EVANSVILLE, Ind.---The University of Southern Indiana softball team opens the 2016 NCAA Division II Softball Tournament with a first round matchup with the four-seed Grand Valley State University. The Screaming Eagles are the five-seed and take on the Lakers at 1 p.m. on Thursday at Baumgartner Field on the campus of the University of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana.
 
How to Watch/Listen
Every game of the 2016 NCAA DII Midwest 1 Regional will be broadcast live on the GLVC Sports Network available via GoUSIEagles.com.
 
Ticket Information
Tickets for the tournament are all general admission and single day tickets only with no refunds. Adult ticket prices are $10.00, while senior citizens (60-and-over), children (10-and-under), military personnel, and students ticket prices are $5.00.
 
Last Time Out
The Screaming Eagles competed in the 2016 GLVC Softball Championship Tournament at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois. As the three seed, USI opened conference tournament play against  No. 6 Bellarmine. The Eagles fell behind 7-0 early to the Knights, but roared back in the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth trailing 7-6, USI junior catcher Haley Hodges was being intentionally walked when she hammered a pitch left over the plate for a three-run home run that would prove to be the game-winner.
 
Facing the sixth-ranked Tritons of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the Eagles fell behind early again, but had the steam to pull themselves out of a hole again. USI took a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh on a two-run home run by sophomore first baseman Marleah Fossett. UMSL answered in the seventh to push the game into extras. In the eleventh, USI took a 7-5 lead on a two-run shot by junior shortstop Lexi Reese, in what would be the final advantage.
 
Despite a full day being washed out due to persistent precipitation, all games on the conference slate were completed. USI fell to eventual champion University of Indianapolis in six innings, 8-0, before being eliminated from the tournament by UMSL, 10-0.

All-Conference Performers
USI earned a conference-high seven all-GLVC awards (tied with UIndy) at the conference's awards banquet last Thursday in East Peoria, Illinois. Junior catcher Haley Hodges (Portage, Indiana) was named the 2016 GLVC Softball Player of the Year becoming the second-straight Screaming Eagle and third all-time to earn the honor after second baseman MacKenzi Dorsam earned the award last season. 

Joining Hodges on the All-GLVC first team was sophomore outfielder Olivia Clark-Kittleson (Carbondale, Illinois). Sophomore first baseman Marleah Fossett (Brownsburg, Indiana) and freshman designated player Caitlyn Bradley (Forest, Indiana) earned second-team All-GLVC accolades. Senior pitcher Sarah Owens (Indianapolis, Indiana), senior outfielder Janna Green (Glenwood, Indiana), and junior shortstop Lexi Reese (Lebanon, Indiana) were named third-team All-GLVC.

All Hail Haley
Junior catcher Haley Hodges continues to rewrite the USI Softball record book in the 2016 season. Hodges has already set new marks for single-season runs, RBIs, home runs, and walks and is within range of breaking the school record for doubles.
 
Two weeks ago, Hodges set a new NCAA DII record when the junior was walked for the ninth consecutive plate appearance, breaking the previous record of seven, which was previously set by Kutztown University's Colleen Smith in 2014. On the season, Hodges has been walked 44 times, including 17 intentional walks, which is the second-most in a season in NCAA DII history.
 
Scouting Grand Valley State
The Lakers enter the NCAA DII Tournament after compiling a 37-10 mark…in the GLIAC Softball Tournament, GVSU opened with a 5-0 loss to University of Findlay followed by a 6-3 win over Hillsdale College before exiting the tournament with a 3-1 loss to Ashland University.