EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball looks to add to its three-game winning streak Saturday at noon when it hosts Southwest Baptist University in a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at the USI Softball Field.
 
Saturday's opener is the first of six straight games for the Screaming Eagles at the USI Softball Field as USI hosts Drury University for a conference doubleheader Sunday at noon as well as Kentucky Wesleyan College for a Midwest Region twinbill next Wednesday at 2 p.m.
 
This weekend's games will be aired on 95.7 The Spin as well as the GLVC Sports Network, while live stats, audio and video links are available at GoUSIEagles.com.
 
Updated Spectator Policy
• Attendance has been increased to four pre-approved guests per USI student-athlete.
• USI student attendance will be allowed and limited to the first 40.
• Masks/face coverings for entry into the facility and must be worn at all times.
• Social distancing must be observed at all times.
• Visiting team fans are still prohibited at this time.
 
Notes
• Eagles go 3-1. USI Softball went 3-1 last week, earning a doubleheader sweep over William Jewell College on Monday after salvaging a doubleheader split with Rockhurst University the previous day. Freshman first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) and freshman centerfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) each went 6-of-13 (.462) at the plate to pace the Eagles offensively, while junior pitcher/first baseman Elissa Brown (Brownsburg, Indiana) and sophomore pitcher/first baseman Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) combined to go 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 15.1 innings of work.
 
• More from last week. As a team, the Eagles hit .351, with nine players hitting at least .300 and four players hitting .400-or better. Defensively, the Eagles' pitching staff limited their opponents to a .235 batting average while compiling a .218 team ERA.
 
• Offensive eruption. The Eagles absolutely unloaded on William Jewell in game one of their doubleheader sweep. USI racked up 17 hits, including five doubles and four home runs, in the 14-4 victory. The Eagles posted season-highs in six different categories, including runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI (13) and sacrifice flies (1). They sent 13 batters to the plate in an eight-run fifth inning that saw USI rack up 10 hits, three doubles and two home runs.
 
• Bedrick reaches 20 steals. Freshman Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) has swiped 20 bases in 22 attempts this year, making her the first USI Softball player to steal 20 bases in a single season since Trisha Poling stole 42 bases in 2000. Bedrick begins the week ranked fourth in the conference in batting average (.431) and leads the GLVC, while ranking in the top 15 nationally, in stolen bases and stolen base attempts.
 
• Bean goes yard, twice! Junior third baseman Mary Bean (Schaumburg, Illinois) hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats on Monday. She hit her first-career collegiate home run in her final at-bat of USI's 14-4 game-one win over William Jewell. She followed with a solo home run in her first at-bat of USI's 3-2 game-two victory over the Cardinals.
 
• Back showed all-around game. Junior pitcher/first baseman Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana) did a little bit of everything last week. She led USI with 10.1 innings pitch, making three appearances inside the circle on the week with a 2.71 ERA and .238 opponent batting average. At the plate, she hit .444 with a double, home run and team-high tying three RBI.
 
• Strong schedule. While the Eagles have had some hiccups along the way, their 2021 schedule has not been easy by any means. Of their 15 losses, five have come against teams that are currently ranked in the top seven of the NCAA's Power 10 rankings. USI has lost six games by one run and seven by two runs or less.
 
• Scouting the Eagles. USI enters the week with an 8-15 overall record and 6-10 mark in GLVC play. Becrick leads USI with a .431 batting average to go along with a .494 on-base percentage, while senior outfielder Alicia Webb (Elberfeld, Indiana) is hitting .400 with a team-high 10 doubles, one home run and 14 RBI. Sophomore second baseman Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) and sophomore shortstop Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) are respectively hitting .329 and .324 and have each driven in 13 runs.
 
• Scouting the opposition (SBU). The Bearcats enter the weekend with a 2-28 overall record and a 1-15 mark in GLVC play and are trying to snap a 14-game skid. Sophomore outfielder Renae Gillmore is hitting .258 to lead Southwest Baptist, which is hitting .209 as a team.
 
• Scouting the opposition (Drury). The Panthers, who visit Maryville Thursday and McKendree Saturday, are currently 18-7 overall and 10-2 in GLVC play heading into this week's action.  Sophomore pitcher Lauren Beier is hitting .416 with six doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 26 RBI to lead a potent Dury lineup that his hitting .311 as a team. Junior pitcher Karsyn Smith is 5-0 in the circle with a 1.45 ERA, while Beier is 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA.
 
• Webb's hitting streak ends at 22. Webb's career-high 22-game hitting streak came to an end during USI's 5-4 game-two loss at McKendree on April 3. Her streak is believed to be USI's longest since Amber Huse set the program record with a 27-game hitting streak in 1994.
 
• USI picked to finish second in GLVC. League coaches predicted that the Eagles will finish second in the GLVC in 2021. USI received 170 points and two first-place votes, while Indianapolis was picked to finish first, receiving 190 points and four first-place votes.
 
• Eagles in 2020. USI finished the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign with a 15-4 record. The Eagles were set to host Indianapolis in their GLVC-opener when the season was canceled.
 
• Kunkle going for 600. USI Head Coach Sue Kunkle, now in her 20th year leading the Eagles, is 571-400-1 overall record. She is 29 wins from becoming the first coach in USI history with 600 wins.
 
• Eagles looking to continue NCAA run. The Eagles were on pace for their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth in 2020 and their seventh in the last eight years when the season was cut short due to COVID. USI won back-to-back NCAA II Midwest Region titles in 2017 and 2018 before capturing the 2018 national championship.