Friday, February 10
Clearwater, Fla.
11:00 A.M.
Indiana University
vs
Pittsburgh
Indiana Softball Set for Opening Day at NFCA Leadoff Classic
2/9/2023 5:30:00 PM | Softball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana Softball begins its 50th season at the NFCA's Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla., from Feb. 10-12 at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.
GAMEDAY INFO
Opponent: Pittsburgh/ Prairie View A&M Auburn/Howard South Alabama
First Pitch: 11 a.m. / 1:30 p.m. ET 1:30 p.m. / 4 p.m. ET 12:30 p.m. ET
Field #: Field 3/4 Field 3/2 Field 4
TV & Livestats GameChangers GameChangers GameChangers
Radio: Max Parker - IU Softball Radio Max Parker - IU Softball Radio Max Parker - IU Softball Radio
QUICK HITTERS
• Indiana Softball begins its 50th year of softball at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
• Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton enters her sixth season as head coach with 126 victories.
• The Hoosiers return 11 student-athletes who have started 50 percent of the season.
• IU will face 21 opponents who were ranked in the 100 RPI last season and 13 teams who made it to the NCAA Regionals.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT(S)
• Indiana Softball is set to begin the 2023 season in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The Hoosiers will compete against five teams including Auburn, Howard, South Alabama, Pittsburgh and Prairie View A&M.
• Indiana's Team 50 will begin the season against Pitt for the fourth time in program history. IU is 2-1 in the series against Pitt.
• They last saw the Panthers on March 17, 2001, where the Hoosiers won 2-0 in Columbia, Mo.
• Indiana will face Auburn on day two of the tournament. The Hoosiers are 0-4 in the series against the War Eagles. The last matchup between the two squads took place in 2016 in Auburn, Ala. after IU dropped the contest 8-7 in eight innings.
• Howard The Hoosiers are 2-1 against the series against Howard after a 2-0 won in Columbia, Mo.
• IU will see three new opponents during Opening weekend in Prairie View A&M, Howard and South Alabama.
ABOUT LAST SEASON
• Indiana finished the 2022 season with a 27-22 record, going 10-13 in conference play. The Hoosiers fell, 2-1, against the No. 7 seeded Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament.
• IU faced five ranked opponents last season, in No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida State, No. 10 Northwestern, No. 22 Notre Dame and No. 23 Ohio State where they went 1-2 in the series against the Buckeyes.
RETURNING IN 2023
• The Hoosiers return six starters from the 2022 season led by senior utility Cora Bassett (.400, 62 hits, 57 runs, 16 SB in 2022), Infielders Brooke Benson (.341, 43 hits, 25 runs, 9 SB in 2022) and Briana Copeland (.278, 20 runs, and 32 hits in 2022).
• Pitchers Heather Johnson (3.89 ERA, 88 K, 147.2 IP in 2022) and Macy Montgomery (4.13 ERA, 79 K, 95.0 IP in 2022) lead the way in the circle.
• Catcher Lindsey Warick returns to her role behind the plate (.227, 22 hits, 16 RBI in 2022).
• IU brings back their top seven hitters from last season in terms of average, led by Tatum Hayes and Cora Bassett (.400).
BASSETT IS BACK
• Senior utility Cora Bassett is back in the cream and crimson after a stellar last season ready to pick up where she left off. Bassett ranked in the top-three in the Big Ten in five different offensive stat categories.
Bassett hit .400 for the season, one of only four Big Ten athletes to hit .400 or better. She also had 62 hits, 13 home runs, 34 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a .774 slugging percentage and a .505 on base percentage.
Her .400 batting average ranked as the ninth best for a single season in program history and her .774 slugging percentage ranked third for a season in program history. Bassett's 13 home runs also tied for the third most in program history.
The Newburgh, Ind. native tallied 19 doubles, which lead the Big Ten and established a new Indiana school record for doubles in a season. Bassett ranked second in the conference in runs scored with 57, which is tied for the Hoosiers single season record, and ranked sixth in the NCAA in runs per game.
NEW TO THE HOOSIERS
• Indiana has six newcomers to the team including right-handed pitcher Sophie Kleiman, infielders Taryn Kern, Chloe Geijer, outfielder Elle Smith, utility player Cassidy Kettleman and catcher, utility player in Avery Parker.
B1G TIME
• Sophomore Taylor Minnick (Second Team, All-Freshman Team) was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Second Team All-Big Ten after a dominating season performance.
• She had one of the best debut seasons in program history in 2022. The Bloomington native hit .305 with 29 hits, 17 runs scored, eight doubles, five home runs, 24 RBI and six stolen bases.
• In conference play, she held a .310 batting average, 15 runs, 22 hits, seven doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI in 23 games. Minnick also started in 22 of the Hoosiers 23 conference games in the B1G.
50 YEARS
• Indiana Softball is celebrating 50 years as a varsity sport this season. Team 50 hosted a celebration in the fall, inviting alumni to celebrate the storied history and bright future of the program. Team 50 bonded with the alumni as they showed their appreciation to everyone for their dedication, support and commitment to the Indiana Softball program.
NEW HIRES
• Shonda Stanton added two to her staff in assistant coach Aaron Clopton and Graduate Assistant Grayson Radcliffe. Clopton arrives at IU with over two decades of experience, most recently coaching at the University of Kansas. Radcliffe joins the program after a phenomenal four-year career with the Hoosiers under coach Stanton (2018-2022).
