CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Indiana State softball is set to play in the Chattanooga Challenge in Chattanooga, Tennessee this weekend where the Trees are slated to play five games in three days.
The action gets underway on Friday, Feb. 18 with a doubleheader vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (10 a.m.) and Radford (12:30 p.m.). On Saturday, the Sycamores face SIUE (10 a.m.) and Tennessee Tech (12:30 p.m.) before the weekend finale vs. Northwestern State on Sunday, Feb. 20 (10 a.m.).
The Sycamores will play three games at the Warner Park Complex as well as two at Chattanooga's Jim Frost Stadium.
This will be the fifth consecutive season playing in the tournament for Indiana State.
The Opponents
Purdue Fort Wayne
- Indiana States holds an 8-3 lead in the all-time series.
- The two schools last played in 2017, with the Sycamores winning 8-2 in Fort Wayne.
- The Mastadons, who come into the weekend 0-5, finished 12-27 last season, going 11-24 in Horizon League play.
Radford
- The Highlanders lead the all-time series 2-1.
- Radford and Indiana State split a pair of games in 2013 at the Bulldog Invitational in Athens, Ga.
- 2021 saw the Highlanders go 22-32 with an 11-10 record in the Big South. Radford enters this weekend at 3-2.
SIUE
Â- All-time series tied 3-3
- The last matchup came in 2019 at the Purple & Gold Challenge in Nashville, Tenn. The Sycamores won 6-5.
- The Cougars finished 18-21 last season with an 18-14 record during Ohio Valley play. SIUE enters the the weekend with a 2-3 record, which includes a loss to MVC foe Evansville.
Tennessee Tech
- The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series 2-1.
- Tennessee Tech won the most recent matchup 11-3 at the 2020 Chattanooga Challenge.
- A 19-30 record while going 13-20 in conference play, the Golden Eagles enter the weekend with a 4-1 record.
Northwestern State
- Indiana State won the only matchup between the two schools with a 6-1 victory at the 2011 ULM Mardi Gras Classic.
- Sycamore head coach
Mike Perniciaro spent the 2005 season as the head coach at NW State and led the Lady Devils to a 35-28 record.
- Went 24-22 last season with a 16-11 record in Southland Conference play. Enter the Chattanooga Challenge with a 3-1 record.
Trip to Florida
Indiana State came away from the Stetson Lead-Off Classic with a 2-2 record after Sunday's game was canceled due to rain.
Bella Peterson led the offense over the weekend, batting .529 (9-17) with three doubles, a home run and three RBI's. Peterson also was strong defensively, making multiple diving catches in right field while throwing out the potential game-winning run at the plate for Stetson to send the game into extra innings.
Isabella Henning had a solid weekend at the plate, driving in two runs while recording three doubles.
Abi Chipps finished the tournament batting .417 (5-12).
In the circle for the Trees,
Lexi Benko made two strong starts over the weekend, including a complete game shutout against Georgia State while striking out six Panther batters.
Cassi Newbanks earned her first collegiate victory with a win against Stetson. She allowed just two earned runs across seven innings to help the Sycamores get the win in extra innings.
Three players made their Indiana State debuts over the weekend with Newbanks,
Lyndsi Adamson,
Hailey Griffin each pitching in the tournament.
Moving Up The Ranks
Bella Peterson drove in three runs at the Stetson Lead-Off Classic which puts her in a tie for first for the most RBI's in a career at Indiana State. She now has 120 for her career.
Peterson's nine hits give her 189 for her career which is good for fourth-most in ISU history.
Her three runs scored over the weekend give her 101 for her career which puts her in a tie for fourth-most in ISU history.
By The Numbers
- Indiana State led the MVC with 369 hits last season while the Sycamores 36 home runs were third-most in the conference.
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Bella Peterson led the MVC with 19 doubles which broke a school record.
- The Sycamores will play games in seven states this season.
- The Indiana State roster boasts players from six states.Â
Three Trees Tabbed Preseason All-MVC
Sophomore
Isabella Henning and seniors
Bella Peterson and
Lexie Siwek were named Preseason All-MVC in a poll by the league's coaches. Henning, the reigning MVC Freshman of the Year, registered a .324 average while blasting a team-high eight home runs. Peterson returns after leading the Sycamore offense with 57 hits last season. Siwek was Indiana State's top hitter in 2021, leading the Sycamores with a .397 batting average.
Coaching Staff Changes
Indiana State welcomes two new assistant coaches into the fold in 2022 as former Division I players
Brittany Gray and
Rachel O'Malley enter their first season on the staff.
Offense Returns in 2022
The Sycamore lineup returns the bulk of their offensive production from last season:
- 30 of 36 home runs
- 301 of 369 base hits
- 84% of the run production
Who's New in 2022
Indiana State signed five freshmen in their 2021 class who are all now officially Sycamores:
Hailey Griffin, a pitcher from Oak Creek, Wisconsin;
Livi Colip, an infielder from Indianapolis;
Cassi Newbanks, a pitcher from Oreana, Illinois;
Lauren Sackett, a pitcher/infielder from Terre Haute, Indiana; and
Randi Jo Pryor, a catcher/infielder from Tennyson, Indiana.
Also in the newcomer mix is sophomore
Lyndsi Adamson, a transfer pitcher who won 17 games at Wabash Valley College last season.
A Look Ahead
The Sycamores will continue their tournament slate next weekend as they'll play in the Samford Bulldog Classic in Birmingham, Alabama from Feb. 26-27.
For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visitÂ
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including
Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram and
YouTube.
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- #MarchOn -
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