Indiana University Athletics
A Dream Season to Remember: IU Softball Season in Review
5/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
For the season, Indiana set five all-time team records, while four individuals combined to set 24 hitting and pitching marks. Finishing the year 30-25-1, the team reached the 30 win plateau for the 13th time in program history.
The Hoosiers combined to receive three Big Ten Pitcher/Player of the Week honors on the year. Senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado earned two weekly conference honors (March 14, April 3), while junior infielder Rachel Terry earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week honors on April 24.
Senior right fielder Lauren Hines earned first team All-Big Ten honors after closing her final campaign as a Hoosier with a team-high .393 batting average. Hines is the first Hoosier to earn first team honors since Brooke Monroe garnered the distinction in 2001. In addition to Hines, Bogado raked in second team honors as a pitcher to go along with an all-tournament nod.
Regionally, Bogado and Hines were tabbed first team All-Mideast Region by the NCAA Division I Mideast Softball Advisory Committee. The Mariara, Venezuela native became the first Hoosier hurler to earn the first team distinction since Jill Jensen (1987-90), Christy Brown (1988-91) and Teresa Raine (1987-90) received the honor in 1990. Hines notched the first team honor as a fielder for the first time since Monica Armendarez (1995-98) did it in 1998. The recognitions were first for the Hoosiers' on the All-Mideast Region team since Stormy Hanson (2000-03) collected second team accolades in 2003.
The honors kept coming in for Bogado as she became the first IU softball student-athlete to be named USA Softball's National Collegiate Player of the Week for the week ending on May 7. Bogado earned the honor after she led the Hoosiers to a pair of wins over Purdue with 13 innings of work in the circle. The senior fanned 14 batters in the series, while tallying seven hits in the process at the plate.
The Hoosiers finished the season with a league record of 8-9, including sweeps over three conference foes, IU battled to both accomplishments for the first time since 1997. The feats helped the Hoosiers advance to the league tournament as the No. 6 seed where they made it to the semifinal game with a 5-4 triumph over No. 3-seeded Iowa.
IU's performance all season long and at the Big Ten Tournament earned the team a berth in the NCAA Tournament and a trip to the Austin Regional. The Hoosiers opened the regional with a dominating win over Utah, before falling to the tournament's No. 3 seed Texas. With a solid effort in the elimination game against Utah, IU fell at the hands of a late-game rally by the Utes to bring the exciting season to a close.
Phillips believed the Hoosiers would far exceed expectations in 2006.
"I am not surprised at what this team accomplished this year," Phillips said. "From day one, this coaching staff told the team that they could achieve every one of their goals if they put the hard work in. I am so proud of what this team accomplished. They put Indiana back on the map and brought the program back to its national prominence."
The journey began at the OU/Nike Classic, where IU faced then-No. 11 Oklahoma in its opening series. The Sooners, bringing with them a highly-potent offense coupled with an All-American pitching staff, gave IU a chance to prove itself in 2006. The squad opened the season with a downpour of offense, blasting a combined six homers, out-hitting Oklahoma 30-21 and plating a combined 19 runs in the series. The last time Indiana defeated a ranked opponent came in 6-2 win over UCLA in 1998.
Indiana headed to Tampa, Fla., for the Louisville Slugger Invitational on Feb. 24-26. In the opening game against perennial NCAA qualifier South Florida, IU flexed its pitching muscles, giving the competition a glimpse at what would become one of the strongest pitching staffs in the Big Ten. Bogado fired a school-record 23 strikeouts against USF in the opening game, while senior pitcher Megan Roark backed up the record-breaking outing with her third career no-hitter against Sienna. The two combined to lead Indiana to the semifinal game of the invitational, where the Hoosiers fell to eventual champion Kent State.
The Hoosiers' success continued through the next two tournaments, going 3-5 over the next eight outings. After mixed results, the Hoosiers finally realized their potential, going on a tear, recording a 6-2 mark in the next eight games, including the longest win streak since 1997 of six games.
IU claimed its first tournament title since the 2004 campaign (2004 IU Classic) at the Florida State Tournament on March 10-12. The Hoosiers knocked off their second ranked opponent of the year in then-No. 25 North Carolina to clinch the title. The Hoosiers downed two ranked opponents in the tournament run, toppling then-No. 15 Nebraska in bracket play to advance to the semifinals.
