EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana lost the 2023 home finale to Ball State University, 12-1, Tuesday evening at the USI Baseball Field. USI watched its record go to 15-36 overall, while Ball State is 33-18 in 2023.

USI fell behind early, 10-0, as Ball State scored three in the second, six in the third, and one in the fourth. The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the fourth when junior rightfielder Ren Tachioka (Japan) scored on an error to trail, 10-1.

The Cardinals, which hit five home runs in the contest, would finish the scoring in the game with pair of runs in the top of the seventh to close out the 12-1 final.

Up Next for the Eagles: 
The Eagles, who are 6-14 in Ohio Valley Conference action this spring, hit the road to Tennessee Tech University for a three-game set in Cookeville, Tennessee, to close out the 2023 regular season schedule. The series starts with a pair of 6 p.m. starts Thursday and Friday before concluding at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Tennessee Tech is 18-30 overall, 9-12 in the OVC, in 2023 and enters the series having lost three of the last four. The Golden Eagles, currently, are sixth in the OVC standings.

The series is the first meeting between USI and Tennessee Tech in the history of the baseball programs.

Inside the OVC:
USI, currently, has a hold on the final slot in the OVC’s post-season tournament by a half game and with one weekend to play. The top eight teams in the conference advance to OVC Championship, which is set for May 24-27 at Mt. Dew Park in Marion, Illinois.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Softball junior outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana), senior outfielder Emma Tucher (New Palestine, Indiana), senior infielder Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois), senior utility Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana), and senior infielder Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) were named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District for NCAA Division I. Bedrick and Goodin earn their second Academic All-District Awards, and Tucher, Martinez, and Rager earn their first Academic All-District Awards.

To be eligible for the CSC Academic All-District Award, the student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials and at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). They must have reached a sophomore athletic and academic standing at the institution and must have completed at least one full academic year at the institution.

Bedrick, a nursing major, led USI Softball in 2023 with 31 runs scored while hitting .308 at the plate, second-best on the team. Bedrick, who started all 44 games in centerfield, had a season-high three hits back in February against the University of Evansville and a season best three RBIs at Spring Games in March against Long Island University. Plus, Southern Indiana’s leadoff batter made multiple highlight reel plays and catches patrolling centerfield. The junior outfielder moved inside USI’s top five all-time for career stolen bases with 50.

Tucher made 39 starts this season as part of a strong outfield unit defensively. With two outfield assists in 2023, the senior raised her career assists total to 14. She also sported a .971 fielding percentage this season. The health administration major scored eight runs and brought in three more. Tucher also provided a boost on the basepaths as a pinch-runner in key situations.

Martinez started all 44 games for USI at second base, batting .264 with two home runs, 17 RBIs, and 11 runs. On the Screaming Eagles’ final day of the regular season on May 6, the senior had a season-best three hits against Tennessee Tech University. Her season-high of two runs came in the same game. Both of her home runs came within the first couple weeks of the conference season. Martinez had three multi-RBI games in 2023. With a triple this season, the nursing major moved inside USI’s top 10 all-time for career triples with seven. At the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, Martinez had two doubles and two RBIs.

Goodin was named All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team and OVC co-Player of the Year after a strong year at the plate for the Screaming Eagles. Starting all 44 games, Goodin was second in the OVC with a .412 overall batting average while also ranking second with 16 doubles and 40 RBIs. The senior paced the league in conference play with a .442 batting average and 30 RBIs. On April 23 at Tennessee State University, Goodin had two home runs and five RBIs in a 5-1 win for Southern Indiana. Her multi-home run game was the first by a USI player this season and the fourth such game in Goodin’s USI career. In the Screaming Eagles’ 8-7 win in game 2 against Tennessee Tech University on May 6, Goodin had a clutch two-run home run that tied the game 7-7 before USI won in walk-off fashion. A management major, Goodin had a season-high four hits in late March against Southeast Missouri State University. This season, Goodin moved into the top ten in USI Softball’s all-time history with 19 career home runs. She also surpassed 100 career RBIs, sitting just outside the top ten in USI history. Plus, Goodin closed out the 2023 season earning Ohio Valley Conference All-Tournament Team accolades after batting .500 with a home run and three RBIs in USI’s three games at the OVC Tournament.

Rager, a health services major, started all 44 games at shortstop for USI this season. The senior hit .269 with 11 RBIs and 13 runs, finishing the season with a 13-game on-base streak. In Southern Indiana’s conference-opening weekend at Morehead State, Rager had a season-high three hits and two RBIs on March 11. The shortstop had a strong finish to the season, getting a hit in 12 of the last 13 games. At the OVC Tournament, the shortstop hit .364 with three runs, a double, and an RBI. Rager is top-10 all-time in USI history with seven career triples.

All five Screaming Eagles were awarded Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference accolades multiple times during their USI careers.

As a team, USI concluded the 2023 season having made history on multiple fronts. USI Softball competed in its first season as an NCAA Division I program, accumulating 21 total wins and 13 Ohio Valley Conference wins, leading to a third-place finish. While many firsts were achieved, the 2023 season ended with the Screaming Eagles’ first berth and postseason win in the OVC Championship Tournament.