Hoosiers head into four-game weekend

Heading into the Indiana Invitational this weekend, the IU softball team looks to hone its skills before getting too far into the spring season schedule and into Big Ten play.\nThe Hoosiers gained vital game experience over spring break as they played 12 games in 11 days and moved their record to 6-10-1. IU's three games scheduled for this past Wednesday and Thursday were postponed because of inclement weather.\nIU is slated for action at 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday against Butler and Valparaiso, respectively. The Hoosiers then take on Loyola-Chicago at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The third- and fourth-place teams from the round-robin tournament play a consolation game Sunday, while the championship game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon. \nAll games will be played at the IU Softball Field.\nJunior third baseman/catcher Stormy Hanson said facing game situations is a key to the Hoosiers improving and preparing for a tough road ahead in the Big Ten conference.\n"(Playing) will benefit us to see who works together and what works with our defensive players on the field and with our lineup," Hanson said. "It will help us in that way so we all know who can work together and who can get the job done when it is needed."\nThe Hoosiers head into the match-up after a 2-2 finish at the Hoosier Invitational, including an 8-3 win in their last game against Ball State. Butler (6-7) won three of its last four games at the Orlando Rebel Games last weekend. Valparaiso (5-5) enters the Invite after two losses to Nova Southeastern last week. Loyola-Chicago (5-11) comes in having lost five of its last six games at the Missouri Invitational.\n Butler is led by junior pitcher Melissa Benter, who recorded a win over Wagner last weekend and led the team with 13 wins in 2001. Valpo is led by sophomore Stephanie Reinke, who is hitting .324 in the Crusaders' 10 games this season. \n Reinke was also named Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Week earlier this week. Senior pitcher Sarah Smith leads Loyola-Chicago with a 1.93 ERA on the year, a shutout and eight complete games in her nine appearances.\n The Hoosiers will ride the hot bat of Hanson, who has a six-game hitting streak and a .455 season average. IU sophomore pitcher Heather Stillians is hitting .395 and was 3 for 4 in the Hoosiers' win over Ball State. Sophomore outfielder Abby Stark had six hits and eight runs batted in for the Hoosiers in their last three games to improve her average to .362.\nIU coach Diane Stephenson is pleased with the progress of her team's offensive output.\n"Stormy (Hanson) and Abby (Stark) have just been on fire," Stephenson said. "I think that hitting is contagious, and I hope that we can have a lot of solid bats. If we can keep extending our lineup and get one more hitter down at the bottom, I think we'll be in real good shape offensively."\nStillians has also been helping the Hoosiers' cause from the mound. After getting rocked for three home runs in three innings Sunday against Northern Illinois, she came back to get the 8-3 win with seven strong innings over Ball State.\nWith senior starting pitcher Alison Cooke nursing an injury, Stillians has been looked upon to become the Hoosiers' No. 1 starter. The experience is one that has helped Stillians develop her pitching.\n"It has been really good to know what is effective in the game," she said. "Being able to watch a lot of batters you can tell what pitches are going to work, and I can feel now what pitches are going to work for certain batters"