MVC Week 3 Round Up

Results from around the MVC during week three:

Indiana State took two-of-three at Wichita State, winning game one 9-3 and game two 7-3. WSU took game three 10-2 (6).

Illinois State swept all three from Missouri State in Normal, IL. Scores were 5-2, 8-0 (5), and 7-2.

Drake swept all three from Evansville in Des Moines, IA. Scores were 6-5, 10-2 (5), and 7-6 (9).

Creighton took two-of-three from Bradley in Omaha, NE. Creighton won game one 7-1 and game two 4-3 (8) before Bradley took game three 9-4.

Northern Iowa took two-of-three from Southern Illinois in Cedar Falls, IA. The Panthers won game one 1-0 (8) and game three 9-5 with SIU winning game two 6-2.

Also, this past Tuesday saw Bradley and Illinois State play the last game of their three game series. The Redbirds finished off the series sweep with a 3-2 victory in Normal, IL.

Current MVC Standings:

1. Drake 8-0, 22-12

2. Illinois State 7-1, 21-11

3. Northern Iowa 6-3, 22-15

3. Southern Illinois 4-2, 20-12

3. Creighton 4-2, 14-16

6. Missouri State 4-4, 14-15

7. Indiana State 2-6, 11-17

7. Wichita State 2-6, 9-26

9. Bradley 1-7, 8-28

10. Evansville 1-8, 7-27

Weekend Match-ups: Evansville at Indiana State; Creighton at Missouri State; Drake at Wichita State; Bradley at Southern Illinois; Northern Iowa at Illinois State.

GO SYCAMORES!

Sycs Win Series in Wichita

The Sycamores won their MVC series against Wichita State over the weekend, sweeping the Saturday double header before dropping the final game on Sunday to the Shockers. With the series win, that makes four consecutive seasons ISU has won the conference series with the Shockers, and five of the last six years. ISU is now 8-3 in the last 11 regular season contests played with Wichita.

In game one, the Sycamores jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never looked back, winning by a final score of 9-3. Fr. Alex Baumgart and Fr. Shelby Wilson each had two hits in the victory, while Jr. Bailey Wittenauer had the big blow, a three run home run in the fourth inning. So. Sara Evans got the win in the circle for ISU, allowing three runs on six hits in the complete game victory.

In game two, WSU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, but ISU found its offense late in the game, scoring a run in the fourth before getting three runs in both the fifth and sixth to get a come-from-behind 7-3 win. Wittenauer led the offense with three hits, Jr. Stephanie Robinson and Jr. Hailey Tinsman each added two hits in the win. So. Kristen Felker picked up the win, allowing two earned runs while scattering nine hits in the complete game victory.

Sunday, Wichita broke open a close game late to salvage a win in the series with a 10-2 run rule victory in 6 innings. ISU had chances to build a big lead early in the game, but the Sycamores left the bases loaded in the first inning and runners on 2nd and 3rd in the second inning. Those missed opportunities proved costly later, as Wichita broke out for three runs in the 5th and 6 runs in the 6th for a come-from-behind 10-2 victory. Jr. Chelsea Wallace took the loss for ISU, with Wilson having two hits for the Sycamores and Wittenauer driving in both runs.

Wednesday, the Sycamores traveled to Cape Girardeau, MO for a mid-week non conference double header with Southeast Missouri State. Despite getting 11 hits in game one, including a grand slam home run by Wittenauer and a 2 run home run from Sr. Steph Jonson, ISU fell 10-8. Wallace took the loss for ISU. The second game was all tied at 2-2 going into the bottom of the 6th inning, but the Redhawks hit back-to-back solo home runs to lead off the inning, causing the Sycamores to drop the nightcap by a 4-2 margin. Evans took the loss in the game.

This weekend, the Sycamores return to Terre Haute for a big MVC series with in-state rival Evansville. The Aces come to town currently in last place in the standings, while ISU sits in 7th.

GO SYCAMORES!

MVC Week 2 Round Up

Weather caused some issues to the MVC softball schedule over the weekend. Here are the results (Number in parentheses is place in PreSeason Poll):

Missouri State (5) at Indiana State (9): Bears sweep two games from the Sycamores by scores of 6-1 and 6-1.

