EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball landed the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Division II Softball Championship and will play No. 5-seeded Rogers State University in the opening round Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (CDT).

The Screaming Eagles (49-11) are ranked No. 10, nationally, while the Hillcats (53-10) are ranked No. 4, nationally.

USI and Rogers State are in the same bracket as the top-ranked University of Texas at Tyler and No. 8-seeded California State University, Dominguez Hills.

The other half of the bracket features No. 2-seeded Adelphi University taking on No. 7-seeded University of North Georgia, while No. 3-seeded Auburn University at Montgomery will battle No. 6-seeded Seton Hill University.

USI is one of five No. 1 seeds to advance to the NCAA II Softball Championship and one of three from its half of the bracket. Texas-Tyler, Rogers State, Adelphi, and Auburn-Montgomery also were No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.

The Eagles’ games will be aired live on NCAA.com, 95.7 The Spin and ESPN 97.7 The Ref, while live stats, audio and video links can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.

USI Softball Notes
• Eagles claim third regional crown. USI Softball won its third NCAA Division II Midwest Region title and first since winning the national championship in 2018. The Eagle’s win over Grand Valley State marked the second time USI has claimed the regional title on the USI Softball Field. The Eagles improved to 6-0 all-time in the NCAA II Super Regional with their wins.

• USI in the NCAA post-season. The Eagles, who are in the NCAA II Tournament for the first time since 2019 and the 10th time in program history, are 29-18 all-time in the NCAA II Tournament and 28-14 under Head Coach Sue Kunkle following their wins in the Super Regional.

• USI in the NCAA II Softball Championship. The Eagles are making their third appearance at the NCAA II Softball Championship. USI went 0-2 in its first trip in 2017 and 5-0 in its national championship run in 2018.
–2017: Lost to #2 seed Minnesota State-Mankato (eventual champions), 5-0, in the opening round
–2017: Lost to #6 seed West Florida, 4-3, in elimination bracket following a lengthy delay due to umpire replacement
–2018: Upset #1 seed North Georgia, 1-0, behind a 3-hit shutout from Jennifer Leonhardt
–2018: Jennifer Leonhardt tossed USI’s first-ever post-season no-hitter as Eagles upset #4 seed Angelo State, 3-0.
–2018: After rain suspended play with USI trailing #6-seeded Saint Leo, 4-2, in the sixth, USI came back the following day to score runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to punch its ticket to the NCAA II Championship round.
–2018: USI overpowered #2 seed Saint Anselm, winning the opening game of the best-of-three series, 4-0, before erupting for seven second-inning runs in game two to win 8-3.

• Eagles making history. USI has had a historic season in its march to the NCAA II Softball Championship. The Eagles have accomplished the following:
–The best start to GLVC play (16-0).
–A tied program record for consecutive wins (18).
–A set record for GLVC wins (26) in a single season.
–A set record for wins in a single season (49) … previous record was 48 (1998).
–First time in program history winning GLVC regular-season, GLVC Tournament and NCAA II Midwest Region titles in the same season.
–Set program records for triples (26), runs (346), RBI (320) and tied record for doubles (93).
–Best 40-game stretch in program history, having gone 37-3 entering NCAA II Championship.

• Record Watch. Individually, sophomore first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) broke Marleah Fossett’s record (21 in 2017) for hit-by-pitches (22) and is just two doubles to match Kristin Eickholt’s program record (21 in 2006). Sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) needs five at-bats (Claire Johnson, 206 in 2018) and 12 hits (Trisha Poling, 87 in 1998) to match program records, while freshman outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) is eight runs shy of Haley Hodge’s record (58 in 2016). Bedrick also is just 10 runs shy of that mark.

• Historic production. While Fair’s 54 RBI are tied for the second most in a single-season in program history, the Eagles run production across the board has been historic. USI has six players with at least 30 RBI and a seventh with 29 RBI. The six players with 30 or more RBI are the most in program history. USI also is just 12 hits shy of the 2017 team’s single-season record for hits (540).

• Last week’s leaders. Senior designated player Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana) hit .571 (4-7) with a pair of RBI during the NCAA II Super Regional. She drove in the game-winning run in USI’s come-from-behind win over Grand Valley State in game two, while her RBI single in the fifth in game one broke a scoreless tie. In the circle, freshman pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) was 1-0 with a save and a 0.00 ERA, while junior pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) was 1-0 with a 1.31 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work.

• NCAA II Tournament leaders. Fair is hitting .450 (9-20) with two doubles, two home run and six RBI, while Back is hitting .444 with a double and two RBI. Bedrick is hitting .429 with a team-best eight runs scored, while Goodin and sophomore catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) have respectively driven in eight and seven runs. Goodin is 3-1 with a 0.58 ERA in the post-season, while Newman is 3-0 with two saves, a 1.52 ERA, 20 strikeouts and a .195 opponent batting average.

