TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State enters the 2025 MVC Softball Championship as the No. 6 seed and will take on No. 11 Evansville on Wednesday, May 7, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT in Des Moines, Iowa. All games throughout the tournament will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The Sycamores are looking to advance past the opening round and earn a shot at No. 3 seed UNI on Thursday night. With Southern Illinois securing the top seed for the second consecutive year, and Belmont and UNI rounding out the top three, Indiana State is aiming to make a deep run and capture its first-ever MVC Tournament title.
Last Time Out:
Indiana State softball wrapped up its regular season with a three-game series at Belmont, falling 4-0 late Saturday night before splitting Sunday's doubleheader. In Saturday's opener, the Sycamores struggled offensively against the nation's strikeout leader, managing only two hits while Belmont's Maya Johnson struck out 18 in a dominant performance.
Sunday's first game saw Indiana State fall 4-1 despite early chances and a strong defensive effort. However, the Sycamores bounced back in the finale, defeating Belmont 6-2 behind a season-high 13 hits. Brailey Mills led the way with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, while Abby Widmar added a two-hit game that included a home run.
Sycamore Standouts:
Brailey Mills was named MVC Freshman of the Week and GoGo Squeez ISU Student-Athlete of the Week after a standout performance at Belmont. She went 4-for-5 with three runs, an RBI, a double, and a highlight catch in Sunday's doubleheader, helping lead the Sycamores to a 6-2 win in the series finale.
Kenzie Cornwell stayed hot at the plate over the weekend, going 1-for-3 in Game 1, 2-for-3 in Game 2, and 1-for-3 in Game 3, extending her hitting streak to eight games. She has reached base in each of those contests and currently leads the Sycamores with a team-best .338 batting average.
Morgan Goodrich has been a consistent offensive force, topping the team in hits (43), runs scored (25), and walks (24), while batting .291 and going a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts.
Lauren Marsicek adds to the offensive depth, hitting .286 with a team-high-tying eight doubles, a .361 slugging percentage, and 16 RBIs, while starting in 49 games this season.
In the Circle:
Hailey Griffin delivered a strong weekend in the circle for Indiana State, tossing 8.0 total innings against Belmont while allowing just two hits and four runs, and striking out seven. She earned her second save of the season in Sunday's 6-2 win, entering in the sixth and retiring all six batters she faced to close out the series.
Griffin ranks among the MVC's best this season, sitting 5th in ERA (2.44), 2nd in opposing batting average (.196), 4th in total strikeouts (119), and 6th in wins (10).
Scouting Evansville:
The Purple Aces enter the MVC Tournament with an overall record of 19-33 and a conference record of 5-22.
Bode is a key contributor for Evansville, combining a .338 average and .424 on-base percentage with 45 hits, 24 RBIs and 3 home runs.
Hollingsworth (8-7) leads Evansville's pitching staff with a 3.63 ERA, 8 wins, and 102.1 innings pitched, adding 6 complete games, 2 shutouts, 2 saves and 50 strikeouts.
Matchup History:
Evansville claimed the series over the Sycamores this season 2 games to 1. The Sycamores claimed game one at Price Field 5-3, then Evansville tied the series 1-1 when they won game 2 6-0. Later in the regular season, Indiana State traveled to Evansville for the series finale where the Sycamores fell in a close 4-2 matchup.
Indiana State leads the all-time series against Evansville 62–56, dating back to their first meeting in 1979. The Sycamores have gone 5–5 over the last 10 matchups and boast a strong home record of 36–28. Their longest win streak in the series is 10 games (1989–1993), and their largest margin of victory came in a 16–3 win in 2022.
Last Tournament Appearance:
Indiana State's 2024 MVC Tournament run came to a heartbreaking end in the first round with a 4-3 walk-off loss to No. 6 seed Missouri State. Despite out-hitting the Bears 9-8 and rallying to tie the game in the seventh, the Sycamores couldn't hold off a final push from Missouri State.
Luci Kapelka's solo home run sparked the offense, while Kennedy Shade and Isabella Henning contributed key hits. Indiana State, which had won the series against the Bears just days earlier, ended the season at 20-30 (8-16 MVC).
Up Next:
The winner will advance to face No. 3 UNI on Thursday night at 8 p.m ET / 7 p.m CT.
Tournament Website:
https://mvc-sports.com/tournaments/?id=29
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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