Hoosiers prepare for tournament

The IU Softball team hits the road for the fifth consecutive weekend to compete in the Tiger Classic in Nashville, Tenn. March 8-10. The Classic marks the Hoosier’s final tournament on the road before their March 15 home opener.

The team opens the tournament with a March 8 game against Nebraska-Omaha at 11 a.m. This is the Mavericks’ first season playing at the Division I level, with the team posting a 17-2 record so far.

The Hoosiers complete their March 8 doubleheader with a matchup at 3 p.m. against Alabama State.

Another doubleheader is set for March 9, with the team taking on Mississippi Valley State at 6:30 p.m. and Tennessee State at 8:30 p.m.

They finish off their weekend of play with a game against Saint Louis at 12:30 p.m. March 10.

“Anybody can beat anybody,” IU Coach Michelle Gardner said of the competition the Hoosiers will face this weekend. “I think we need to prepare for them the same way we have prepared every single weekend.”

Coming off an 0-5 weekend in Fullerton, Calif., Gardner said the team is hoping to see a better outcome in the Tiger Classic.

“We need to come out and we need to attack early,” Gardner said. “We need to score first, because I think that really will put us in a better place. We just need to come out and play, and continue to work on the things that we’ve been working on in practice.”

Senior infielder Amanda Wagner said the team is hoping to get back to their level of play they displayed at the Georgia Tech Classic earlier this season.

“We need an overall solid performance by everybody, starting from pitching to defense to hitting,” Wagner said. “I think if we can get at least two of the components clicking, we’ll be OK.”

Wagner scored two of the team’s seven total runs in the Easton Invitational, as she continues to play a key role in the team’s hitting game. In 19 at bats this season, she has posted nine hits and five runs. Wagner is now posting a .474 batting average for her senior campaign.

Though the team has played in four tournaments in as many weeks, Gardner said the group is in a good place mentally, despite a few setbacks.

“It’s kind of the nature of the beast,” Gardner said of the ups and downs in recent weeks of play. “The truth of the matter is this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we’re now getting in the middle leg of the marathon. We really need to stay focused on what we can control and move forward.”

The Hoosier’s go into the Tiger Classic with a 10-10 record on the season as they look to close out their five weekends on the road on a positive note.

“I hope to be competitive,” Gardner said. “Obviously I always want to win, but we need to be competitive this weekend, and I think we’re going to have a much better outcome.”