Illinois State (T1) at Wichita State (8): Shockers and Redbirds split a pair of games, with Wichita winning 4-3 and Illinois State winning 10-1.

Drake (3) at Bradley (10): Bulldogs sweep a pair from the Braves, winning 6-1 and 3-2.

Northern Iowa (4) at Evansville (7): In the only full series to be played, the Panthers sweep all three from the Aces by scores of 6-2, 8-0, and 3-2.

Southern Illinois (T1) at Creighton (6): No games played in this series, as all three games canceled due to weather.

Current Standings:

T1. Southern Illinois 3-0, 18-10

T1. Drake 5-0, 18-12

3. Missouri State 4-1, 13-11

4. Illinois State 4-1, 16-11

5. Northern Iowa 4-2, 18-13

6. Creighton 2-1, 12-15

7. Wichita State 1-4, 8-22

8. Evansville 1-5, 7-22

T9. Indiana State 0-5, 9-14

T9. Bradley 0-4, 7-24

This weekend's match-ups: Indiana State at Wichita State; Southern Illinois at Northern Iowa; Evansville at Drake; Bradley at Creighton; Missouri State at Illinois State.

The NCAA has started to release RPI numbers for the 2011 season. Here are the current MVC numbers through March 27:

39. Illinois State

62. Missouri State

68. Drake

75. Southern Illinois

106. Northern Iowa

131. Creighton

196. Indiana State

204. Evansville

207. Bradley

208. Wichita State

GO SYCAMORES!

Bears Maul Sycamores

ISU opened the home portion of their MVC slate by taking on the Missouri State Bears last weekend. Due to cold - and I mean COLD - temperatures, only two games were played in the series, with Missouri State winning Saturday by a 6-1 margin and again Sunday with a 6-1 score. Not many highlights to talk about, as the Bears jumped out to leads in the 1st inning of both games. The Sycamores managed four hits in each contest, with no player having a multiple hit game. Here is the Saturday game article from the Terre Haute Tribune Star. The Sycamore midweek contest at Indiana was rescheduled due to poor weather. GO SYCAMORES

Sycamores Drop 5th Straight; Hobble Into Weekend MVC Series

ISU dropped its fifth straight contest on Thursday at Butler, losing 8-4 to the host Bulldogs. On the plus side, ISU was able to welcome back leading hitter, Fr. Alex Baumgart, and Baumgart went 1-3 in her return to action after missing the last four contests due to injury. So. Alyssa Marcum had two hits to pace the ISU offense. The Sycamores jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but defensive miscues led to a six run 5th inning for Butler, and the Sycamores couldn't respond, dropping the game 8-4. Three Sycamore pitchers saw action in the contest, combining to only allow one earned run in the game.

ISU will now turn its attention to an important MVC series with Missouri State this weekend. The Bears come to Terre Haute with an overall mark of 11-11 and a 2-1 MVC record. This week, MSU lost an extra-inning 1-0 contest to #18 Oklahoma State. Last weekend in Springfield, Missouri State took two-of-three in their opening conference series with Northern Iowa. MSU has struggled on the offensive side this season, hitting only .237 as a team and scoring 58 runs in their 22 contests. Last year, the Bears swept the three game series from the Sycamores in Springfield.

ISU continues to deal with injuries, as Jr. Lindsey Beisser and Jr. Alyssa Doyle were both injured last weekend in the series with Drake. Both will likely be out this weekend, along with So. Halee Myers whose previous injury will keep her out of competition for the remainder of the season. The weather could be a factor, as the forecast calls for the windchill hovering around the freezing mark with the chance of rain and/or snow coming down late Saturday afternoon.

If you haven't become a fan of the ISU Softball Facebook Page, you should. Along with in-game updates for those that can't follow the contest, you also get access things like this video interview taken before the Butler contest with Jr. Stephanie Robinson.

GO SYCAMORES!

MVC Week 1 Round Up

Home teams appeared to have an advantage in the first weekend of conference play, as four home teams won their conference opening series with only Creighton managing to win a series as a visiting team. Here are the week's results. Pre-Season Conference poll position in parentheses:

Wichita State (8) at Southern Illinois (T1): Salukis sweep the series without allowing a run. Game scores were 4-0; 3-0; 5-0.

