The Indiana State softball team travels to Missouri State on Saturday, May 1 for an MVC doubleheader with the Bears. The two teams first square off at Noon (ET), with the second game expected to start at 2 p.m. The series finale is set for Sunday, May 2 at Killian Softball Stadium.
Indiana State last took the field on Saturday, April 24, when they split an MVC doubleheader with Drake, winning 1-0 before falling 8-2 to the Bulldogs. Alyssa Doyle led the way offensively, going 3-for-6 at the plate. Sara Evans earned the victory over DU, scattering four hits over four innings of starting work with three strikeouts.
Doyle leads ISU at the plate, batting .305 with 39 hits to propel her squad, while Bailey Wittenauer (.263) also has 35 hits, four homers, 12 doubles and 26 RBI. McCurdy tops the pitching staff with an 8-15 record, a 1.97 earned-run average and 161 strikeouts, and Lindsey Beisser is 5-3 with a 2.71 ERA and 69 Ks to her name.
Scouting the Competition: Missouri State Bears
Missouri State is 14-28 (9-10 MVC) entering this weekend's three-game series with Indiana State, having last seen the field on April 28 in an 11-3 loss to Arkansas in Springfield.
Jenna Schwark has a .339 batting average after starting all 41 games and has four homeruns with 15 RBI. Caitlin Chapin and Ashley Knehans have six roundtrippers apiece to top the Bears' power punch, while Natalie Rose (4-10) is MSU's ace in the circle with 85 strikeouts and a 3.24 ERA.
Missouri State was selected seventh in the MVC preseason poll after finishing 19-25 in 2009. Head coach Holly Hesse is in her 22nd season with the Bears.
Jonson Jumps Out to Offensive Success in MVC Play
Stephanie Jonson has been Indiana State's leading hitter in MVC games this season, batting .273 with 15 hits. She hit an outstanding .500 for the week over five games from March 30 to April 3, going 7-for-14 at the plate. The junior outfielder had a pair of doubles, three runs scored and four RBI, and also went 4-for-6 in a doubleheader at Evansville. Jonson also blasted her third homerun of the season against the Purple Aces, and she has seven multi-hit games this year, including three that week alone.
Three of her four homeruns on the season have come against MVC opponents, and since stepping into a consistent starting role as an outfielder in 2010, she has committed no errors in the field.
McCurdy Seizes Second All-Time for Sycamore Strikeouts
Senior Meagan McCurdy had six strikeouts against Southern Illinois on April 10, giving her a career total of 363 to move into second all-time on the Sycamores' career strikeouts list. The Indianapolis, Ind., native has 161 for the year and 400 for her career and passes Debbie Styx, who totaled 362 from 1988-92.
McCurdy also ranks fourth in the conference for earned-run average with a 1.97 ERA. She is 8-15 on the season with three saves over 31 appearances, throwing 149.1 innings.
ISU Career Strikeout Leaders
Rank Player Season Strikeouts
1 Darcy Wood 2005-09 1,036
2 Meagan McCurdy 2007-present 400
3 Debbie Styx 1988-92 362
4 Emily Germer 2001-04 294
5 Wendy Dobbin 1984-87 269
6 Mara Kanary 1986-89 224
7 Michelle Peterson 1994-97 216
8 Keri Pryzgocki 1998-01 179
9 Eileen Murdock 1981-85 154
10 Sammi Whitcomb 2003-04 146
Beisser One-Hits Saint Louis in Midweek Contest
Lindsey Beisser had a solid outing against Saint Louis, limiting the Billikens to just one hit in the first game of an afternoon doubleheader. SLU's only hit came as a single in the sixth inning, and the Sycamores took home a 4-1 non-conference win. For her part, Beisser also allowed just one walk and struck out four batters in the complete-game effort.
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 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.
ISU's 8-0 Win Streak Ties Best of Coldren Era
Indiana State's eight straight wins from Feb. 27 to March 8 tied the longest streak of head coach Brenda Coldren's career since going on an 8-0 run midseason in 2008. In the span earlier this season, the Sycamores outscored their opponents 51-16.
Longest Win Streaks in the Coldren Era
Win Streak Year(s)
8-0 2 times: 2010, 2009
5-0 2006
4-0 5 times: 2009 (twice), 2007, 2006, 2004
3-0 6 times: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 (twice), 2003
Sycamores Selected for All-Tournament Honors
Four Indiana State players were selected to the Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team, 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 has served 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. Over a total of six games against NCAA qualifiers, the Sycamores are at .500 with a 3-3 record.
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.
At the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla., the Sycamores posted a 1-0 victory against Sacred Heart and a 4-0 win over Lehigh. They most recently faced No. 18 Illinois in Champaign, falling 5-1, but keeping a 2-1 advantage over NCAA qualifiers this season.
Against the Braves, Indiana State went 1-2 but earned their second conference win of the season in a 3-2, 10-inning thriller on Sunday.
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.
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 returns home to Price Field on Saturday, May 8 for the regular-season finale with Wichita State. First pitch is set for Noon (ET), with the second game expected to start at 2 p.m. The final game of the WSU series is slated for Sunday, May 9 at Noon.
