If 2016 was viewed as a bounce-back season for IU softball, 2017 is expected to be the season it returns to the national stage.
“At this point, I’m expecting regionals and super regionals,” sophomore pitcher Emily Kirk said. “We are so close-knit that I think we can do some really great things this season.”
After a season with the most overall wins — 29 — since 2012, optimism is high for IU. The Hoosiers are also looking to continue their improvement in conference play after going 10-13 in the Big Ten last season. In the three seasons prior to 2016, IU failed to win more than seven conference games in each season.
IU finished last season on a high note by defeating Wisconsin in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. Despite losing to Michigan in the next round, the win over Wisconsin marked IU’s first win in the conference tournament since 2006.
While IU hasn’t qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2011, Kirk said she believes the team has grown during the offseason and cites team cohesiveness as a big part of it.
“We’ve gotten to where we can just trust each other and that’s absolutely critical,” Kirk said.
For the fifth straight season, the team’s first test will come in Tempe, Arizona, as part of the Kajikawa Classic at Arizona State. The tournament begins a stretch of six consecutive non-conference tournaments to start the season for IU, with five of the tournaments played away from Andy Mohr Field.
Outdoor practice time is usually at a premium for the Hoosiers in preparation for these tournaments, due to the weather in Bloomington in January and February.
However, the team has practiced outside frequently this offseason, and IU Coach Michelle Gardner said she doesn’t expect her team to struggle when it comes to adjusting to outdoor conditions.
“I feel that as far as that part goes, we’re prepared,” Gardner said. “It’s going to be a challenge right out of the gate, but I look forward to it.”
The Hoosiers will face three teams, including IU’s first opponent, No. 24 Fresno State, that qualified for last season’s NCAA Tournament in the Kajikawa Classic.
“I just want to come out and have a strong start,” Gardner said. “I feel like this is a team that has potential.”
IU will also use the tournament to evaluate who will take over primary catching duties this season.
After the graduations of last season’s main catchers, Kassi Farmer and Kelsey Dotson, Gardner has two new players to experiment at catcher.
Junior Shayna Gamm, a transfer from Lake Land College, and freshman Bella Norton will each see time at the position during the tournament, Gardner said.
“I feel confident in both of their abilities,” Gardner said. “It’s just a matter of putting them out there and getting started and see who steps up.”
Offensively, the Hoosiers return most of a batting order that accounted for 235 runs last season, down from the 282 runs scored in 2015.
The graduation of utility player Michelle Huber, now a graduate assistant with the team, leaves a void when it comes to offensive production, although Gardner said she feels several players on the team can step up in her absence.
“I feel like junior infielder Taylor Uden is a player who could step up and be at that level, and our catchers also have some power potential,” Gardner said. “It’s just a matter of who’s going to step up once we start playing other teams.”
Junior outfielder Rebecca Blitz has been the team’s leadoff batter for the past two seasons and noted a change in the team’s demeanor from her first years at IU.
“We are definitely young, but we have a lot of maturity as well,” Blitz said. “Everyone on the field is capable of producing, and I think that’s kind of different from the past.”
Like her teammates and Gardner, Blitz said she feels this year’s team can build on the successes of last season.
“I honestly think the sky is the limit,” Blitz said. “If we keep improving and learning each weekend, we could go as far as we want to go.”
