The Indiana State softball team hosts SEMO in its 2010 home opener on Wednesday, March 17. The doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at Price Field. ISU, which is 10-5 on the year after the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla., last weekend, are 1-3 all-time against the Redhawks.
Indiana State went 5-2 at Florida spring break tournament, with sophomore Bailey Wittenauer tallying seven hits and batting .318 for the tournament. Against Detroit Mercy, she went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with six RBI and a pair of runs scored. For the week, Wittenauer had two doubles and a total of seven RBI, while drawing two walks.
The Sycamores also achieved their highest run total (14) of the season against DMU in a shutout of the Titans on March 9. Freshman pitcher Kristen Felker held DMU to just one hit, while the ISU offense pounded out 19 hits.
On the year, freshman MacKenzie Connelly leads ISU at the plate, hitting .410 with a homerun, while sophomore Alyssa Doyle comes in at .409 with three doubles. Senior pitcher Meagan McCurdy tops the pitching staff with a 5-3 record, a 0.62 earned-run average and 55 strikeouts to her credit.
ISU's 10-5 Start Matches Best of Coldren Era
Through 15 games this season, Indiana State has matched its best start of the eight-year Brenda Coldren coaching era with a 10-5 record. The Sycamores last achieved that season-opening mark in 2006-07.
In addition, ISU's eight straight wins from Feb. 27 to March 8 also ties the Sycamores' longest streak since going on an 8-0 run midseason in 2007-08.
McCurdy Named MVC Pitcher of the Week
Meagan McCurdy was named MVC Pitcher of the Week for games of Feb. 23-28, the conference office announced on March 1. The senior made four appearances last weekend at the Tennessee State Tiger Classic, going 2-0 with a save in 18.2 innings of work. McCurdy averaged just one walk per game and struck out 21 batters, holding her opponents to a .211 batting average and three extra-base hits. For the weekend, she threw two complete-game victories and had a 0.38 earned-run average, which helped her to a 0.44 ERA for the year.
Sycamores Selected for All-Tournament Honors
Four Indiana State players were selected to the Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team last weekend, as the Sycamores posted a 4-0 record. Meagan McCurdy, Alyssa Doyle, Bailey Wittenauer and Stephanie Jonson all represented ISU with the honors, the most of any squad at the tournament.
McCurdy also opened the season by being named to the Memphis Blues City Classic All-Tournament Team after going 1-1 in two appearances as a starter with a 0.54 ERA. Over 13.0 innings of work, McCurdy gave up just nine hits and struck out 12, holding her opponents to a .176 batting average.
ISU Schedule Features Four Postseason Teams
ISU's schedule for the 2010 season will serve as a challenge for the Sycamores in preparation for postseason competition in May. The slate includes games with four postseason-qualifying teams from last season -- Sacred Heart, Lehigh, Illinois and Bradley.
Lehigh was the farthest-advancing of the four squads, knocking off Texas A&M and Florida A&M before it faced top-seeded Florida in the final of the NCAA Gainesville Regional.
Coldren Inks Two for Class of 2010
Head coach Brenda Coldren announced in the offseason that two student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join Indiana State in 2010-11: Danielle Ketner and Shelby Wilson.
Ketner is a two-time All-MIC selection at North Vigo High School for Coach Jack Kirchner. A three-year varsity starter and the Patriots' third baseman, she earned all-conference honors as a sophomore and junior, as well as All-Wabash Valley standing both seasons. In her senior season, Ketner batted .394 with 14 RBI, seven doubles, three triples and a homerun. Additionally, Ketner has lettered three years in basketball for THN.
Wilson is a utility player hailing from Whiteland, Ind., who plays as a shortstop, third baseman, catcher and outfielder. Wilson has lettered at Whiteland High School for Coach Dana Griffin, and her club squad is Team Indiana. As a sophomore, Wilson posted a .429 batting average, followed by a junior season that saw her hit .374 with six doubles. She earned All-South honors from the Indianapolis Star in 2008, and in her senior year, batted .316 with a .418 slugging percentage.
Up Next for the Sycamores...
Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Conference play with a three-game trip to Creighton in Omaha, Neb., this weekend. On Saturday, March 20, the Sycamores have a doubleheader at CU at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (ET), followed by the series finale on Sunday, March 21 at 1 p.m.
