on the season.“(Ohio State) started off the game with a homerun, which was kind of a tone setter,” Gardner said. “We still battled and did good things. Pitching wise we’ve got to get stronger, and that hopefully will come around.”IU falls to 16-16 on the season, while going 1-2 in conference play and 4-4 in away games. “(We’re going to) just keep pushing through and keep our focus on our goal to be Big Ten Champs and eventually make the post season,” Wagner said.Gardner said the team is planning on getting some rest this week, as well as practicing defense and technical aspects of their game. She cited poor weather conditions as one disadvantage for the team this year, as they were able to begin practicing outside in February last year. “It’s tough right now because it’s so grueling getting to this point. It’s been a long road already and there is a lot of Big Ten play to be done,” Gardner said. “What’s different for us right now is during the week while we’re here we haven’t been able to be outside. That plays into it too, not getting all of the defensive work in that we would do normally in between series.”The Hoosiers return to action March 29, in East Lansing, Mich., for a three-game series with Michigan State.“It’s still early and we’ve got a lot of season left to play,” Gardner said. “What I love about our schedule is we have a Big Ten Tournament at the end of the season, so we still have a long way to go and a lot of time to put everything together.”
(03/22/13 12:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team heads to Columbus, Ohio on Friday for its Big Ten opener with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The three-game weekend series starts off the team’s 23-game conference schedule.The Hoosiers open their weekend of play against the 18-8 Buckeyes with a 3 p.m. game Friday, followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday. The team closes out the weekend with a final matchup at 1 p.m. Sunday.This weekend is the home opener for Ohio State, who is currently posting a .313 batting average, while outscoring their opponents 154-85 on this season. The Buckeyes are currently riding a six game winning streak. IU goes into the matchup with a 15-14 record, after closing out non-conference play with a 4-1 loss to No. 11 Louisville. “We need to make better adjustments at the plate,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the team’s game plan going into this weekend. “I’d like to see those adjustments at the plate, and to continue making progress in the circle.”IU is currently posting a .254 batting average, as well as a 2.96 earned run average.“We definitely need to keep up pitching and defense, and then offense needs to be more productive and keep adding pressure to (other teams’) defense,” senior infielder Amanda Wagner said of the team’s plan for success against the Buckeyes.This weekend’s matchup with Ohio State opens up the next seven consecutive weekends of Big Ten games for the Hoosiers. The team will play in three-game series each weekend, as well as one weeknight doubleheader. “I think we just need to look at it as a new start, stick to our game plan, trust in our preparation, and just play our game and go out there and get our first conference win,” freshman catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer said. “Our ultimate goal is to win the Big Ten Championship, but our smaller goal is to win every weekend, either sweeping or winning two out of three.”The Hoosiers will move into the Big Ten Tournament on May 9 in Lincoln, Neb. The Big Ten Tournament is making its return for the first time since 2006, ending the tournament’s six-year hiatus. This will allow additional opportunities for Big Ten teams to play in the post season, with the winner of the conference tournament receiving an automatic bid into an NCAA Regional.“We want to be Big Ten champs, but we also have to be aware of taking it one game at a time and not getting ahead of ourselves,” Wagner said.The Hoosiers went 14-10 in last year’s conference schedule, tying for fourth in the final Big Ten standings.IU goes into Friday’s game looking to improve upon its 3-2 away game record, as well as its 15-14 overall record.“We have a tremendous amount of talent, and if we can find a way to execute and perform at the level that this team is capable of, I think we will have success,” Gardner said.
