Indiana Softball Strives for First NCAA Tournament Appearance in Over a Decade

The Hoosiers haven't reached the NCAA Tournament since 2011 but have all the tools and fight to do so this season. They've earned their best record since that season 12 years ago with one more regular season series left to play.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana softball is so close. The Hoosiers look to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011 as they will wrap up their history-making season with a series versus Michigan State beginning Friday. 

Right now, the softballers hold a 37-15 overall record and 15-5 conference record for second best behind Northwestern in the Big Ten. They haven't seen this much winning production since that 2011 season when the team went 37-18 and 17-3 in the conference. That team under former head coach Michelle Gardner found its way to the regional round of the NCAA Tournament where it eventually lost double-elimination style to Illinois State 3-1 and DePaul 2-1.

The team made it to the College World Series in 1983 and 1986 but in the other five tournament appearances only advanced as far as regionals, otherwise known as the first round.

The Hoosiers aren't ranked in ESPN's poll, but they did have a program record surpassing 18 consecutive wins this season, ending their streak at 23 victories with a 6-5 loss to Minnesota in the second game of that series.

With one more series left in the regular season versus the Spartans, Indiana is currently on a six-game winning streak. The team is of course fueled by head coach Shonda Stanton in her sixth season with the Hoosiers as she's had five winning seasons with the program. She came from an 18-year head coaching stint at Marshall where she was the program's all-time winningest coach with 560 victories.

Her team consists of eight players batting over .300 led by freshman infielder Taryn Kern's .423 in 130 at-bats. Keep in mind two players batting over .300 aren't starters and have few at-bats. The Hoosiers lead the Big with a .321 batting average while Kern's average ranks third as the best freshman batter in the conference.

However, Indiana ranks No. 12 in the Big in both pitching and fielding while its last regular season opponent Michigan State ranks last at No. 14 in each of these categories.

Indiana will wrap up its season on Sunday, May 7 ahead of the Big Ten Tournament beginning Wednesday, May 10. The NCAA Tournament selection show follows Sunday, May 14 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.