Indiana University Athletics
Surprise Contenders – IU Softball Aims to Keep Big Ten Title Within Reach
4/24/2018 8:13:00 PM | Softball
By Pete DiPrimio, IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Did you figure Indiana to be contending for a Big Ten softball championship?
Did anyone outside the Hoosier locker room?
Excitement is everywhere you look these days at Andy Mohr Field, where IU is rampaging through conference opponents under new coach Shonda Stanton in jaw-dropping fashion.
The latest example – a three-game weekend sweep of Penn State highlighted by pitcher Tara Trainer's second career no-hitter on Sunday.
The Hoosiers are 13-2 in Big Ten play, half a game behind first-place Michigan with two weeks remaining. There's eight games still yet to be played, but it's time to take notice.
"It's so exciting to be relevant in the Big Ten and make an impact," senior outfielder Rebecca Blitz says. "This has never happened in my four years here. It's great to be a contender."
How unlikely is this?
Consider that IU has had just two winning Big Ten records in the last 21 seasons.
In the five previous conference seasons, the Hoosiers were 3-19, 5-18, 7-14, 10-13 and 9-14.
Beyond that, they went 8-23 against non-conference teams this season. They opened 0-7 and 1-11.
Did Blitz and her teammates think Big Ten contention was realistic?
"Not really," she says.
She pauses, as if about to reveal classified information.
"We kept it a secret that we think we could do it. I don't think we ever truly believed it until this moment, that it's possible. It's right there. It's within our reach."
As for winning the program's fourth Big Ten title and first since 1996, Stanton says, "We need to keep winning. Every day we want to win the day and what's important now.
"You win the day by focusing on getting on base, getting a good lead, the ball is in the dirt I've got to take the next 60 feet. I get a 2-0 count at the plate, I've got to get a good swing at it. Stay in the moment."
Or, as Blitz puts it, "We have to continue with the same mindset that we've had in all of our Big Ten games. No game is more important than the rest. Continue to find ways to get the job done."
And so the Hoosiers have, which leads to the obvious question – how did a season in a free-fall become one building toward making history?
The answer starts with Stanton and her stay-positive-no-matter-what approach. She didn't come to Indiana after 18 successful seasons at Marshall to wait for success to happen.
She went after it,and brought the Hoosiers with her.
Take, for instance, the fire.
Right before the Big Ten-opening series against No. 18 Ohio State, Stanton took all the negative things that had happened in non-conference play, put them on paper, including statistics, and ignited them.
"We put it all in a bucket and burned it," she says. "We said, 'It's a new season and we're right where we want to be.'"
Actually, Stanton began working on mindset well before that.
"You can have the best system in the world," she says, "but if you don't have the best system-thinking, you won't be successful. That's what we needed to change, our mindset, how we think, how we approach the game.
"Young people get so caught up in the result – Did I get a hit? Did I get a win? That's not what it's about.
"It's about, Did I put the ball in play hard? Did I give my team a chance to be successful? Did I have a productive out?
"It's all about cataloguing performances -- I had a good at-bat here, a good swing there, a great play here. In time, you put it all together. That's what we're seeing now."
And then Stanton taps into an approach that sounds like a scene from the TV series, Westworld.
"It was teaching them to play the game within the game. Understand the result isn't final until it is. Don't play to the scoreboard.
"Once we were able to adjust that Stinkin' Thinkin' we had and play to our performance statement and our identity statement, once we had a more consistent approach about how we attack a game, then we started seeing success."
Of course, players had to buy into that and not give in to the tension that so often surfaces when losses mount.
"It was our mindset and attitude," Blitz says. "We had been preaching that Big Ten is when it's really going to matter for us and when we make our run.
"Throughout the whole preseason we continued to push hard in the weight room, harder than we expected.
"We don't take Mondays off. We continue to grind. That plays a huge part in it. Once we got to the Big Ten, it was like we flipped a switch and upped our game."
It started by sweeping Ohio State, 6-0, 9-3 and 4-1 in late March.
"We came out strong," Blitz says. "Once we got in our rhythm, it was like, 'We are actually this good because we'd heard it from our coaches all year – 'We are good and we can do it.' That series made us believe we are as good as they'd been saying."
Adds Stanton: "The buy-in factor was sweeping Ohio State. If we don't have the opening weekend that we did, I'm not sure the buy-in would have been as quick. That helped. Results do help.
"Once we got to Big Ten play, it was great to see it all come together. Then we're playing better. We're getting more confidence."
That leads to another crucial factor:
Aggression.
Stanton hasn't won 608 games over 20 seasons with passive coaching. She wants players willing to take chances – as long as they're smart about it.
Take, for instance, stealing bases.
The Hoosiers will never overwhelm opponents with raw speed, and yet they have set the program single-season record for stolen bases.