(03/21/13 2:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team was dealt a tough 4-1 loss in Wednesday night’s game against the No. 11 Louisville Cardinals. The contest in Louisville, Ky., marked the Hoosiers’ final matchup of their 25-game regular season schedule.The Hoosiers opened up the game with an early 1-0 lead off of a first-inning solo home run by senior infielder Amanda Wagner. The team would hold on to their lead until the Cardinals rung in a leadoff home run in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 1-1.“It set the tone, but we didn’t capitalize on it,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the Hoosiers’ early lead. “I felt like we were in a good place — we just didn’t continue to do what we needed to do.”After a scoreless fourth inning for the Hoosiers, the Cardinals would hit a three-run home run to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. The Hoosiers threatened to cut into Louisville’s lead in the top of the sixth, with two outs and bases loaded. The Cardinal defense was able to keep the Hoosiers from scoring, and they held on to their 4-1 lead. With neither team scoring in their final at bats, Louisville was able to pull off the win.“I’d say we did pretty good. We just had a hard time getting the ball in play for hits,” freshman catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer said. “Defense did great. We didn’t have any errors. They had runners in scoring positions multiple times, and we didn’t let them score. One runner scored all of their runs, and you really can’t control that.”Louisville’s sophomore shortstop Whitney Arion led the Cardinal offense, scoring two home runs and holding all four RBI.“[Sophomore pitcher Lora] Olson gave up two home runs, and she doesn’t normally give up home runs, so that was unfortunate because she threw well,” Gardner said.Olson was dealt the loss after throwing five innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. The sophomore falls to 6-5 on the season. Freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer closed out the game for the Hoosiers, giving up two hits and striking out one.Farmer went 2-3 to post her third career multi-hit performance, while Wagner went 1-3 for the night and improved her hitting streak to six games. Wagner’s home run was the only score of the game for the Hoosiers and the senior’s fourth home run of the year.“Our pitching has shown consistent improvement, and I’d like to see our hitting do the same,” Gardner said. “We are scoring runs, but we need to capitalize on situations where we have runners in scoring position.”The Hoosiers had their hands full with the Cardinal defense, led off by junior pitcher Caralisa Connell. Connell allowed three hits and one run while striking out nine in the contest.“We weren’t able to string our hits together and have consecutive good at bats and put the pressure on them,” Wagner said. The Hoosiers fall to 3-2 on away games and 15-14 on the season. The team returns to action at 3 p.m. Friday with their Big Ten opener against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
(03/20/13 3:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team heads south Wednesday for a matchup with the No. 11 Louisville Cardinals. The 6 p.m. game is the Hoosiers’ first weeknight game of the season after six weekend tournaments in as many weeks.The matchup marks the Hoosiers’ ninth game of the season against a top-25 opponent. So far, the team has gone 2-6 against teams ranked in the top 25.The Hoosiers have their work cut out for them with the 23-3 Cardinals, who are 11-0 at home this season and currently riding an 11-game win streak.Pitching will be key for the Hoosiers in their matchup with Louisville, as the Cardinals have scored five or more runs in 21 of their 23 wins this season. Louisville is currently posting a .344 batting average.“I really want to come out and score some runs and obviously still have good pitching,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “But offensively we need to be able to put up some runs.”Posting an earned run average of 1.71, keeping their opponents from scoring runs is exactly what the Cardinals are good at. Only three of Louisville’s opponents have scored more than three runs in a single game this season, with the Cardinals outscoring their opponents 173-57 this season.“This is going be a big test, because Louisville’s a good team,” Gardner said. “We have to go down there and play. Hopefully what went on this weekend will carry over into this week.”The Hoosiers are coming off an undefeated weekend in the Hoosier Classic in which they outscored their opponents 19-2. Ten different Hoosiers scored runs for the team in their home opener on the new Andy Mohr Field. The Hoosiers will go into Wednesday’s game on a three-game winning streak.“We need to come out and be energetic like we were this past weekend,” senior outfielder Samantha Heyman said. “We need to stay together as a team and keep doing what we’re doing and keep winning games.”Gardner said the team is riding on a spark of energy from the success in last weekend’s tournament, and the team hopes to keep that alive in Louisville.The game against Louisville is the Hoosiers’ final matchup before moving into Big Ten play on March 22 in Columbus, Ohio. The contest will close out the team’s 30-game regular season schedule.“We’re looking forward to this game and looking forward to opening the Big Tens next weekend,” senior infielder Amanda Wagner said. “This is kind of a precursor to opening Big Tens.”The Hoosiers go into Wednesday’s game with a 15-13 record on the season, as well as a 3-1 record on the road.“We have to take our momentum and try to transfer it down there,” Wagner said. “Louisville’s a good team, so if we can keep our energy level the same as it was (at the Hoosier Classic), we’ll come out on top.”