Bradley (10) at Illinois State (T1): Redbirds sweep the Saturday doubleheader with Game Three rescheduled to a midday in April due to rain on Sunday. Games scores were 3-2; 3-1.

Indiana State (9) at Drake (3): Bulldogs sweep the series - recap posted below. Game scores were 2-0; 5-4; 4-0.

Northern Iowa (4) at Missouri State (5): Bears take two of three from the Panthers. UNI wins Game One 3-1; Bears win Game Two 6-5 and take the rubber game in extra innings 3-2.

Creighton (6) at Evansville (7): Jays take two of three. Jays win Game One by a score of 6-0; Aces take Game Two 4-2; Jays win the finale 4-0.

Current Standings:

T1. Southern Illinois 3-0; 16-9

T1. Illinois State 2-0; 15-10

T1. Drake 3-0; 15-11

T4. Missouri State 2-1; 11-10

T4. Creighton 2-1; 11-13

T6. Northern Iowa 1-2; 14-13

T6. Evansville 1-2; 5-17

T8. Indiana State 0-3; 9-11

T8. Bradley 0-2; 7-20

T8. Wichita State 0-3; 6-21

Weekend Two Matchups: Missouri State at Indiana State; Northern Iowa at Evansville; Southern Illinois at Creighton; Drake at Bradley, Illinois State at Wichita State.

GO SYCAMORES!

Offense Struggles as Sycs Drop Four Straight

The Midwest hasn't been friendly to the Sycamores, as they have dropped their last four contests after returning from Florida. After opening the home portion of the schedule against SIU-Edwardsville on Thursday, ISU travelled to Des Moines over the weekend to open MVC play against 2010 All MVC Pitcher Jenna DeLong and the Drake Bulldogs. With leading hitter, Fr. Alex Baumgart sidelined due to injury, the Sycamores have had a difficult time getting the bats going in their recent stretch.

SIU-E 4 ISU 1: ISU stranded 13 base runners in the home opener at Price Field on Thursday, dropping a non-conference game to SIU-Edwardsville. SIU-E has a 9 inning one-run loss to defending national champion UCLA on their resume, along with a 5-1 victory over MVC member Missouri State. Fr. Shelby Wilson led the ISU offense with two hits on the day, including the Sycamores lone RBI in the 7th inning.

Drake 2 ISU 0: The preseason pick for third, the Bulldogs feature two-time first team MVC performer Jenna DeLong and former MVC Tournament MVP Brynne Dordel as a formidable pitching tandem. DeLong got the victory in game one of the series, and she and Jr. Lindsey Beisser each allowed the opponents to only manage four hits in the game. ISU stranded runners at 2nd and 3rd in the fourth, and also left a single runner on base in each of the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings.

Drake 5 ISU 4: Game two saw some more offense from both teams, as ISU and Drake combined to hit five home runs in the contest. A lead off home run from DeLong put Drake up 1-0 early, but Fr. Danielle Ketner responded with a two run home run in the top of the 2nd to give the Sycamores their first lead of the series. ISU added to their lead on a solo home run by Sr. Steph Jonson in the top of the 4th, but Drake responded with a three run home run in the bottom of the 4th to go back on top 4-3. Drake added a solo home run in the 5th to move ahead 5-3. ISU would mount a rally in the 7th, with back-to-back doubles by So. Kim Pierce and Jr. Stephanie Robinson to cut the score to 5-4, but they were unable to get Robinson home, dropping the game 5-4. ISU managed seven hits in the contest, led by 2 for 4 performances by both Pierce and Robinson. So. Kristen Felker took the loss for ISU, dropping to 5-4 on the season. With the home runs by Ketner and Jonson, ISU has now had six different players hit a home run on the season.

Drake 4 ISU 0: ISU only manged two hits off DeLong in game three of the series, dropping the contest by a 4-0 margin. Jonson and Ketner had the lone hits for ISU, while Drake went for nine hits off Beisser and So. Sara Evans. ISU again found themselves in an early hole, as DeLong hit her second lead off home run in the series to stake the Bulldogs to an early 1-0 lead. The Sycamores got a runner to 3rd base in the 2nd, and had a tough inning ending double play in the 4th when they had advanced a runner to 2nd with 1 out.

