BGSU softball (3-13) struggled in last weekend’s Chanticleer Showdown, going 0-6 while being outscored 46-20 in six games that poised them as the underdog, but things will be different in the Hoosier Classic at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington, Indiana where the Falcons will be favorites in three of their five matchups.
Head coach Michelle Gardner returns to play at a stadium where she spent nine years as a head coach and achieved back-to-back 30-win seasons for the Hoosiers in 2012, the first time the mark had been reached by the program since 1989 and 1990.
Fighting to carry momentum into their opening conference series against Buffalo on March 14 and 15, the team will play in their final non-conference tournament, a format that has been a struggle for a Falcons team that has consistently had trouble with closing out games.
Two games against Indiana will highlight a slate that also includes a game against IU Indy and two against UIC, teams that combine for a 2025 record of 7-28.
The full tournament schedule looks like this:
Friday, March 7
BGSU vs UIC: 12:30 p.m.
BGSU vs Indiana: 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 8
BGSU vs IU Indy: noon.
BGSU vs UIC: 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 9
BGSU vs Indiana: 3 p.m.
Falcon Forecast
Although many of the troubles can be attributed to one of the toughest schedules in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Falcons have struggled on both sides of the ball, hitting for a .244 batting average that’s only good enough for 10th place in the conference. The pitching staff hasn’t stood much taller, as a 7.22 earned-run average (ERA) is the worst in the MAC and 276th out of 300 NCAA Division I teams.
The team’s power has come alive in a way that was unforeseen after all the struggles they saw with getting balls over the fence in 2024, as 10 home runs is fourth most in the MAC and two more than the team achieved in all of last season after only 16 games.
Redshirt freshman Addie Martin has led the charge in the power category, leading the team with four home runs as the only club member with an OPS over 1.000.
Juniors Hannah Hunt and Katie Hutter have been key leaders to a Falcons offense that continues to put up runs early in games, as both hitters sport a batting average just over .325 with Hunt leading the team with 10 RBIs and 16 hits.
Scarlet Anderson has led the pitching staff in the middleman role, throwing key innings to get the Falcons through the middle innings of games. The senior’s 4.43 earned-run average is the only one on the team below six, and her best outings have come in big games, including 3.1 innings of one-earned ball against USC Upstate on opening day and against the #1/1 Oklahoma Sooners.
Indiana Hoosiers (12-5)
The Hoosiers enter the Hoosier Classic on a roller coaster, losing back-to-back games against Clemson by a combined score of 19-5 despite earning a 22-0 victory over Lafayette only a day prior. Their resume features three wins over four opponents and a flawless record against teams outside those conferences since opening day against Florida International on February 6.
An offense led by head coach Shonda Stanton has surprised many, leading the Big Ten in team batting average and on-base percentage despite hitting only 14 home runs, which doesn’t compare to Nebraska’s 45 that leads the Big Ten and slots in as the runner up in Division I.
Offensive production has been a team effort with four Hoosiers hitting above .400 and nine hitting above .300. Senior outfielder Taylor Minnick leads the team with 21 RBIs and a 1.288 despite only three home runs on the year.
UIC Flames (4-15)
After starting the season off with a 4-4 record, the Flames have lost 11 straight while being held to two or less run in six of the last seven and failing to score in four of those games.
The squad’s .217 team batting average is third worst in the Missouri Valley Conference and their 6.30 team ERA stands second worst, allowing a conference high 105 runs in only 19 games. The team has struggled mightily in the power category, hitting only two home runs on the year.
Redshirt senior outfielder Dee Dee Caskey enters the game on a three-game hitting streak, and her 1.230 OPS that’s third best in the MVC is the only UIC ops above .760.
IU Indy (3-13)
Similarly to their Flame foes, the Jaguars have lost seven in a row, falling to Chattanooga, Gardner-Webb and Stony Brook twice each and Indiana State once while scoring more than one run in only three out of those seven games.
Junior infielder Molly Kable has been a bright spot for IU Indy, hitting .381 with a 1.125 OPS and sending two out of the Jaguars’ four home runs over the fence.
