Sept. 29, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
Though its competitive fall schedule ends on Saturday after a doubleheader with Lake Land College, the Illinois State softball team will take the fire and drive displayed throughout the fall into Sunday's alumni game. Hosting Lake Land at Redbird Softball Complex on Saturday, the first game will begin at 11 a.m. with a second game to follow. The `Birds will then welcome softball alumni from as far back as 1991 to the Complex on Sunday for a 1 p.m., nine-inning contest.
Though Illinois State's winning approach to the game will remain consistent, the `Birds will be playing in two squads on Saturday. The different groups will give head coach Melinda Fischer's staff a chance the opportunity to see players in positions they will typically be playing.
Illinois State is 5-1-2 through three fall tournaments, and most recently dropped a 1-0 loss to Saint Louis before tying Southern Illinois (5-5) at the Reverse Exposure Tournament on Sept. 24. The Redbirds experienced uncharacteristic errors which led to the day's decisions.
Fischer recognized those costly errors and has had her team working on such situations, as she looks to solidify her lineup heading into the spring season.
"I think we've seen a lot of different situations happen during each of the fall tournaments we've played," said Fischer. "Some of them we've handled well and some we really need a lot more work on. But we've had a good week of practice and have been trying to solidify some of the things we saw last weekend. I think we are on our way to making some decisions but I think the left side of the infield is where our questions lie. Hopefully we'll be able to see some more positives in the players who play this weekend.
"We've talked a lot about how to handle things when they aren't going the way we want them to," Fischer continued. "I think a lot of that is our approach to the game and it is more being relaxed and playing together as a group, especially in the infield. We've talked about how to handle those situations, in terms of player leadership, player initiation, and conversation on the field."
Sunday's softball alumni game will bring 21 former Redbird student-athletes to campus, featuring eight former softball all-Americans. Included in the group that will lead the ever-competitive alumni squad will be ISU greats Kate Stake, Nicole Kurth-Duncheon, Emily Kreuger, Bridget Fournie and Heather Stella.
Fischer is counting on a spirited matchup, while also hoping her current team can learn from the former `Birds.
"The game will be very competitive, as it always is," said Fischer. "We know it will be a big battle. I think the alums look forward to coming back to see if they can hang with the younger ones and the current team looks to see if they can play at the level of those players who have really set the stage and the foundation for our program. This game is a great opportunity to exchange stories.
"Hopefully our players will watch these women play and see what they brought to our program," continued Fischer. "We have eight all-Americans coming back and that is great number. The alumni are a talented group and our team needs to look at that and learn from it. Many of these alumni have been playing since they left our program and they have great experience. They may not be in the same sort of physical condition as they were when they were here, but they have tremendous game experience."
