Indiana University Athletics
Indiana University
Fresno State
Softball Opens 2017 Season This Weekend at Kajikawa Classic
2/9/2017 9:51:00 AM | Softball
WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
Friday, Feb. 10
11 a.m. ET/9 a.m. MT vs. No. 24 Fresno State
2:15 p.m. ET/12:15 p.m. MT vs. Seattle
Saturday, Feb. 11
12:45 p.m. ET/10:45 a.m. MT vs. No. 18 Utah
3:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. MT at RV Arizona State
Sunday, Feb. 12
1:45 p.m. ET/11:45 a.m. MT vs. St. Mary's
CHECKING OUT THE COMPETITION
Fresno State: The Bulldogs posted a 42-12-1 record in 2016, including a 22-1 mark in Mountain West action. Fresno State made the NCAA Tournament a season ago, falling in the Los Angeles regional. The Bulldogs have won all five previous meetings against the Hoosiers, including a 7-0 victory at last year's Kajikawa Classic.
Seattle: The Redhawks went 19-33 last year, with a 3-12 Western Athletic Conference. This will be the first ever meeting between the two teams.
Utah: Indiana's third opponent of the weekend also advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago. The Utes won the Lexington regional, before falling to Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional. Utah finished the season with a 36-21 record and a 13-10 mark in the Pac 12. This will be the fifth time the teams have played, with the Utes holding a 3-1 series lead.
Arizona State: Tournament host Arizona State also made it to the 2016 NCAA Tournament, falling in the Baton Rouge Regionals. The Sun Devils went 32-26 with a 6-17 Pac 12 record. Arizona State leads the series, 6-1, including a 2015 victory at the Kajikawa Classic.
Saint Mary's: The final Indiana opponent of the weekend is Saint Mary's, who went 20-27-1 in 2016 with a 7-8 West Coast Conference record. This will be the third meeting between these two teams. Each team has won once with the last meeting resulting in an 8-3 Saint Mary's win.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Juliana Sherry will be the voice of Indiana Softball in 2017. A broadcast of every game will be available on IUHoosiers.com.
Stay up-to-date with the Hoosiers by following @IUSoftball on Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram,
WHAT'S AHEAD IN 2017
The Hoosiers have 54 games on tap in 2017, including 16 to be played at Andy Mohr Field. Of Indiana's 32 opponents in 2017, six are ranked in the Preseason USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, while another five received votes.
After the Kajikawa Classic, Indiana travels to tournaments in Austin, Texas, Birmingham, Ala., Fullerton, Calif. and Memphis, Tenn. before opening home play on March 18 in the Hoosier Classic. Home Big Ten battles for Indiana includes Rutgers, Purdue, Maryland and Michigan State. IU will travel to Penn State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Michigan. The 2017 Big Ten Tournament will be hosted by Michigan in Ann Arbor May 11-13.
2016 IN REVIEW
• Indiana's 29 overall wins and 10 Big Ten victories are the most for the Hoosiers since 2012.
• IU's 4-0 win against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament was the first Tournament victory for the Hoosiers since 2006.
• Rebecca Blitz and Shannon Cawley earned Second Team All-Big Ten accolades. Blitz was also named Second Team NFCA All-Region honors for the second straight season.
• Freshman Tara Trainer's 183 strikeouts are good for 10th-most in a single season and the most ever for an Indiana freshman. The previous high was Amy Unterbrink's 165 tossed during her freshman campaign in 1983. Trainer pitched a no-hitter against Evansville on March 12, 2016, the first for an Indiana pitcher since 2013. In addition, the righty earned three Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors in 2016.
• The pitching trio of Trainer, Josie Wood and Emily Kirk had an average ERA of 3.54, improving vastly on the mark of 6.95 in 2015.
• Sophomore Rebecca Blitz had 29 stolen bags on the year, good for third-most in a single season in IU history. For the second season, the centerfielder led the team in hits (63) and runs (34). She also led the squad with her .350 batting average.
• As a team, the Hoosiers knocked 69 doubles last season, good for fourth-most in a single season at Indiana. Shannon Cawley led the way with 11, while Kelsey Dotson had nine and Erin Lehman had nine.