• Post-season leaders. Back is hitting .500 with two doubles and four RBI to lead USI in the post-season, while Bedrick is hitting .433 with 13 hits and 11 runs scored. Fair is hitting .414 with three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI, while Goodin is hitting .407 with three doubles, four home runs and 10 RBI.

In the circle, Goodin is 5-1 with a 0.87 ERA, 19 strikeouts and a .220 opponent batting average in 40 1/3 innings of work to lead USI in the post-season. Newman is 3-0 with a pair of saves, 20 strikeouts and a .195 opponent batting average in 23 innings of work, freshman Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) is 1-0 with a .160 opponent batting average in 6 2/3 innings of work.

• Eagles offense heats up. After being held to just three hits in their first shutout loss since March 5 and just their second of the season, the Eagles’ offense erupted for a combined 31 runs off 47 hits in the final four games of the NCAA II Midwest Region #1 Tournament. The Eagles hit .409 as a team, racking up 13 doubles, two triples and eight home runs.

• USI wins fifth GLVC crown. The Eagles won the GLVC Tournament for the fifth time in program history when they defeated Indianapolis, 1-0, in the championship game Sunday. USI also won the GLVC Tournament in 1993, 1995, 1998 and 2018.

• Eagles move into Top 10. USI enters the NCAA II Softball Championship ranked No. 10 in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, which was most recently published prior to the NCAA II Midwest #1 Tournament.

• Newman finalist for Freshman of Year honors. Newman is a finalist for the NFCA’s Freshman of the Year honor. She is the second USI freshman to be up for the award after Jennifer Leonhardt was a finalist for the NFCA Freshman of the Year honor in 2017.

• Kunkle named GLVC Coach of the Year. USI Head Coach Sue Kunkle was named the GLVC Coach of the Year for the third time after leading the Eagles to the GLVC regular-season championship. Kunkle, who directed the NFCA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2018 and NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2017 and 2018, also was the GLVC Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2017.

• Six Eagles net All-GLVC honors. USI placed six players on the All-GLVC team in 2022, including Goodin, who collected first-team honors as a utility/pitcher. Back (designated player) and Fair were named to the second team, as was Newman, Kihega and Bedrick.

• Four Eagles net All-Region honors. Fair, Goodin and Newman all earned second-team D2CCA All-Midwest Region honors in a vote by the Midwest Region Sports Information Directors, while Goodin and Bedrick earned second-team NFCA All-Midwest Region accolades in a vote by the region’s coaches.

• Two Eagles net Academic honors. Back and Bedrick both earned CoSIDA Academic All-District IV honor after strong seasons at the plate and in the classroom. Both are now on the ballot for Academic All-America honors.

• Season leaders. Back leads USI with a .397 batting average to go along with 10 doubles, two home runs, and 30 RBI, while Fair is hitting .390 with 19 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, and 54 RBI. She also has been hit a program-record 22 times.

In the circle, Newman is 17-3 with four saves, a 179 ERA, .174 opponent batting average and 185 strikeouts in 141 innings of work. Goodin is 16-3 with a 1.83 ERA and .226 opponent batting average in 126 2/3 innings of work, while Gotshall (8-0) and Back (6-1) have combined for a 14-1 record.

• Walk-off wins. The Eagles have had 11 walk-off victories this season, including six that have been in the seventh inning or later and four that have been in extra innings. Six of the walk-off wins have given the Eagles victory via the eight-run rule.

• Eagles in extra innings. USI is 6-1 in extra-inning games this season, including 4-0 in GLVC play.

• Hitting streaks. Back, junior shortstop Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) and freshman Olivia Howard (Fishers, Indiana) each have a hit in their previous two appearances. Bedrick and junior second baseman Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) each had a season-high 11 game hit streak earlier this season.

• Weekly honors. Both Fair and Newman have collected GLVC weekly honors this season. Fair earned GLVC Player of the Week honors for her efforts in USI’s doubleheader sweep over Illinois Springfield, Truman State, and Quincy earlier this season, while Newman was named GLVC Pitcher of the Week after recording a pair of shutouts, including a no-hitter, in USI’s doubleheader wins over Drury and Southwest Baptist.

• OUCH! Fair has been hit by a pitch a league-high 22 times this season. She ranks No. 1 on USI’s all-time single-season list for being hit by a pitch. Marleah Fossett and Mena Fulton were smacked by pitches a respective 21 and 17 times in 2017, while Caitlyn Bradley was hit 12 times in 2016. Fair, who was hit 10 times as a freshman in 2021, is No. 2 on USI’s all-time list behind Fulton (37).

• 15-plus Ks. Newman has three games under her belt with at least 15 strikeouts. She fanned 17 batters in USI’s game-two win over Quincy and struck out 16 in USI’s game-two win over Missouri-St. Louis. She also had 15 strikeouts in USI’s game-two win over McKendree.