After Mother Nature forced the Illinois State softball team to cancel three games this week, the Redbirds are ready to return to action after a one week break from competition as they head to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on the Drake Bulldogs at Buel Softball Field.
Head coach
Melinda Fischer does not feel that the break from competition will have any effect on the Redbirds, but that the team is just ready to be back on the field.
Drake is a greatly improved ball club from last year, said Fischer. They are coming off a big win over Southern Illinois (No. 26 in the NFCA Poll) and we have to be ready to play. We are anxious to get back on the field and return to Valley competition. In order to achieve what we have planned, we are going to have to be very focused this weekend.
The Redbirds, 19-16 and 12-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference, look to remain at the top of the Valley, but standing in their way this weekend is the seventh-ranked team in the Valley, with a 4-7 record and 17-18 overall. Illinois State leads the overall series, 32-12, and has won the last eight match-ups against the Bulldogs, with the most recent loss to Drake, 4-3, dating Mar. 28, 2000, at the Missouri Invite.
Fischer warns that this is a different Drake team, given the fact that the Bulldogs are now under first-year head coach Rich Calvert, who was an assistant coach under Fischer from 1986-1991.
I was very happy to see Rich get the position at Drake, said Fischer. He has a true passion for the game and played a lot of fastpitch softball himself. He was with Illinois State as an undergraduate assistant coach and moved up over his six years here to a full-time assistant. He has gained great experience as an assistant in the Big Ten Conference (at Iowa). He has truly energized the Drake softball program.
The Redbirds and Bulldogs open the series on Saturday, April 12, with a noon doubleheader. The action will conclude on Sunday with a noon game.
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