(03/18/13 8:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosier Classic marked a new beginning for the IU softball team this past weekend as it played for the first time on Andy Mohr Field. The Hoosiers completed a clean sweep of their opponents in the stadium they’ll now be calling home, going 3-0 for the weekend.The Hoosier Classic was also the home opener for the IU softball team after playing its first 25 games of the season on the road.“They finally got to sleep in their own beds,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the team’s first weekend home. “Notoriously we’ve always played better at home, but the best part about it was having friends and family there and everyone getting to experience the first weekend together.”In Andy Mohr Field’s inaugural game against Toledo on Friday, the Hoosiers came out swinging, posting 12 hits and nine runs to top the Rockets 9-1. Eight of the team’s runs came in the first inning alone, with freshman catcher and third baseman Kelsey Dotson posting the ninth and final run for the team in the third inning with the new stadium’s first ever homerun.“Once we got on the field and were able to see what kind of field we’d be playing on, we wanted to protect our stadium,” senior outfielder Samantha Heyman said. “We came out and did a really good job.”The team continued its dominant performance with a 2-1 win against Central Michigan Friday night, playing under the stadium lights for the first time. The Hoosiers’ two runs for the game came from solo homeruns by senior infielder Amanda Wagner and sophomore infielder Brianna Meyer. “It reenergized us getting to play in front of our home crowd and gave us a lot of drive and momentum,” Wagner said. “I just tried to play the ball well, just trying to do what I can with my bat.”Capping off their undefeated weekend, the Hoosiers posted an 8-0 win against Illinois-Chicago on Saturday. Six different Hoosiers connected on hits to give the team a total of seven hits for the game.Sunday play for the Hoosier Classic was canceled due to cold temperatures. With no matchup against Wright State, IU ended the weekend without a loss.“We came out and did what we had to do,” Heyman said. “We came out really energetic from the beginning, and I think we did an overall great job.”Senior pitcher Meaghan Murphy collected two wins during the weekend against Toledo and UIC, improving her record to 8-8. Sophomore pitcher Lora Olson claimed the other win of the weekend against Central Michigan.The trio of Murphy, Olson and freshman Brooke Boetjer combined to strike out 15 on the weekend. The team only allowed two runs in the Hoosier Classic, improving its earned run average.“We played great defense. My pitchers did a great job and did the things they need to do,” Gardner said. “I think as much as I attribute (the team’s success) to defense, I’d attribute it to pitching.”The Hoosiers are now posting a batting average of .258 after cranking out 19 runs during the weekend.“I definitely think we had a solid performance by our pitchers, defense and offense,” Wagner said. “All the components were clicking. It was just an overall great team weekend.”IU improved its overall record to 15-13, with just one game remaining before the team moves into Big Ten play.“All the way around it was good to be able to be at home,” Gardner said. “It gave a little spark that they needed and it couldn’t have come at a better time.”
(03/18/13 8:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Friday was a day full of promise for IU softball. It was the team’s home opener, the end to its six consecutive weeks on the road and the beginning of its own softball tournament. But most importantly, it was the day they would finally get to play on the brand new Andy Mohr Field.“(The team) was in seventh heaven, it was absolutely amazing,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the Hoosiers’ first time on the field. “The kids were so excited. It was an amazing experience for them all the way around.”Andy Mohr Field was named in honor of a major gift from Mohr, the CEO of Plainfield-based Andy Mohr Automotive Group. The complex is being funded through private donations and athletic department funds.Ground was broken on the new field on May 7, 2012. Construction was a race to the finish to have the stadium up and running for the 2013 softball home opener. “It’s been such a long time coming,” senior outfielder Samantha Heyman said. “Seeing the actual field and being on it was kind of like a dream come true for us. I thought everything seemed perfect.”As one of the southern-most schools in the Big Ten, IU is one of the most softball friendly schools in the conference, giving it the ability to take the field earlier in the spring and practice later into the fall. The new state-of-the-art Andy Mohr Field will aid the team in recruiting top prospects, and will enable IU to be the host of Big Ten and NCAA tournaments due to its equipped floodlights. This could set the stage for the Hoosiers to become a nationally-recognized program. The building of a new facility allowed the program to add year-round training resources, such as indoor batting cages. The stadium also boasts new turf field, locker rooms, dugouts, warm-up areas, press boxes and a scoreboard, as well as many other features. “It’s got everything we need to be a competitive team and a competitive program, and I think it’s going to do wonders for us,” senior infielder Amanda Wagner said.Andy Mohr Field also benefits fans with restrooms located in the complex. In the team’s former stadium, there were no restrooms, leaving fans with the only option being to walk to the baseball stadium next door in order to use the restrooms. The facility also features parking, stadium chair seating and concessions. “I’ve had compliments on everything about it,” Gardner said. “The people truly enjoyed it.”The Andy Mohr Field replaces the IU Softball Field that was located off Fee Lane. The new stadium is located on the north edge of the IU athletics campus, northeast of the Mellencamp Pavilion.The team was host for the Hoosier Classic in their new stadium this past weekend, playing the inaugural game against Toledo on Friday.“It was good for us (getting to play at home) because being on a new field picked up the morale,” Heyman said. “I’m just glad it’s up and running, and we’re able to play on it.”
