EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball makes a midweek trip up I-69 Wednesday for a battle against Indiana University. The game is slated for first pitch at 3 p.m. CT from Bloomington, Indiana.
The road game against Indiana is the first midweek contest of the season for Southern Indiana, who heads into the matchup 4-13 (1-2 OVC) on the campaign. IU is the second Big Ten Conference team USI has faced this season. USI fell to Purdue University at the University of Alabama Birmingham Green and Gold Classic on February 22, 12-0, in six innings.
The Screaming Eagles are coming off opening weekend in the Ohio Valley Conference season. USI went 1-2 in a three-game series against Western Illinois University to open USI's home schedule. It is the second straight season Southern Indiana has started OVC play with a 1-2 mark.
Freshman first baseman
Lilly Brown and senior third baseman
Whitley Hunter led USI over the weekend against Western Illinois with a .429 batting average and a double for each corner infielder. Brown tallied two RBIs and Hunter had one. In the pitching circle, senior pitcher
Josie Newman and freshman hurler
Kylie Witthaus each recorded a complete game during the series. Witthaus earned her first career win on Saturday against the Leathernecks. Newman totaled 18 strikeouts in two appearances.
With her 18 strikeouts during the weekend, Newman is now second on USI Softball's career strikeouts list with 658 strikeouts entering the week. Newman passed Brooke Harmening (2012-15, 642) on the list.
On the season, junior outfielder
Caroline Stapleton is USI's top hitter with a .327 batting average. Stapleton has also scored a team-high 10 runs. Sophomore infielder
Sydney Long leads the team with seven RBIs and is tied with sophomore outfielder
Kate Satkoski for a team-best two home runs.
On the pitching side, Newman (3-7) has a 4.11 ERA. Newman has thrown the most innings with 59.2 innings pitched, including six complete games. Newman has an OVC-high 98 strikeouts.
Indiana enters the week with a 17-5 overall record. The Hoosiers host Butler University on Tuesday evening before welcoming in the Screaming Eagles on Wednesday in IU's final games before the start of Big Ten play this coming weekend against the University of Iowa.
Freshman infielder Madalyn Strader paces the Hoosiers with a .500 batting average. Senior outfielder Taylor Minnick is the top run producer with 30 RBIs and is tied for a team-high five home runs with junior catcher Avery Parker. Parker has 29 RBIs this season. Minnick and Parker are hitting .492 and .400, respectively.
On the pitching staff, freshman pitcher Jenae Berry tops the squad with an 8-1 record and a 1.89 ERA in 37 innings of work. Senior pitcher Brianna Copeland has a team-best 42 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched.
Indiana is 3-0 all time against USI, winning all three games when USI was still known as Indiana State University-Evansville. The two programs first met in 1979 and last met in 1981.
Wednesday's game can be seen with a subscription to Big Ten+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM. Additional coverage can be found at usiscreamingeagles.com.
