EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball wraps up the main portion of its non-conference schedule at The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Florida, March 2-5. USI will face Quinnipiac University, Western Michigan University, Monmouth University, Sacred Heart University, and the University of North Dakota in three days of action.
 
Saturday's twin bill against Quinnipiac (1-1) and Western Michigan (4-4) will be at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. CT, respectively. On Sunday, the Screaming Eagles will play Monmouth (5-10) at 9 a.m. CT and Sacred Heart (2-4) at 11:30 a.m. CT. USI will conclude play at The Spring Games on Tuesday at 10 a.m. CT against North Dakota (3-13).
 
The Screaming Eagles will be facing each school for the first time with the exception of Sacred Heart, whom USI played one other time in 1995 when USI won 6-1.
 
Southern Indiana is 3-7 this season and most recently played at the 2024 Cocky Classic in Jacksonville, Alabama, hosted by Jacksonville State University. Southern Indiana bookended the weekend with 5-4 wins against the University of Southern Mississippi in walk-off fashion and against Jacksonville State. USI also dropped consecutive 12-4 contests in five innings against Jacksonville State and Belmont University. USI's other result at the Cocky Classic was a 7-1 loss to Southern Mississippi.
 
Senior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) had a notable performance last weekend, batting 429 with three runs, one double, a home run, and six RBIs. Kihega slugged .714 and had three walks toward a .529 on-base percentage. Sophomore Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) also had a good weekend with a team-best nine hits and a .563 batting average. Stapleton had a triple and scored four runs. In the circle, junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) went 2-1 in three complete games, posting a 4.79 ERA with 17 strikeouts.
 
On the season, Stapleton leads USI Softball with 10 hits, hitting for a .500 batting average. Stapleton has a team-best five runs scored and a 1.145 OPS. Kihega is batting .310 so far with a team-high seven RBIs and hit her first home run of the season over the weekend at the Cocky Classic. Seniors Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) and Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) are hitting .276. Fair has three doubles and three RBIs this season.
 
Newman leads the pitching staff with a 3-3 record and a 3.41 ERA. The right-hander has six complete games in six starts. In 39 innings of work, Newman has struck out 32 batters while holding opponents to a .219 batting average.
 
All games at The Spring Games can be seen with a subscription to FloSoftball. Live stats and coverage links can be found on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com.