(03/08/13 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Softball team hits the road for the fifth consecutive weekend to compete in the Tiger Classic in Nashville, Tenn. March 8-10. The Classic marks the Hoosier’s final tournament on the road before their March 15 home opener.The team opens the tournament with a March 8 game against Nebraska-Omaha at 11 a.m. This is the Mavericks’ first season playing at the Division I level, with the team posting a 17-2 record so far. The Hoosiers complete their March 8 doubleheader with a matchup at 3 p.m. against Alabama State.Another doubleheader is set for March 9, with the team taking on Mississippi Valley State at 6:30 p.m. and Tennessee State at 8:30 p.m. They finish off their weekend of play with a game against Saint Louis at 12:30 p.m. March 10.“Anybody can beat anybody,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the competition the Hoosiers will face this weekend. “I think we need to prepare for them the same way we have prepared every single weekend.”Coming off an 0-5 weekend in Fullerton, Calif., Gardner said the team is hoping to see a better outcome in the Tiger Classic.“We need to come out and we need to attack early,” Gardner said. “We need to score first, because I think that really will put us in a better place. We just need to come out and play, and continue to work on the things that we’ve been working on in practice.”Senior infielder Amanda Wagner said the team is hoping to get back to their level of play they displayed at the Georgia Tech Classic earlier this season.“We need an overall solid performance by everybody, starting from pitching to defense to hitting,” Wagner said. “I think if we can get at least two of the components clicking, we’ll be OK.”Wagner scored two of the team’s seven total runs in the Easton Invitational, as she continues to play a key role in the team’s hitting game. In 19 at bats this season, she has posted nine hits and five runs. Wagner is now posting a .474 batting average for her senior campaign.Though the team has played in four tournaments in as many weeks, Gardner said the group is in a good place mentally, despite a few setbacks. “It’s kind of the nature of the beast,” Gardner said of the ups and downs in recent weeks of play. “The truth of the matter is this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we’re now getting in the middle leg of the marathon. We really need to stay focused on what we can control and move forward.”The Hoosier’s go into the Tiger Classic with a 10-10 record on the season as they look to close out their five weekends on the road on a positive note.“I hope to be competitive,” Gardner said. “Obviously I always want to win, but we need to be competitive this weekend, and I think we’re going to have a much better outcome.”
(03/04/13 4:59am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team ran into tough competition at the Easton Invitational in Fullerton, Calif., during the weekend, going 0-5 against a field containing three top-25 teams. “We have some things to work on,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the weekend play. “I think we made some good plays, we had some really good innings; we just have to be able to put it all together.”The Hoosiers’ weekend started off with a 10-3 loss to Cal Poly on Friday. The team ended the day’s doubleheader with an 8-2 loss to Cal State Fullerton. Junior outfielder Jenna Abraham, freshman infielder Michelle Huber, junior infielder Shelby Gogreve, sophomore Shannon Cawley and senior infielder Amanda Wagner all drove in runs for the Hoosiers in their first day of the Invitational.Saturday gameplay began with a rematch against No. 8 California, in which the Hoosiers were dealt a 9-1 loss. Wagner scored the lone run for the team against the Golden Bears. The Hoosiers continued their Saturday doubleheader with a battle against No. 24 Oregon State, nearly pulling off an upset. The game went into extra innings, with both teams posting one run, before the Beavers sealed the deal with a walk-off single to secure the 2-1 win. Huber posted the lone run for the Hoosiers, as they continued to struggle with hitting in the Invitational.The Hoosiers closed out the tournament with a rematch against No. 15 Stanford, but fell to the Cardinal 7-0. “I think we did a lot of great things (this weekend),” Gogreve said. “Obviously we didn’t have the outcome we wanted, but we are growing in every tournament we play. Taking these losses, we realized that what we need to do is bring our moments of greatness together.”The trip out West provided many team members the chance to play in their home state again, as five of the Hoosier softball players are from the Golden State.Gogreve, who is from South Pasadena, Calif., said she is always excited to play in California in front of friends and family.“It feels incredible,” Gogreve said. “It’s nice to come home and feel like you’re performing for the people you love a lot.”Gogreve said the warm weather of Fullerton was also a plus for the team, where they were able to enjoy temperatures reaching all the way up to 82 degrees.While the team dropped to 10-10 on the season, pitchers Lora Olson and Meaghan Murphy also drop to 5-4 and 5-6, respectively. The Hoosiers are now posting an earned run average of 3.28 for the season, as well as a batting average of .238 after scoring seven total runs over the weekend.The Hoosiers return to action March 8 in Nashville, Tenn., for their first game of the Tiger Classic against Nebraska-Omaha.“We’re going to focus on the same things we focused on last week,” Gardner said going into this week’s practices. “We just have to keep working to put everything together.”
