TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State softball will travel to Tennessee this weekend for the Chattanooga Challenge which begins Friday afternoon at Warner Park.
 
The five game slate for ISU will begin on Friday, February 17 at 12:30 p.m. ET with a matchup against Western Illinois. Friday's action will conclude with a 5:30 p.m. ET contest against the host Chattanooga. On Saturday, Indiana State will play another doubleheader, beginning with Marshall at 12:30 p.m. ET followed by a 3:00 p.m. ET first pitch against Maine. The weekend trip will conclude on Sunday with an 11:00 a.m. ET game against Marshall.

The Sycamores began their 2023 campaign on February 10 with a 2-0 victory over James Madison at the Charleston Invitational at Patriots Point in Charleston, South Carolina. The remainder of the weekend was canceled due to inclement weather.
 
Indiana State's offense in their lone contest last week was led by Danielle Henning and TeAnn Bringle who each drove in a run in the win over the Dukes. Preseason All-Conference pick Isabella Henning added a base hit as well. In the circle, Lexi Benko threw a complete game shutout, striking out seven JMU hitters and limiting them to just six baserunners on the afternoon.
 
Opponents
The Sycamores open their weekend with the Western Illinois Leathernecks who began their season with a 4-1 weekend at the Rosemont Dome Tournament. WIU is coached by Alisa Goler who is in her third season as head coach. Senior pitcher Savannah Rodriguez and sophomore catcher Georgia Rea were named to the Preseason Summit League Watch List. Indiana State and Western Illinois have faced off 44 previous times with WIU leading the all-time series 31-13.
 
Chattanooga and ISU were scheduled to face off last weekend at the Charleston Invitational but the game was canceled due to inclement weather. The Mocs are led by longtime head coach Frank Reed and were picked to finish third in the Southern Conference preseason poll. Coach Reed has been named SoCon Coach of the Year six times in his 22 years with Chattanooga. Senior infielder Emily Coltharp was selected as the 2023 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year after batting .382. last season where she recorded a league-best 72 hits and stole 24 bases.
 
Marshall comes into the weekend after a 3-1 trip to the Florida Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida. Megan Smith Lyon is in her fifth season as the Thundering Herd's head coach. She has won over 500 games in her coaching career including 118 wins at Marshall. Pitcher Sydney Nester is the reigning Conference USA Pitcher of the Year after winning 26 games with a 2.35 ERA in 2022. Catcher Autumn Owens was an All-Conference Second Team choice after batting .354 with eight home runs. The Herd lead the all-time series 4-2 over ISU.

The fourth opponent of the weekend for ISU will be Maine who began their season last weekend at the Upstate Classic  in Spartanburg, S.C. where they went 1-3. Jordan Fitzpatrick is the head coach of the Black Bears and is in her second season at the helm. Senior infielder Kelby Drews leads the Maine offense, being named America East Player of the Week for their opening weekend. The two programs have faced off just once, with Maine winning the lone matchup in 1994.
 
Up Next
Indiana State will play in the Easton Bama Bash beginning on February 24, which is hosted by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

For the latest information on Sycamore Softball, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.