ISU will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Indianapolis to take on Butler at 3pm.

GO SYCAMORES!

Rebel Games Recap #2

The Sycamores closed out their stay at the 2011 Rebel Games with a pair of shut-outs on Friday, beating Lafayette 8-0 in a run rule shortened game before taking out Columbia 5-0.

ISU 8 Lafayette 0 (5 innings): Jr. Lindsey Beisser picked up the win for the Sycamores, striking out six while allowing two hits in the 5 inning contest. Offensively, Jr. Bailey Wittenauer delivered the big blow with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 5th inning. Fr. Alex Baumgart and Jr. Stephanie Robinson each had two hits for the Sycamores in the win.

ISU 5 Columbia 0: So. Kristen Felker (above) picked up the victory for ISU, throwing a complete game two hitter while striking out seven Lions in the contest. So. Kim Pierce was 2 for 4 for ISU, while Wittenauer drove in two runs in the victory.

The games scheduled to be played Thursday against Wagner and Penn were rained out. ISU will now return to Terre Haute for their home opener on Thursday, March 17 against SIU-Edwardsville.

GO SYCAMORES!

Rebel Games Recap #1

The Sycamores have played six contests in the 2011 Rebel Games so far, owning a 4-2 record. That moves the overall record on the season to 7-7 for ISU. We still have four games to play in Orlando, finishing up on Friday.

Day One:

ISU 2 Holy Cross 1: The Sycamores opened their Spring Break trip with a win over the Crusaders of Holy Cross. So. Kristen Felker got the win for ISU, striking out nine in a complete game performance. Fr. Alex Baumgart doubled in a run in the 3rd inning, and then Fr. Danielle Ketner and Baumgart pulled off a double steal in the 5th for ISU's second run.

Detroit Mercy 2 ISU 1: The Sycamores only managed five hits in the one run loss to the Titans. Details have not been made available.

Day Two:

ISU 5 Bryant 4: ISU bounced back in the morning of day two with a 5-4 victory in eight innings over the Bryant Bulldogs. The Sycamores pounded out 11 hits in the victory, scoring two runs in the bottom of the 8th inning in the International Tie Breaker. Details have not been made available.

ISU 9 Lehigh 7: The Sycamores discovered some offense in their 9-7 victory over the Mountain Hawks from the Patriot League. Baumgart went 3-3 at the plate, while Jr. Bailey Wittenauer and Fr. Steviee Grove each added two hits for ISU. The Sycamores plated seven runs in the top of the 1st inning to build a lead Lehigh could not overcome.

Day Three:

ISU 2 Sacred Heart 1: Jr. Lindsey Beisser got the victory for ISU in this contest. The Sycamores trailed 1-0 for much of the contest before getting two runs in the 6th for the victory. Details have not been made available.

FAMU 7 ISU 6: The Sycamores dropped an extra inning contest in International Tie Breaker to the Rattlers after building a 4-0 lead. In the top of the 8th, ISU was able to go ahead 6-4, but FAMU won the contest on a walk-off two run home run in the bottom of the 8th. Details have not been made available.

ISU took Wednesday off to visit Universal Studios before returning to action on Thursday and Friday. Thursday, ISU will take on Wagner and Penn, while Friday, the Sycamores will play Lafayette and Columbia.

GO SYCAMORES!

Felker Earns Honors

Congratulations to So. Pitcher Kristen Felker for her recent awards. Felker was named to the All Tournament Team for her efforts at the Magic City Classic hosted by UAB and Samford. During the tournament, Felker went 1-0, appearing in two contests. She pitched 11 innings, allowing two earned runs, while striking out six. In her lone start, Felker threw a complete-game 3-1 victory over Lipscomb.

This Monday, Felker was also named the MVC Pitcher of the Week - her first career honor from the league office. Sunday, Felker threw a complete-game two hitter in a 2-1 win over Holy Cross. Felker didn't allow any earned runs and struck out 9 Crusaders in the contest.

GO SYCAMORES.