(02/28/13 8:21pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team will have traveled 10,460 miles in four weeks of play after this weekend’s Easton Invitational in Fullerton, Calif. The Hoosiers are geared up to take on three top-25-ranked opponents, two of which they have already faced earlier this season.The team takes on Cal Poly at 2:15 p.m. Friday, followed by a matchup with Cal State Fullerton at 6:15 p.m. At noon Saturday, the team has a rematch with No. 8 California, who dealt them a 9-1 loss Feb. 10. They finish off the day’s double-header with a 4:30 p.m. game against No. 24 Oregon State. The team completes its weekend of play at 11:30 a.m. Sunday with a game against No. 16 Stanford, who dealt them an 8-2 loss Feb. 9.“The biggest challenge is always facing top-25 teams, and we have three of them, but Cal Poly and Fullerton are both very good teams,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “We just have to show up and play.”Despite having to travel more than 2,000 miles to reach Fullerton, the team said they are excited to be playing in warm weather and be in the home state of many players. Senior Breanna Saucedo, senior Samantha Heyman, junior Shelby Gogreve, sophomore Miranda Tamayo and sophomore Brianna Meyer all reign from the Golden State.“There are so many people from California (on the team) and we have all been looking forward to this trip,” sophomore and pitcher Lora Olson said. “We’re going to have a lot of fans there, so that will definitely help us.”The team is trying to stay focused and not let the four consecutive weekends of travel wear them down, Gardner said. During this week’s practice, they went back to the basics, working on fine-tuning the fundamentals for this weekend’s invitational.“We kind of went back to some mechanics and basics, just because I felt like last week we just weren’t on,” Gardner said. “It’s good when you’re not on and you can still win three games, but I want to get back to what’s right.”Pitching has played an important role in the team’s success in recent games. Prior to the Sunday game against Pacific, the team had only allowed four runs and a .99 earned run average at last weekend’s NFCA Leadoff Classic. They came out of the weekend posting a still solid 2.65 earned run average.“(We’re) focusing on only controlling what we can control,” Olson said. “My expectations are just to have fun, play loose, and make some good things happen against some really good competition that we’re going to see out there.”Olson has played an integral role in the pitching of the team thus far, posting a 5-2 record and a 1.83 earned run average on the season.The Hoosiers go into the Easton Invitational hoping to improve upon their 10-5 record. “We actually have fared well in California (in the past), just because of a lot of family around there, and the kids are excited,” Gardner said. “Of course we always want to win, but I just want to come out and play well.”
(02/25/13 4:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The NFCA Leadoff Classic presented a challenge for the IU softball team this weekend in Clearwater, Fla., as the team’s six-game winning streak was brought to an end. The Hoosiers came out with a 3-2 record for the weekend, however. “For three games we did enough to win a ball game,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “We didn’t hit well this weekend. We’re a little disappointed, but we still came out with three wins.”The team struggled early with a loss in extra innings to the University of Central Florida in their first game. Senior Amanda Wagner had a strong performance in posting her third consecutive multi-hit game, but the effort was not enough to avoid an eventual 3-2 loss.In the team’s second game of the Feb. 22 doubleheader, the Hoosiers came out on top with a 5-1 win over Massachusetts. Sophomore pitcher Lora Olson allowed one run in seven innings, striking out seven hitters to tie her career high. “Coming back after our first loss against UCF to beat Massachusetts (was a high point for the weekend),” Wagner said. “The way we bounced back to compete for more games was good.”The team continued its winning streak by defeating James Madison 3-1 on Saturday. IU secured its third win of the tournament the same afternoon with a 1-0 finish over Fordham. Junior Meaghan Murphy held the Rams scoreless in her second shutout this season.On Feb. 24, in their fifth game of the tournament the Hoosiers fell short against Pacific with a 9-3 loss.“The first game was difficult, but [Pacific] was the hardest because it’s the fifth team and everyone’s a little bit tired and a little bit sore,” Gardner said. “We never really adjusted and then we gave up a ton.“We’ve got a good group and they’re working hard. We just didn’t click this weekend.”Gardner cited the team’s lack of timely hits as a big difference in the outcome of the NFCA Leadoff Classic versus the previous weekend in Atlanta, where the Hoosiers went 5-0 in three days of play.Though the Hoosiers had weak points, pitching remained a strong point, as they only allowed three runs or less in all but one game.The team will return to action March 1 for the DeMarini Invitational in Fullerton, Calif. “We’re going to work on executing at the plate this week,” Gardner said. “We just have to be better all around, and we will.”
