University of Southern Indiana Softball finished the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season ranked No. 19 in the final National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Top 25 poll, which was released Wednesday morning.
The Screaming Eagles finished the year with a 15-4 overall record. USI was set to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play against the University of Indianapolis when it learned that the NCAA and GLVC Championships were being canceled in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The season was completely canceled shortly after those announcements.
USI ended the year by winning 11 of its final 12 games, including its final five contests. Of the Eagles’ four losses, two were by one run, another was an 11-inning loss, and the other was to the University of North Georgia, which finished the year ranked No. 3.
In the Eagles’ final game, senior pitcher Jennifer Leonhardt racked up 15 strikeouts in a 3-2 win over Winona State University at The Spring Games. Leonhardt went 7-3 in the circle this year with a 1.63 ERA, 76 strikeouts and a .174 ERA. She also led USI with a .386 batting average, five doubles, a triple, two home runs and 16 RBIs.
While it remains uncertain whether Leonhardt or any of USI’s three seniors return in 2021, the Eagles’ senior class, which also includes shortstop Taylor Ricketts and outfielder Allison Schubert, has left its mark on the USI Softball Program in the last four years.
The Eagles seniors accounted for a 137-62 overall record, 53-27 in GLVC play; and were major catalysts in USI’s regional championship runs in 2017 and 2018 as well as the Eagles’ 2018 national championship.
Leonhardt ends the 2020 season ranked first all-time in career wins (83), strikeouts (787) and complete-game shutouts (35). She also ranks second all-time at USI in innings pitched (730.2), fourth in complete games (85) and sixth in career ERA (1.76).
The three-time All-American is tied for 11th all-time at USI in both hit-by-pitches (10) and triples (6); and is 18th in RBI (87).
Schubert, an All-Midwest Region honoree as a sophomore in 2018, ended the year in a tie for ninth all-time at USI in career home runs (18) and 16th in career RBI (91); while Ricketts has started all of USI’s 138 games at shortstop throughout the last three seasons.
USI’s underclassmen also played a huge role in the Eagles’ early successes this season, with five rookies posting batting averages of .300 or better. Pitcher/infielder Allie Goodin and infielder Rachel Martinez led the Eagles’ freshmen. Goodin hit .358 with five doubles, a home run and 10 RBI, while going 4-0 in the circle with a 2.47 ERA and 26 strikeouts. Martinez hit .356 with four doubles, two triples, a home run and 10 RBI.
The Eagles also saw marked improvement from sophomore pitcher Katie Back and Elissa Brown. Back was 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA and .234 opponent batting average, while Brown was 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA.
USI’s No. 19 ranking marks the fourth straight season the Eagles have ended the year ranked inside the NFCA Top 25. USI was No. 25 a year ago, No. 7 in 2017 and No. 1 in 2018.
