Indiana softball will compete in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic from Feb. 21-23, hosted by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The Hoosiers are riding an eight-game winning streak and are 8-1 headed into the tournament.
The Hoosiers will kick off the weekend at 6 p.m. Friday against the University of Illinois Chicago. The Flames are coming into the tournament with a 4-6 record and will look to snap a two-game losing streak.
On Feb. 4, the Flames announced that head coach Lynn Curylo would no longer serve as the head coach, effective immediately. The announcement was made just three days before their season opener. Until a new hire is made later in the year, assistant coach Jamie Buska will serve as interim head coach. The Hoosiers will look to take advantage of the struggling UIC team before having to face a tough top 15 opponent later in the tournament.
Indiana will play two games Saturday, starting off with a matchup against the University of Texas at El Paso at 11 a.m. The Miners are 7-2 and on a five-game winning streak.
The Miners are led by senior infielder Ajia Richard, who was recently named to the Conference USA preseason all-conference team and earned Conference USA Player of the Week honors Monday for her efforts in helping her team go 5-0 at the Diana Natalicio Memorial Tournament.
Over the course of the tournament, Richard went 12 for 14 (.847) at the plate with 10 RBIs and six homeruns. During a game against Manhattan University on Feb. 14, Richard slammed three homeruns in a single game.
Indiana will be battle tested in its second game Saturday against a tough Texas Tech team which is 8-3 and ranked No. 12 in the country. The Raiders have a deep and talented roster as they brought in the No. 1 transfer class, the No. 2 freshman class and have the reigning National Player of the Year, junior pitcher/utility player NiJaree Canady.
Texas Tech has already managed to secure a top 20 win after defeating No.16 Nebraska. All three of its losses came against ranked opponents. The Red Raiders are coming off two tough losses to No. 1 University of Texas. The matchup with Texas Tech could serve as an opportunity to see how tough of a team the Hoosiers are.
While Indiana has a strong record so far, they have yet to pick up a big-time signature win this season, as the Hoosiers have not yet faced a top 25 opponent. This weekend gives Indiana the chance to pick up multiple non-conference signature wins and make a move toward the top 25 itself. The Hoosiers received votes for the top 25 ranking and have the opportunity to make a statement this weekend.
Indiana will close out their weekend with a second matchup against Texas Tech at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Both contests against Texas Tech will be streamed on ESPN+.