IU has 101 steals as a team, breaking the record of 91 set in 1988. It had six on Sunday.
This reflects Stanton's make-something-happen philosophy.
"It's paying off for us. Ball in the dirt and we're taking the next 60 feet. It's that mindset of training like a lion and going after what you want and pouncing on it.
"I wouldn't say we're a fast team, and we've broken the record that was set in 1988. I'm excited about them buying into that."
As for why Stanton is willing to take base-running risks most coaches won't, she says. "There are so many things that have to happen to throw somebody out. As coaches sometimes you're afraid to take that chance.
"You lower the risk by teaching it. We teach things, we train and then trust our training. That's how you lower the risk. For us it's not as high risk as other coaches see it."
Beyond that, IU has thrived with a spread-the-wealth approach that has produced different stars in nearly every game. On Sunday it came from Trainer's no-hitter and freshman Maddie Westmoreland's four runs batted in.
"The great thing about this team is that we're all taking turns," Stanton says. "We're not waiting on one kid to save the day. That's what's fun. You wake up and ask, 'Who is it going to be today?'"
(On Saturday) it was infielder Rachel O'Malley, a .204 hitter who delivered a clutch two-out, two runs batted in, fifth-inning single in a 4-1 win over Penn State.
"We aren't relying on just one player," Blitz says. "Everyone can get the job done. It doesn't come down to just our hitters or our pitchers. One game it could be this person. The next it could be someone else. It's about having that much trust and faith in all of us and not just one person to get it done."
Blitz has done her part. She is hitting .336 with a team-leading 25 steals. With 226 career hits, she's closing in on the school record of 238 by Karleen Moore. She also has a shot at Aimee Lonigro's career stolen base record of 90. Blitz has 85.
Sophomore Gabbi Jenkins leads the team in average (.368) and is second with 23 steals. Westmoreland leads IU in home runs (9) and runs batted in (47) while hitting .344.
Trainer is 14-14 with a 2.44 ERA.
Now IU faces a crucial week. It plays a doubleheader at Purdue (4-10 in the Big Ten) on Wednesday before hosting Michigan (13-1) for three games over the weekend in what looms as a winner-take-all showdown.
What will it take to win a championship?
"We talk about it all the time," Stanton says. "Culture is an everyday thing. You can't ever let up on anything.
"You remind them of what we're playing for and who they are. They know. We're building strong, confident women here, and we're up for the journey. We stick to our three core values – be strong and able; enjoy the moment and take pause; and be thankful.
"If we do those things every day, the results will happen."
And, perhaps, a championship will be won.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Did you figure Indiana to be contending for a Big Ten softball championship?
Did anyone outside the Hoosier locker room?
Excitement is everywhere you look these days at Andy Mohr Field, where IU is rampaging through conference opponents under new coach Shonda Stanton in jaw-dropping fashion.
The latest example – a three-game weekend sweep of Penn State highlighted by pitcher Tara Trainer's second career no-hitter on Sunday.
The Hoosiers are 13-2 in Big Ten play, half a game behind first-place Michigan with two weeks remaining. There's eight games still yet to be played, but it's time to take notice.
"It's so exciting to be relevant in the Big Ten and make an impact," senior outfielder Rebecca Blitz says. "This has never happened in my four years here. It's great to be a contender."
How unlikely is this?
Consider that IU has had just two winning Big Ten records in the last 21 seasons.
In the five previous conference seasons, the Hoosiers were 3-19, 5-18, 7-14, 10-13 and 9-14.
Beyond that, they went 8-23 against non-conference teams this season. They opened 0-7 and 1-11.
Did Blitz and her teammates think Big Ten contention was realistic?
"Not really," she says.
She pauses, as if about to reveal classified information.
"We kept it a secret that we think we could do it. I don't think we ever truly believed it until this moment, that it's possible. It's right there. It's within our reach."
As for winning the program's fourth Big Ten title and first since 1996, Stanton says, "We need to keep winning. Every day we want to win the day and what's important now.
"You win the day by focusing on getting on base, getting a good lead, the ball is in the dirt I've got to take the next 60 feet. I get a 2-0 count at the plate, I've got to get a good swing at it. Stay in the moment."
Or, as Blitz puts it, "We have to continue with the same mindset that we've had in all of our Big Ten games. No game is more important than the rest. Continue to find ways to get the job done."
And so the Hoosiers have, which leads to the obvious question – how did a season in a free-fall become one building toward making history?
The answer starts with Stanton and her stay-positive-no-matter-what approach. She didn't come to Indiana after 18 successful seasons at Marshall to wait for success to happen.
She went after it,and brought the Hoosiers with her.
Take, for instance, the fire.
Right before the Big Ten-opening series against No. 18 Ohio State, Stanton took all the negative things that had happened in non-conference play, put them on paper, including statistics, and ignited them.
