Softball is officially back.
It started several days ago on Feb. 10, when the Hoosiers played their first game of the season in Tempe, Arizona, against the Fresno State Bulldogs.
The Hoosiers played five games in Tempe, where they have begun every season since 2013, and went 2-3. IU suffered losses against No. 24 Fresno State, No. 18 Utah and Arizona State, while picking up wins over Seattle and St. Mary’s.
The Hoosiers are looking for their second consecutive winning season, a feat they haven’t accomplished since the 2011 and 2012 seasons, when they went 37-18 and 30-25, respectively.
During the 2013-15 seasons, the Hoosiers had their fair share of struggles. During that three-year period IU failed to reach 20 wins in a season and had a combined record of just 53-113.
Last year was different. The Hoosiers went 29-25, won 10 Big Ten games and seemed to re-establish some program momentum.
However, a lot of work is still left to be done, and it all starts with the play of sophomore Tara Trainer.
Trainer, a right-handed pitcher out of Lebanon, Ohio, was named No. 21 in Fastpitch News’s Preseason Top 50 NCAA Softball Pitchers list in January.
As a freshman, Trainer struck out 183 batters, the 10th most in single-season history at IU and the most ever for an IU freshman.
She threw a no-hitter in an 8-0 shutout against Evansville in March of 2016 and was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week three times.
With much anticipation for her sophomore season, she began in mid-season form. Trainer started IU’s first game against Fresno State, and tied her career high with 13 strikeouts. She pitched a complete game in the 2-0 loss and gave up only three hits.
In her start against Saint Mary’s she was even better. Trainer led IU to a 2-0 victory with a complete game one-hitter.
It’s obvious that the pitching is there, led by Trainer, but the offense is where the Hoosiers need to be better if they want to have the type of success they are hoping for. In Tempe, they scored more than two runs just once and were shutout twice.
That will be the underlying theme for the Hoosiers all season, whether or not they can hit well enough. In baseball and softball, most argue that pitching wins championships, and with Trainer, sophomore Emily Kirk and freshman pitcher Emily Goodin, the Hoosiers have the pitching that will keep them in games.
From last season the Hoosiers returned all three hitters that batted at least .300. The returning standouts are junior outfielder Rebecca Blitz who hit .350, senior infielder Erin Lehman at .315 and senior designated hitter CaraMia Tsirigos who delivered a .303 mark. Bringing that kind of experience back will be vital for the team this season.
Several other upperclassmen with experience are regulars in the IU lineup, but five newcomers to the team also registered at-bats over the weekend. If the Hoosiers hope for a successful season, they will need contributions from freshmen and transfers to replace the 14 home runs hit by now-graduated seniors last year.
The Hoosiers won’t be in action at Andy Mohr Field anytime soon, with their first home game not coming until March 18.
Their first 25 games of the season will be on the road or at a neutral site, and it will be important for them to get off to a good start. If the Hoosiers want to have a second consecutive winning season, they must improve on the road, where they went 4-12 last season.
This team has the talent to accomplish its goals, but like IU Coach Michelle Gardner said after their first five games, IU must be more aggressive at the plate.
eliarnet@indiana.edu
@arnett35