IU's perfect 6-0 record at the FSU Invitational also marked the most wins at an event since going 7-1 at the South Florida Tournament in 1990.
Junior outfielder Kim Richards earned tournament MVP honors, while Hines and Bogado also took home all-tournament accolades. Bogado's efforts over the weekend also helped her land the first of her two Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors.
The Hoosiers continued to prepare for Big Ten play, finishing their pre-conference slate 4-1. The record came courtesy of a pair of wins at the 2006 IU Classic on March 24-25, followed by a series sweep over regional-foe Illinois-Chicago on March 29. During the sweep, Richards rocketed her first career grand slam in game two, sealing a 9-2 victory.
Indiana then opened league action with a two-game series against Ohio State on March 31-April 1, followed by a doubleheader against then league-leading Penn State on April 2. Behind the arm of Bogado, the Hoosiers cruised through their conference-opening weekend, posting their best start since 1997 with a 3-1 record. The senior hurler's effort also earned her a second conference pitching honor for the week.
Bogado went 4-0 in five appearances in the circle to earn the honor, tallying 36 strikeouts over 29 1/3 innings of action. Bogado only allowed three earned runs through five games, giving the senior an impressive 0.72 ERA over the span.
The Hoosiers, behind the suffocating pitching of Bogado, notched back-to-back 4-0 victories against PSU, while splitting the series against Ohio State. The effort also helped Indiana earn its first wins over Ohio State and Penn State in Big Ten action since 2004. The series sweep of PSU served as the first since 1998. The victories helped the Hoosiers eclipse last year's Big Ten win total of two in just the first weekend of conference contests.
After falling on a four-game skid to conference powerhouses then-No. 12 Michigan and Michigan State, Indiana returned to form with a series sweep of cross-state rival Kentucky on April 12. Bogado headlined the performance with a no-hitter in the opening game, giving the senior the second no-hitter of her career.
Continuing in conference action, the Hoosiers went on to sweep Wisconsin on April 21-22, marking the first time IU achieved the feat since 1996. The Hoosiers then split their contests with Iowa on April 23. Indiana's victory over the Hawkeyes ended a 15-game skid against Iowa, dating back to 1999.
With the conference season coming to a close, all that stood in the way of the Big Ten Tournament berth was a sweep of arch rival Purdue. The Boilermakers could not overcome a strong hitting and defensive performance by IU, falling in Bloomington, 7-0, before being toppled on their home diamond, 5-4. The sweep marked IU's first over the Boilermakers since 1997 and propelled IU into the postseason for the first time since 1996. Not only did these wins boost the Hoosiers into the Big Ten tournament as the 6th seed, the wins also clinched Indiana's victory in the AT&T Crimson and Gold Cup, the all-sport challenge between Indiana and Purdue.
IU upset No. 3-seeded Iowa, 5-4, in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on May 12 to advance to face second-seeded and then-No. 13 Michigan in the semifinals. The Hoosiers fell to the eventual Big Ten Tournament Champions, 4-0, to close their post-season conference run.
The dream season, however, did not end there as Indiana earned a berth to the 2006 NCAA Tournament and a trip to the Austin Regional on May 19-21 as the second seed. The Hoosiers opened the championship with a 3-0 win over Utah to advance to take on No. 3 Texas. After suffering a 3-0 loss to the Longhorns, IU dropped a heartbreaker to Utah to bring the season to an end.
"Even though we would have loved to advance, what we accomplished this season is tremendous," Phillips said. "This team did things this program has not seen in years. This group of women is leaving this season with their heads held high, knowing that they deserved the chance to represent themselves, IU softball and Indiana University on a national stage. What we accomplished this year will forever be a benchmark for teams to come."
The 2006 Hoosiers combined to blast 40 home runs on the season, replacing the all-time record in the category set by the 2004 Hoosiers of 35. Bogado, Roark and junior pitcher Christy Wahl also joined together to be Indiana's strongest pitching staff in history, combining for a total 461 strikeouts, bettering the previous mark (441) by 20. Their strength in the circle allowed only 282 hits all season, ranking sixth all-time.
The IU defense set the highest mark in the 30-year history of the program. Indiana committed only 51 errors and posted a .968 fielding percentage, both program bests.
After a remarkable season, Phillips believes the future of Indiana softball looks bright.
"What we did this season is only a building block and a foundation for the success this program can achieve in years to come," Phillips said.