"We put it all in a bucket and burned it," she says. "We said, 'It's a new season and we're right where we want to be.'"
Actually, Stanton began working on mindset well before that.
"You can have the best system in the world," she says, "but if you don't have the best system-thinking, you won't be successful. That's what we needed to change, our mindset, how we think, how we approach the game.
"Young people get so caught up in the result – Did I get a hit? Did I get a win? That's not what it's about.
"It's about, Did I put the ball in play hard? Did I give my team a chance to be successful? Did I have a productive out?
"It's all about cataloguing performances -- I had a good at-bat here, a good swing there, a great play here. In time, you put it all together. That's what we're seeing now."
And then Stanton taps into an approach that sounds like a scene from the TV series, Westworld.
"It was teaching them to play the game within the game. Understand the result isn't final until it is. Don't play to the scoreboard.
"Once we were able to adjust that Stinkin' Thinkin' we had and play to our performance statement and our identity statement, once we had a more consistent approach about how we attack a game, then we started seeing success."
Of course, players had to buy into that and not give in to the tension that so often surfaces when losses mount.
"It was our mindset and attitude," Blitz says. "We had been preaching that Big Ten is when it's really going to matter for us and when we make our run.
"Throughout the whole preseason we continued to push hard in the weight room, harder than we expected.
"We don't take Mondays off. We continue to grind. That plays a huge part in it. Once we got to the Big Ten, it was like we flipped a switch and upped our game."
It started by sweeping Ohio State, 6-0, 9-3 and 4-1 in late March.
"We came out strong," Blitz says. "Once we got in our rhythm, it was like, 'We are actually this good because we'd heard it from our coaches all year – 'We are good and we can do it.' That series made us believe we are as good as they'd been saying."
Adds Stanton: "The buy-in factor was sweeping Ohio State. If we don't have the opening weekend that we did, I'm not sure the buy-in would have been as quick. That helped. Results do help.
"Once we got to Big Ten play, it was great to see it all come together. Then we're playing better. We're getting more confidence."
That leads to another crucial factor:
Aggression.
Stanton hasn't won 608 games over 20 seasons with passive coaching. She wants players willing to take chances – as long as they're smart about it.
Take, for instance, stealing bases.
The Hoosiers will never overwhelm opponents with raw speed, and yet they have set the program single-season record for stolen bases.
IU has 101 steals as a team, breaking the record of 91 set in 1988. It had six on Sunday.
This reflects Stanton's make-something-happen philosophy.
"It's paying off for us. Ball in the dirt and we're taking the next 60 feet. It's that mindset of training like a lion and going after what you want and pouncing on it.
"I wouldn't say we're a fast team, and we've broken the record that was set in 1988. I'm excited about them buying into that."
As for why Stanton is willing to take base-running risks most coaches won't, she says. "There are so many things that have to happen to throw somebody out. As coaches sometimes you're afraid to take that chance.
"You lower the risk by teaching it. We teach things, we train and then trust our training. That's how you lower the risk. For us it's not as high risk as other coaches see it."
Beyond that, IU has thrived with a spread-the-wealth approach that has produced different stars in nearly every game. On Sunday it came from Trainer's no-hitter and freshman Maddie Westmoreland's four runs batted in.
"The great thing about this team is that we're all taking turns," Stanton says. "We're not waiting on one kid to save the day. That's what's fun. You wake up and ask, 'Who is it going to be today?'"
(On Saturday) it was infielder Rachel O'Malley, a .204 hitter who delivered a clutch two-out, two runs batted in, fifth-inning single in a 4-1 win over Penn State.
"We aren't relying on just one player," Blitz says. "Everyone can get the job done. It doesn't come down to just our hitters or our pitchers. One game it could be this person. The next it could be someone else. It's about having that much trust and faith in all of us and not just one person to get it done."
Blitz has done her part. She is hitting .336 with a team-leading 25 steals. With 226 career hits, she's closing in on the school record of 238 by Karleen Moore. She also has a shot at Aimee Lonigro's career stolen base record of 90. Blitz has 85.
Sophomore Gabbi Jenkins leads the team in average (.368) and is second with 23 steals. Westmoreland leads IU in home runs (9) and runs batted in (47) while hitting .344.
Trainer is 14-14 with a 2.44 ERA.
Now IU faces a crucial week. It plays a doubleheader at Purdue (4-10 in the Big Ten) on Wednesday before hosting Michigan (13-1) for three games over the weekend in what looms as a winner-take-all showdown.
What will it take to win a championship?
"We talk about it all the time," Stanton says. "Culture is an everyday thing. You can't ever let up on anything.
"You remind them of what we're playing for and who they are. They know. We're building strong, confident women here, and we're up for the journey. We stick to our three core values – be strong and able; enjoy the moment and take pause; and be thankful.
"If we do those things every day, the results will happen."
And, perhaps, a championship will be won.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/IF
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