Feb. 16, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
Just one week after bowing to the No. 3 team in the nation (Tennessee) by one run in extra innings, the Redbird softball team will look for better results as it takes on No. 19 Iowa and No. 22 Arizona State at the Littlewood Classic in Tempe, Ariz. this weekend.
The `Birds open the tournament against the Hawkeyes (4-1), who return seven starters from last year's 50-14 NCAA Tournament team. Last weekend, Iowa opened its season at the Diamond Fun & Sun Classic in Miami. Illinois State will then face ASU (7-0) in the first of three games in three days against the host team. The Sun Devils entered the national polls this week after winning the highly competitive Kajikawa Classic, which they hosted.
"Iowa and Arizona State are coming off great first weekends. We're definitely going to have our hands full," Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer said. "Arizona State's stats show that they have a lot of power. We know a little bit more about Iowa, but with not playing them last year we don't know a lot about their younger kids.
"But we're just happy to get back outside and play, it doesn't matter who our opponent is," Fischer added. "We need to get some innings, games and situations under our belt so we can move forward."
Illinois State (1-1) is no stranger to the desert as it has competed in an ASU tournament in each of the past 17 seasons. Much like the Redbirds are familiar with the desert, they are also familiar with their opponents. ISU has faced the Sun Devils 21 times, and has taken on the Hawkeyes 41 times. The `Birds are 14-27 all-time against Iowa, but they haven't been as successful against Arizona State. Illinois State has only one win against the host team, that win came in 2002 when ASU was ranked No. 8 in the nation. This marks the ninth straight season that these three teams will square off in Tempe.
The Littlewood Classic will also feature three head coaches with a wealth of experience and success. Iowa head coach Gayle Blevins is No. 3 on the NCAA softball wins list with a 1,064-487-5 career mark. She is one of five Division I softball coaches with 1,000+ wins. Meanwhile, Fischer (675-468-3) record ranks among the top 25 on the active wins list; and first-year ASU coach Clint Myers has over 850 wins as a baseball and softball coach at NJCAA Central Arizona College.
"We've got to put the ball in play more than we did last weekend," Fischer said. "Pitching wise we did okay, but we kind of wore down in the latter innings. We were also able to see some different combinations we wanted to see, but we still haven't been able to do all that we wanted to do with just two games last weekend."
Littlewood Classic
Date Opponent Time
Feb. 17 vs. #19 Iowa 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 17 at #22 Arizona State 6 p.m.
Feb. 18 vs. #19 Iowa 2 p.m.
Feb. 18 at #22 Arizona State 7 p.m.
Feb. 19 at #22 Arizona State 1 p.m.
All times are CST.
