TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State Softball will travel to Nashville, Tenn. this weekend to compete in the Roar City Invitational, hosted by Tennesee State University, where play begins on Friday, February 16.
The Sycamores will play five games throughout the weekend, beginning with a matchup at 11 a.m. ET against Western Michigan and to wrap up Friday's play the Sycamores will take on Tennessee State at 1 p.m. ET. On Saturday, ISU will play twice again, first taking on SLU at 5 p.m. ET and then turning around to play UT Martin at 7 p.m. ET. ISU will wrap up their weekend Sunday afternoon with another matchup against SLU at 1 p.m. ET.
Last Time Out
The Sycamores began their 2024 campaign last weekend in the Houston Tournament, ISU went 1-4 where they fell to Rutgers, Colgate, and a pair of games to Houston. Indiana State won their first game of the season on Sunday against Colgate in a five inning run-rule, defeating Colgate 12-0. Lauren Sackett (1-2) recorded her first win of the season for the Sycamores allowing only one hit and zero runs scored over 4.0 innings of work. Offensively, nine Sycamores recorded hits in the victory over Colgate. Kennedy Shade led ISU with three hits and five RBI as the Sycamores connected on a weekend-high 13 hits and scored runs in all five innings on Sunday afternoon.
The Opponents- Western Michigan
- Coached by Marlee Wilson who enters her first season as head coach for the Broncos.
- First matchup between Indiana State and Western Michigan since 2014.
- 17-29 record in 2023 season.
- Senior Addison Hudson recorded team highs in 2023 in batting average (.344) and on-base percentage (.412). Hudson had 11 multi-hit games where she recorded 42 hits and scored 23 runs.
- Senior Rissa Bajusz, an All-MAC second-team selection last season, will anchor the pitching staff. Bajusz held a 3.03 ERA through 171.0 innings and tossed a career-best 163 strikeouts and led all categories across the Bronco pitching staff.
The Opponents- Tennessee State University
- Coached by Genee McRath who is entering her third year as head coach for the Tigers.
- The Sycamores lead the all-time series 6-0 against the Tigers.
- 22-26 record in 2023 season.
- Anayah Baker-Powell was selected as a 2024 OVC Preseason Player to watch. She earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for her performance at the OVC Championships last season. On the year, she produced a .266 batting average with 23 runs, nine doubles, four triples, three home runs, 23 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.
- Caitlin Manus was named to the second team as a pitcher after finishing the season with a 16-14 record. She led the team in innings pitched (189.0), strikeouts (99), wins (16), complete games (19), and shutouts (3), while carrying a 3.81 ERA.
The Opponents- UT Martin
- Brian Dunn recently retired as the University of Tennessee at Martin head softball coach.
- The Sycamores lead the all-time series 7-3 against the Skyhawks.
- 23-24 record in 2023 season.
- Senior outfielder Kaci Fuller has been tabbed as one of the league's top performers as an OVC Softball Player to Watch. Fuller is coming off a 2023 campaign in which the outfielder notched a .404 batting average with 23 runs scored, nine doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 30 RBIs.
- Senior Brooklyn Linneman returns for the Skyhawks pitching staff. Linneman posted a 7-6 overall record with a 2.99 ERA in 98.1 innings of work where she struck out 80 batters.
The Opponents- Saint Louis University
- 2023 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year, Christy Connoyer, is entering her 14th season as head coach for SLU.
- Indiana State leads the all-time series 8-5 against the Billikens.
- 30-25 record in 2023.
- Sophomore Abby Mallo returns for the Billikens after being selected for the All Region Third team, All-Conference team, & A-10 All-Rookie team in 2023. Mallo is ranked 10th in RBIs per game (1.12), 71st in home runs per game (0.25) in the national rankings.
- Returning for the Billikens pitching staff is junior Taylor Hochman, in addition to four freshmen Sophie Bonette, Anna Christ, Isabel Royle, and Lily Strand.
Up Next
The Sycamores will travel to Memphis, Tenn. to play five games in the Memphis tournament on Feb 23-25. ISU will face SIUE, Tennessee Tech, and Memphis.
Follow the Sycamores
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. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
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