(02/22/13 1:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Mostly sunny skies and 80-degree temperatures await the IU softball team for this weekend’s NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The tournament marks the Hoosiers’ third weekend of play in three consecutive weeks. The Hoosiers start tournament play 1 p.m. Friday against UCF. Following its matchup with the 5-6 Knights, the team will then take on 0-3 Massachusetts at 6 p.m. Coming off of their undefeated record at the Georgia Tech Classic, the Hoosiers are looking for a repeat of their 5-0 run last weekend.“We have such momentum going into this weekend because we know we can win and we know we can sweep,” freshman catcher and first baseman Kassi Farmer said. Four of Farmer’s six runs on the season came at last weekend’s tournament, and the freshman is currently posting a .357 batting average.Hitting was a strong point for the team as a whole last weekend, as it scored 28 runs in the five games played. The Hoosiers are posting an overall batting average of .290, while holding opponents to .284.Pitching has also been a key element to the team’s recent success. While the Hoosiers allowed 32 combined runs at the Feb. 8-10 Kajikawa Tournament, they only allowed five total runs in the Georgia Tech Classic. The group is now posting a 3.08 earned run average.“Coming off a weekend where we saw a lot of success, we need to come out and make sure that we’re doing the same things and get better each weekend,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. The Hoosiers continue tournament play on Saturday with a 10:30 a.m. game against 4-1 James Madison, followed by a 1 p.m. matchup with 4-1 Fordham. They finish off the weekend with a Sunday matchup against 6-2 Pacific at 10 a.m.While there is no clear front-runner in the NFCA Leadoff Classic, the Hoosiers are preparing for tough matchups every game. “It just depends on who shows up to play,” Gardner said of this weekend’s competition. “I really want to make sure that we pitch well, play good defense and execute at the plate. The bottom line is we just have to continue to get better every week.”The team is hoping to have a repeat clean sweep performance and improve upon their current 7-3 record.“Basically, we just have the same focus of going pitch by pitch, game by game, focusing one thing at a time and just trying to get the win,” Farmer said.
(02/19/13 3:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Although the weather is still cold in most parts of the country, the softball season has begun.Through their first two tournaments, the Hoosiers are 7-3 and starting to heat up.IU lost three of their first five games in the Kajikawa Tournament to three top-25 ranked Pac-12 conference teams.Losing to highly ranked teams will help build character for this team in the long run.This past weekend at the Georgia Tech Classic, Indiana went undefeated in the tournament.The Hoosiers won all five games, including two wins against the home team, No. 24 Georgia Tech.IU really brought out their bats by outscoring opponents 28-5 in their five victories.To start off the tournament, the Hoosiers beat Miami (Ohio) 10-0 in five innings, including their first mercy rule win of the season.Junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy tossed a no-hitter, which was the first for the program since 2009.Not only was the pitching there, but the team also hit the ball really well.Senior infielder Breanna Saucedo, sophomore utility Shannon Cawley and freshman catcher Kelsey Dotson all had multiple-hit games against the RedHawks.IU also had two 2-1 victories against Marshall during their next two games.These early season wins will help provide confidence to a team with four more nonconference tournaments until Big Ten play.One of the main reasons for the program’s success is due to head Coach Michelle Gardner.Gardner has helped transform this program and got them back to prominence and what it is today.Gardner’s first two seasons were a bit of a struggle. The Hoosiers went 22-75 in the 2009 and 2010 seasons.IU was having problems defeating teams like Radford, Long Island and Jacksonville State in Gardner’s first two seasons.After the first two losing seasons, the program enjoyed success during the next two years. In 2011, the Hoosiers went 37-18 and 17-3 in Big Ten play.The next year, IU finished the season at 30-25.This was the first time since 1989 and 1990 that the Hoosiers posted two back-to-back 30-win seasons. It’s impressive to see the major change after Gardner’s first two seasons at the helm.During her time at Indiana, there have been 10 players to earn All-Big Ten honors, including three First Team All-Big Ten players.There were only two First Team All-Big Ten players through 2001-10.Players like Morgan Melloh, Sara Olson and Jennifer Glueckert helped build this program back to where it is today.This just shows that Gardner is recruiting the right players and developing their skills to help bring success back to this program.When IU starts to play home games in mid-March, they will be playing on the brand new Andy Mohr Field.This facility will really help this program’s ability to recruit and please the athletes’ playing experience on the field.But before then, there are three more nonconference tournaments the team has to play in.This upcoming weekend, the Hoosiers head to Florida for the NFCA Leadoff Classic for another five-game weekend.IU needs to continue their early season success into the next three weekend tournaments to set themselves up for the rest of the year.— amsiegal@indiana.edu