Follow Indiana Softball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
#GoIU
GAMEDAY INFO
Opponent: Pittsburgh/ Prairie View A&M Auburn/Howard South Alabama
First Pitch: 11 a.m. / 1:30 p.m. ET 1:30 p.m. / 4 p.m. ET 12:30 p.m. ET
Field #: Field 3/4 Field 3/2 Field 4
TV & Livestats GameChangers GameChangers GameChangers
Radio: Max Parker - IU Softball Radio Max Parker - IU Softball Radio Max Parker - IU Softball Radio
QUICK HITTERS
• Indiana Softball begins its 50th year of softball at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
• Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton enters her sixth season as head coach with 126 victories.
• The Hoosiers return 11 student-athletes who have started 50 percent of the season.
• IU will face 21 opponents who were ranked in the 100 RPI last season and 13 teams who made it to the NCAA Regionals.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT(S)
• Indiana Softball is set to begin the 2023 season in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. The Hoosiers will compete against five teams including Auburn, Howard, South Alabama, Pittsburgh and Prairie View A&M.
• Indiana's Team 50 will begin the season against Pitt for the fourth time in program history. IU is 2-1 in the series against Pitt.
• They last saw the Panthers on March 17, 2001, where the Hoosiers won 2-0 in Columbia, Mo.
• Indiana will face Auburn on day two of the tournament. The Hoosiers are 0-4 in the series against the War Eagles. The last matchup between the two squads took place in 2016 in Auburn, Ala. after IU dropped the contest 8-7 in eight innings.
• Howard The Hoosiers are 2-1 against the series against Howard after a 2-0 won in Columbia, Mo.
• IU will see three new opponents during Opening weekend in Prairie View A&M, Howard and South Alabama.
ABOUT LAST SEASON
• Indiana finished the 2022 season with a 27-22 record, going 10-13 in conference play. The Hoosiers fell, 2-1, against the No. 7 seeded Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament.
• IU faced five ranked opponents last season, in No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida State, No. 10 Northwestern, No. 22 Notre Dame and No. 23 Ohio State where they went 1-2 in the series against the Buckeyes.
RETURNING IN 2023
• The Hoosiers return six starters from the 2022 season led by senior utility Cora Bassett (.400, 62 hits, 57 runs, 16 SB in 2022), Infielders Brooke Benson (.341, 43 hits, 25 runs, 9 SB in 2022) and Briana Copeland (.278, 20 runs, and 32 hits in 2022).
• Pitchers Heather Johnson (3.89 ERA, 88 K, 147.2 IP in 2022) and Macy Montgomery (4.13 ERA, 79 K, 95.0 IP in 2022) lead the way in the circle.
• Catcher Lindsey Warick returns to her role behind the plate (.227, 22 hits, 16 RBI in 2022).
• IU brings back their top seven hitters from last season in terms of average, led by Tatum Hayes and Cora Bassett (.400).
BASSETT IS BACK
• Senior utility Cora Bassett is back in the cream and crimson after a stellar last season ready to pick up where she left off. Bassett ranked in the top-three in the Big Ten in five different offensive stat categories.
Bassett hit .400 for the season, one of only four Big Ten athletes to hit .400 or better. She also had 62 hits, 13 home runs, 34 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a .774 slugging percentage and a .505 on base percentage.
Her .400 batting average ranked as the ninth best for a single season in program history and her .774 slugging percentage ranked third for a season in program history. Bassett's 13 home runs also tied for the third most in program history.
The Newburgh, Ind. native tallied 19 doubles, which lead the Big Ten and established a new Indiana school record for doubles in a season. Bassett ranked second in the conference in runs scored with 57, which is tied for the Hoosiers single season record, and ranked sixth in the NCAA in runs per game.
NEW TO THE HOOSIERS
• Indiana has six newcomers to the team including right-handed pitcher Sophie Kleiman, infielders Taryn Kern, Chloe Geijer, outfielder Elle Smith, utility player Cassidy Kettleman and catcher, utility player in Avery Parker.
B1G TIME
• Sophomore Taylor Minnick (Second Team, All-Freshman Team) was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Second Team All-Big Ten after a dominating season performance.
• She had one of the best debut seasons in program history in 2022. The Bloomington native hit .305 with 29 hits, 17 runs scored, eight doubles, five home runs, 24 RBI and six stolen bases.
• In conference play, she held a .310 batting average, 15 runs, 22 hits, seven doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI in 23 games. Minnick also started in 22 of the Hoosiers 23 conference games in the B1G.
50 YEARS
• Indiana Softball is celebrating 50 years as a varsity sport this season. Team 50 hosted a celebration in the fall, inviting alumni to celebrate the storied history and bright future of the program. Team 50 bonded with the alumni as they showed their appreciation to everyone for their dedication, support and commitment to the Indiana Softball program.
NEW HIRES
• Shonda Stanton added two to her staff in assistant coach Aaron Clopton and Graduate Assistant Grayson Radcliffe. Clopton arrives at IU with over two decades of experience, most recently coaching at the University of Kansas. Radcliffe joins the program after a phenomenal four-year career with the Hoosiers under coach Stanton (2018-2022).
Follow Indiana Softball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
#GoIU
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
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