Sycamores Travel to "Magic City"

After a 1-3 start to the season at the Mardi Gras Classic, ISU travels to Birmingham, AL to play in the Magic City Classic hosted by UAB and Samford this weekend. Here's a preview of the opponents:

Friday - 3pm (ET) vs Eastern Kentucky: The Colonels hail from the Ohio Valley Conference and will enter the game with a mark of 4-3. EKU opened their season in the 49er Classic hosted by UNC-Charlotte last weekend, falling to UNC-Greensboro in the Championship contest. Wednesday, EKU swept a double-header from in-state rival Western Kentucky. Fr. SS Christina Ciolek is currently leading the Colonel offense with a .409 batting average over her 22 at bats. GameTracker is scheduled to be available for this contest.

Saturday - 1:30pm (ET) vs Samford: The Bulldogs of the Southern Conference enter the weekend with an overall mark of 2-8. Samford has played MVC member Bradley, dropping a 10-2 contest to the Braves last weekend in Troy, AL. Samford is led by first year head coach Stephanie VanBrakle, a former All American player at Alabama. The Bulldogs have played contests already this season against Alabama, UAB, and Auburn. Live coverage provided by Samford for this contest.

Saturday - 9pm (ET) vs Lipscomb: The Bison finished the 2010 season with a 50-13 overall record, winning the Atlantic Sun regular season and tournament title and advancing to the Regional Final vs Alabama. So far in 2011, they are off to a slow start at 3-6, but feature one of the better pitchers the Sycamores will see all season in Jr. Whitney Kiihnl. The reigning Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, Kiihnl was a 3rd Team All American selection a season ago. This year she has struck out 60 batters in 44.1 innings. In their six losses on the season, the Bison have lost four one-run contests and two two-run contests. In their nine games, they have allowed a total of 25 runs scored, with seven of those coming in one contest by #3 Georgia. They have played pre-season MVC favorite Illinois State this year, with the Redbirds winning a tight 2-0 contest. GameTracker is scheduled to be available for this contest.

Sunday - 12:30pm (ET) vs Eastern Illinois: This will be the second of three scheduled meetings with the Panthers this season, with EIU winning a tight 2-0 contest over the Sycamores in Monroe, LA earlier in the year. The Panthers will enter the weekend with a 2-2 mark.

Congratulations to Jr. Lindsey Beisser and Fr. Alex Baumgart for being named to the All-Tournament Team at the Mardi Gras Classic. Beisser is hitting .375 on the young season with a home run while also holding a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 innings in the circle. She has struck out 11 batters and held opponents to a .174 batting average. Baumgart leads the Sycamores in hitting with a .385 batting average, having at least one hit in every ISU contest while also stealing two bases on the season.

GO SYCAMORES!

Sycamores Set to Open at ULM Mardi Gras Classic

The Sycamores open their 2011 softball season this weekend in scenic Monroe, LA (left) in the UL-Monroe Mardi Gras Classic. ISU is hoping the experience gained by a young squad during the 2010 season will pay off with a return to the MVC Championships in 2011. The scheduled 56 game slate begins this Saturday, February 12, with contests against the host ULM Warhawks and the Northwestern State Demons. Then, Sunday, ISU will take on Southeast Missouri State before playing Arkansas - Pine Bluff. Here is a quick look at each team:

Louisiana - Monroe Warhawks: Playing in the competitive Sun Belt Conference, ULM finished 2010 with an overall mark of 24-26. The 2011 SunBelt Conference Pre Season Player of the Year, Sr. Outfielder Brianna Love is expected to lead the Warhawks. Love was a 1st Team Sun Belt performer in 2010, while also being named to the NFCA All-South Region 2nd Team. Last year, Love led the Sun Belt in three offensive categories: slugging percentage (.723), on base percentage (.533) and walks (41), while setting ULM single-season records in batting average (.394), on base percentage and walks. Love led the Warhawks in 11 statistical categories, including batting average, runs (41), hits (54), home runs (11) and stolen bases (15). ULM finished the year with an RPI of 115.

Northwestern State Demons: Located in Natchitoches, LA, Northwestern State is coming off a 2010 year that saw them finish with a record of 27-27 playing in the Southland Conference. Jr. First Baseman Sam Roberts was voted to the pre-season all Southland squad, after hitting .333 with 5 HRs, 35 RBIs, and a .496 Slugging Percentage a season ago. The Demons finished the year with a final RPI ranking of 186. The contest against the Sycamores will be the Demons fourth game of the season.