(02/18/13 5:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU softball team swept the field Feb. 15-17 at the Georgia Tech Classic in Atlanta. The Classic marked the team’s second weekend of play of the 2013 season, in which it drastically turned around its previous losing record.The Hoosiers came out of the weekend 5-0 with two victories over Marshall and Georgia Tech each and a shutout win against Miami (Ohio).“We’ve done exactly what we needed to do to win,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “We’ve had good pitching, solid defense and just played well all the way around the field.”One of the standout performances of the weekend was junior pitcher Meaghan Murphy’s first career no-hitter against Miami (Ohio) on Friday. Murphy’s effort helped the Hoosiers win 10-0 and was the first no-hitter thrown by an IU pitcher since 2009.She was also the 11th pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter at IU, and the performance was the 24th thrown in program history.“I’m pretty proud of myself,” Murphy said. “It’s a pretty big feat for any pitcher.”The team faced a greater challenge against Marshall, led by the strong pitching of senior Andi Williamson. While the first of the team’s two-game matchup went into extra innings, the Hoosiers secured a victory in both Friday and Saturday’s games, posting 2-1 scores in each.The Hoosiers continued to have success in the Classic by pulling off an upset over No. 24 Georgia Tech, winning 4-1 on the Yellow Jackets’ home field in Saturday’s game. IU brought home their fifth and final victory of the weekend after Sunday’s 10-2 win against Georgia Tech en route to a clean sweep of the Classic.Pitching played a big role in the Hoosiers’ winning record at the Classic. The team only allowed a combined five runs on the weekend.“I think we’ve been very solid,” Gardner said. “We’ve been doing the things we need to do. When we have good pitching, there isn’t a lot of pressure to score a lot of runs, so it kind of all goes together.” Gardner attributed the Hoosiers’ success to the overall hard work of everyone on the team, citing freshman Kassi Farmer’s hitting, Murphy’s no-hitter against Miami (Ohio) and senior Jena Malmen’s first career home run against Marshall as key elements to the team’s success.“Kassi Farmer has hit the ball extremely well,” Gardner said. “(Murphy) had great presence on the mound and just had control during the whole (Miami) game. Amanda Wagner had a great weekend. Jena Malmen’s home run was enormous. Pretty collectively, we’ve had some good performances.”After the weekend in Atlanta, the team’s record stands at 7-3.“I’m really proud of the team and what we’ve done this weekend,” Murphy said. “Everybody’s done their part in contributing. Our team has had a huge tournament, and it’s exactly what we needed.”
(02/15/13 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After spending last weekend in Tempe, Ariz., for the first tournament of the 2013 season, the IU softball team faces its second set of games in as many weeks at the Georgia Tech Classic in Atlanta, Ga., this weekend.The Hoosiers will face Miami (Ohio) 10:30 a.m. Friday, followed by a matchup with Marshall at 12:30 p.m. They will then play the Thundering Herd again 10:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by a game with Georgia Tech at 12:30 p.m. They will again play the Yellow Jackets 1 p.m. Sunday. Coming out of the Feb. 8-10 Kajikawa Tournament in Tempe, Ariz., with a 2-3 record, the Hoosiers displayed decisive wins against Bradley and Portland State.The team’s losses to No. 3 California, No. 4 Arizona State and No. 21 Stanford gave them an idea of what they could be up against come tournament time. “Playing some of the better teams in the country helped show us what we need to work on to improve and to end up beating those teams down the road,” senior third baseman Amanda Wagner said.Despite the team’s overall record of 2-3, they are currently third in the Big Ten Conference for batting average, coming in at .317. They are also ranked in the top five amongst Big Ten teams in nine other categories.However, IU’s pitching has allowed the second most runs in the conference thus far, with an earned run average of 5.66. Against Stanford, California and Arizona State, the group allowed a combined 25 runs.“The first weekend out is tough,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said. “I felt like if we just could have had a better pitching performance we could’ve stayed in those games, but from the first game to the last game we made tremendous adjustments.”Last weekend’s tournament will help the team prepare for the Georgia Tech Classic, its second of the season. Both Gardner and Wagner said the team hopes to improve on pitching and other areas of play in order to secure a winning record in Atlanta. “We’re trying to swing at better pitches, play cleaner defense, score more runs and have a better pitching performance,” Gardner said.In the most recent top 25 poll, Georgia Tech received votes. The school is 5-0 this season, and Marshall, another of IU’s opponents, is 2-3. However, Gardner said the team isn’t counting out any of the other competitors.“It’s Miami of Ohio’s first weekend out, so they’re going to be excited to play. Marshall is also a good team. Every weekend is tough competition,” Gardner said. “Just when you think it’s easy, someone picks it up and plays really well. “Everybody’s competing at a higher level right now.” With one month remaining until their home opener in the new Andy Mohr Field, Wagner said they are hoping to utilize this weekend’s games to work on some of the team’s flaws.“We just want to keep improving, cutting out some of the errors from last weekend and just really dominate the field,” Wagner said. “We want to come out on top every game.”
