Team to play Florida tourney

Coming off a strong 3-2 tournament, including an 8-3 victory over San Jose State, the Hoosier softball team faces a five game weekend in Tampa, Fla. The South Florida Tournament pits IU against Maryland and Hofstra Friday and then Seton Hall and the hosting South Florida Bulls Saturday. The Hoosiers' final game is against Radford Sunday.\nThe biggest challenge for the Hoosiers will come from the hosting USF. The Bulls are hot coming into this weekend's tourney, securing a 5-game winning streak, and an 11-4 overall record. Two of USF's wins came at the expense of No. 8 Oklahoma and No.17 Notre Dame. \n"South Florida is always a good team, and they should provide a real challenge for us," senior outfielder Katie Joy said. "We need to continue to play well and play hard if we want to compete."\nAlong with USF's accolades, other teams within the tournament should provide challenges for IU. While the Pride of Hofstra is coming into the weekend with a losing 2-3 record, one of its wins was against the Fighting Irish. The Seton Hall game will be the season opener for the Pirates after an impressive 29-17 record in 2002. Seton Hall is largely intact after last season and should be a formidable opponent for IU. Radford is coming into the tournament winless with an 0-3 record.\nDespite capable opponents, coach Sara Hayes said she is confident the Hoosiers can compete.\n"The win against Bowling Green was a testament to the skills of our team," Hayes said. "We're sticking to the same lineup, and we have a fabulous defense."\nLed by senior catcher Stormy Hanson, the Hoosiers won't go into the weekend unprepared. Hanson is currently batting .625 with one home run, two triples and three doubles after five games. Complimenting Hanson's batting prowess is junior outfielder Abby Stark, sporting a .312 batting average, two doubles and a home run of her own.\n"Stormy is hitting extremely well for us, and Abby Stark is at the seventh spot in the lineup, where we need power, and she is coming through," Hayes said. \nIU's entire offense has come through for the Hoosiers in their last outing against Bowling Green with eight of nine batters getting a hit. IU also scored 24 runs in the team's first five games, while the Hoosiers took 12 games to reach that landmark in each of the last two seasons. Along with IU's success in the batter's box, sophomore pitcher Katie Witham has kept opposing batters guessing, giving up only 12 hits and four runs (0 earned) in 16 innings of work.\nTeam unity is also a plus for the Hoosiers.\n"I definitely expect a great showing for this weekend," sophomore infielder Ashley Griffiths said. "It's so nice. Our team is so close, and we're prepared for anything."\nBecause of the rigors of the winter weather, teams from the north have to take massive away trips, and IU is not exempt. The Hoosiers must play their first 20 games in away tournaments. Despite spending such a long time on hostile fields, the IU softball team is confident it can play well away from Bloomington.\n"We're used to playing away from home early in the season," Joy said. "It's just great to get back on the dirt and grass to play some softball. We just need to keep playing well"