Southeast Missouri Redhawks: Playing in the Ohio Valley conference, SEMO finished the 2010 season with an overall record of 17-31. ISU and the Redhawks played three times in 2010, with SEMO winning during the opening weekend at the Blues City Classic hosted by Memphis, then the two squads split a double-header in Terre Haute later in the season. SEMO graduated all but seven letter winners from that 2010 squad, but they welcome 12 newcomers to Cape Girardeau, including transfers from Oklahoma and Boston University. SEMO finished 2010 with a final RPI of 228.

Arkansas - Pine Bluff Lions: The Lions finished the 2010 season with an overall mark of 6-29 playing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Their final RPI was 288 a season ago. Sr. Misti Cosby returns with the most potent offensive numbers, as she hit .404 with 5 HRs and a .626 Slugging Percentage a year ago.

It looks like LiveStats will be available for the ISU-ULM game here.

GO SYCAMORES!

2011 Season Schedule

The schedule is complete for the 2011 season, with the opener just weeks away in Monroe, LA.

ISU will open at the ULM Mardi Gras Classic with games on Saturday February 12 against the host UL-Monroe Warhawks and Northwestern State. Then Sunday, the Sycamores will battle SEMO and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The following weekend, ISU will attempt to host a three games series at newly renovated Price Field with the Mastadons of IPFW - if the weather permits. A double-header is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 19, followed by a single game on Sunday, Feb. 20.

Then the Sycamores will travel to Birmingham, AL to take part in the Magic City Classic hosted by UAB and Samford. ISU will take on Eastern Kentucky on Friday, Feb. 25th. The following day, ISU takes on Samford and 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Lipscomb. Then on Sunday, Feb. 27, the Sycamores will face Eastern Illinois for the first time in the 2011 season.

After the Magic City Classic, ISU will travel back to Orlando for the 2nd consecutive season to participate in the 2011 Rebel Games. ISU will open on Sunday, March 6 with games against Holy Cross and Detroit Mercy. Monday, March 7 will see the Sycamores take on Bryant and Lehigh, with Tuesday contests scheduled with Sacred Heart and Florida A&M. The Sycamores will take Wednesday off to enjoy some of the activities the Orlando area has to offer before getting back to the diamond on Thursday, March 10 with contests against Wagner and Penn. ISU will finish up their week in Florida with games on Friday, March 11 against Lafayette and Columbia.

After the Florida trip, the Sycamores return to the Midwest to stay for the remainder of the season. ISU will host SIU-Edwardsville in a single game on March 17, then open up MVC play with a three game series in Des Moines at Drake on March 19-20. The following week sees the Sycamores travel to face Butler in a single game on March 24 before hosting the Bears of Missouri State in an MVC series over March 26-27. ISU will then take on Big 10 foe Indiana in Bloomington on March 3 before traveling to conference rival Wichita State on April 2-3. ISU will then travel to take on SEMO in a doubleheader on April 6 prior to welcoming the Evansville Aces for a weekend series April 9-10. The following midweek, IUPUI comes to Terre Haute for a doubleheader on April 13 before the 2010 MVC Regular Season Champion Salukis of Southern Illinois visit Price Field over the April16-17 weekend. ISU will then travel to take on Illinois State in a conference doubleheader on April 20 and a three game weekend series with Bradley on Friday and Saturday April 22-23 before Easter. The following Tuesday, April 26, ISU travels to Charleson to take on Eastern Illinois for the second time before Illinois State heads to Terre Haute on April 27 to play the final game in the three game series. 2010 MVC Tournament Champion Creighton comes to town the weekend of April 30-May 1 before ISU travels to Cedar Falls on May 7-8 for the final conference series of the season. The MVC Conference Tournament will then be held in Springfield, MO May 12-14.

GO SYCAMORES!

New Practice Facility

The 2011 Season opener is quickly approaching, and the Sycamore softball team has had the opportunity to start their pre-season practice in a new indoor facility - the Athletic Annex West. Priority for this facility belongs to baseball and softball, a welcome change from the previous set-up in the South Gym of the ISU Arena. The new space includes 6 batting cages and field turf over a large area.

GO SYCAMORES!