(02/08/13 5:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s softball team will open its 40th season this weekend by participating in the Kajikawa Tournament in Tempe, Ariz.The Hoosiers will play in their first game of the 2013 campaign 9 p.m. Friday against No. 4 Arizona State in the Sun Devils’ home stadium. ASU is coming off of a 2012 season in which the team went 53-11 and played in the Women’s College World Series.IU last season went 30-25 and missed a spot in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament. However, the Hoosiers gained freshman pitcher Brooke Boetjer during the offseason. Boetjer, the 2012 Miss Softball Indiana and 2012 Gatorade Indiana Softball Player of the Year, came to IU after having been committed to ASU. After deciding to play collegiate softball closer to home, Boetjer might pitch Friday night against the team she once pledged to play for.The Hoosiers will face another team from the 2012 WCWS field this weekend when they play last year’s No. 1 seed California 1 p.m. EST Sunday. Last season, the Hoosiers faced only one team from the 2012 WCWS field; this weekend alone they will play against two.A major challenge for IU this weekend comes from the fact that they have been practicing on indoor turf all offseason, while teams from the West have been able to practice outdoors and on dirt.Friday’s game against ASU will be the first time the Hoosiers have played on an actual softball field in months.IU will play three other games this weekend in Tempe: 4 p.m. EST Saturday against Bradley, 7 p.m. EST against No. 20 Stanford and 3:30 p.m. EST Sunday against Portland State .- Jordan Littman
(01/14/13 5:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Amanda Wagner has been named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Softball Team, according to a list released by CollegeSportsMadness.com.The infielder from Burbank, Ill., was the only Hoosier to be named on the list as a second team member following a 30-25 season in 2012, when she was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. As a junior, Wagner started all 55 games and led the team with a .343 hitting average, 49 hits, 37 runs batted in and nine home runs. Her 57.6 on-base percentage in Big Ten play was the best in the conference, while her .717 slugging average ranked third. At the end of the season, Wagner was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten.Heading into the 2013 campaign, Wagner will be one of only four seniors on the roster, which includes infielder Breanna Saucedo and outfielders Kelsey Brannon and Samantha Heyman. She and her Hoosier teammates will open the season when they play against Arizona State on Feb. 8 in Tempe, Ariz. — Jordan Littman
(01/13/13 9:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Amanda Wagner has been named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Softball Team, according to a list released by CollegeSportsMadness.com.The infielder from Burbank, Ill., was the lone Hoosier to be named on the list as a second team member following a 30-25 season in 2012 in which she was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. As a junior, Wagner started all 55 games and led the team in a variety of batting categories with a .343 hitting average, 49 hits, 37 runs batted in and nine home runs. Her 57.6 on-base percentage in Big Ten play also was best in the conference, while her .717 slugging average ranked third. At the end of the season, Wagner was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten.Heading into the 2013 campaign, Wagner will be one of only four seniors on the entire roster, with infielder Breanna Saucedo and outfielders Kelsey Brannon and Samantha Heyman as the others. She and her teammates will open the season in less than a month, when on Feb. 8, the Hoosiers play Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. — Jordan Littman
(10/25/12 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Athletics Hall of Fame class will be graced with the presence of an Olympic gold athlete this year. From South Holland, Ill., Michelle Venturella spent the early 1990s with the Indiana Hoosiers softball team on its way to multiple winnig seasons and a run in 1994 that fell one game short of the Women’s College World Series.After IU, Venturella was a member of the USA softball team and won gold in the 2000 Sydney Games.The now-head coach of the Illinois–Chicago Flames said one of her most memorable times lacing up was during that 1994 season.“The whole ’94 season was just a special season for us to get that close to the World Series,” she said. “When good things are happening during championship seasons, you can’t put a finger on it. You just want to enjoy every minute because it does not happen all the time.”Venturella’s currently has the IU season record for runs with 57, doubles with 17, home runs with 16 and RBI with 65. All thoe records were broken during the 1994 season.She also has the career record for RBI with 153 while she is second in hits with 225, third in runs and home runs with 137 and 28, respectively, and fourth in batting average with .351.The former Second and Third Team All-American came to Bloomington initially as a first baseman before then-IU Coach Diane Stephenson switched her to catcher.“One of the most important things to happen in my career was when Coach Stephenson coached me to be a catcher,” she said. “That led to me getting a tryout with the USA National team, which ultimately led to me being a part of that team during the Olympics.“I think it was meant to be that I was supposed to be at Indiana to be around the people I was around.”Venturella said she is excited to see IU implement a new softball field, which is set to debut this coming Spring.“I think that the school itself is such a tremendous place to spend four years,” she said. “I think the facility side needed to catch up. I definitely think they are doing that now, and I’m very excited to see that for Indiana softball.”Venturella said she still has a lot of pride for the time spent at her alma mater.“I’m really proud, I hope the student athletes who go there now know a little bit of the history of the people that came before them,” she said. “I just look back on that time with my teammates and our ability to accomplish something that had not been done in awhile.“Hopefully that tradition carries through, and I hope the things we did back then help pave the way for student athletes there now.”