Around Sports

TRACK AND FIELD
Border Battle to be reignited in Louisville

It’s no secret the Hoosiers and its neighbors one state to the south don’t like each other very much, especially in collegiate athletics.

This weekend, the ongoing rivalry will continue in Louisville, Ky., when the IU track-and-field team pairs with Notre Dame to face the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville in the Border Battle.

The team-scored meet will feature the top outdoor athletes from all four schools trying to earn points for their teams.

Senior thrower Kristen Crawford said she looks forward to competing so close to IU.

“We get the opportunity to compete against some really good teams but at the same time get home sooner,” Crawford said. “It’s easier to travel a shorter distance and have a good practice the next week instead of trying to recover from a long trip.”

IU coach Ron Helmer agreed that seeing his team less fatigued on the bus ride back to Bloomington is a definite advantage in the long term, explaining that “fatigue is cumulative.”

He also anticipated big numbers this weekend in certain events but saw chances for Kentucky and Louisville to take advantage in others.

“We’re going to compete aggressively,” Helmer said. “The opposition will be set up to do well in some areas but get beat up on in other areas as well.”
 - Avi Zaleon

MEN'S TENNIS
Hoosiers enter critical conference tests

The term "must-win" is often overused in sports. Professional analysts like to put that label on every big game that a team plays.

This weekend, though, the IU men's tennis team will play two Big Ten matches that many  say they must win if they expect to make the NCAA Tournament this season.

The No. 41 Hoosiers (11-5, 2-2 Big Ten) begin a brutal home stretch when they take on Iowa and No. 39 Minnesota on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at the IU Tennis Center.

"I think to do what we want to do, we have to win both of these matches," IU coach Randy Bloemendaal said. "A 2-2 record in the Big Ten on the road isn't bad as long as we win out at home. The guys understand that, and that's definitely what we are going to try to do this weekend."

Bloemendaal understands, however, that his team should not take the Hawkeyes or the Golden Gophers lightly.

"It's not going to be easy," he said. "Both teams are really good. But we definitely want to defend our home court."

IU started the conference season 3-1 a year ago, but the Hoosiers faltered when they got to this point in their schedule.

They lost to Minnesota 6-1 and dropped a 5-2 decision against Iowa in the middle of a four-game losing streak.

This year, the schedule gets even more difficult after this weekend. 

IU is host to No. 16 Louisville on Wednesday, travels to play No. 2 Ohio State on Friday and No. 63 Penn State on Sunday, then returns home for a back-to-back with unranked Michigan State and No. 26 Michigan.

"We definitely need to beat Iowa and Minnesota," freshman Isade Juneau said. "I don't know if I'd say that they are 'must-wins', but they are definitely 'should-win' matches. The rest of the season is going to be harder after that, but we are looking forward to this part of the season."



WOMEN'S TENNIS
Hoosiers enter tough conference play

Fresh off a decisive upset against rival Purdue, the IU women’s tennis team looks to continue its return back up the rankings with a pair of road matches against ranked foes this weekend.

The team’s road trip begins today with an evening match against No. 60 Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are 10-8 on the season and just off a 7-0 drubbing of Penn State that puts the team at 3-2 in conference play. Last season, the teams played to a close 4-3 victory for IU.

Individually, Minnesota boasts the No. 80 doubles pair in the country, Tijana Koprivica and Alessandra Ferrazzi. IU counters with a ranked doubles pair of its own, the No. 52 team of senior captain Lindsey Stuckey and sophomore Evgeniya Vertesheva.

However, IU coach Lin Loring switched up the doubles lineups for last week’s match and might do the same this week. The second half of the weekend doubleheader takes the Hoosiers to the University of Iowa to play the No. 22 Hawkeyes.

At 13-3, Iowa has a 3-2 conference record, as well as a victory over DePaul, who defeated the Hoosiers.

 — Max McCombs

SOFTBALL
IU drops 2 to 2nd-ranked Michigan

Power hitting by No. 2 Michigan made the difference Thursday as IU fell in both matchups against the Wolverines.

In the two games, Michigan had 20 hits to IU’s 10 and took the first matchup 8-2.
Despite the loss, IU coach Michelle Gardner said she was proud of the way her team played. 

“I felt like we really competed in the first game against a very dangerous lineup that Michigan puts out there,” Gardner said.

One of the top pitchers in the Big Ten, Michigan junior Jordan Taylor, had no-hitters through three innings.

Taylor (15-2) got her 14th complete game and had seven strikeouts.

“Michigan is a really good team, but we got some confidence going at the end of the first game and used that momentum to get off to a great start in game two,” senior pitcher Monica Wright said.

Freshman infielder Breanna Saucedo broke the no-hitter streak as she made the first of her three hits.

“I think the way we finished the first game by scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh led to the confident start that we had to game two and scoring that first run,” Gardner said.

In the second game, the Wolverines won 14-1 in five innings.

“Now we just have to continue to try to extend the length of that and just use the positives from today as we move forward in Big Ten play,” Wright said.

 — Aaron Siegal-Eisman

WOMEN'S GOLF
IU gets ready for home tourney

IU will begin a three-tournament stretch during the next three weekends, beginning Saturday, that will decide its postseason fate.

Fortunately for the Hoosiers, this weekend’s Indiana Invitational will be played on the friendly grounds of the IU Golf Course.

For seniors Kellye Belcher and Laura Nochta, this will mark the first time they have ever played the Indiana Invitational on the home turf.

Otter Creek Golf Course in Columbus, Ind., has been the site of the last three Indiana Invitationals, none of which the Hoosiers have fared well in, finishing ninth, eighth and sixth.

The main reason for playing the tournament at the IU Golf Course is to give Belcher and Nochta a chance to play in front of family and friends one last time.

“The seniors haven’t had an opportunity to play a home invitational on their home golf course,” IU coach Clint Wallman said. “I wanted to set this up so they can hopefully go out with a bang.”

All nine players on IU’s roster will compete, with five counting toward the team score and the other four playing as individuals.

Joining Belcher and Nochta in the lineup will be junior Lauren Gieseckie and freshmen Pamela Burneski and Jacqueline Yanch.

This weekend provides the Hoosiers an opportunity to all but lock up an NCAA Tournament bid with a strong finish on its home course.

“Anytime you play on your home golf course, no matter where it is, you have an advantage,” Wallman said. “Playing here at home will also be very routine for the girls, they can sleep in their own beds and not have the usual airport rush and cram in the van.”

— Kevin Bowen