March 20, 2008
Nineteen days after it last played - the longest layoff in program history - the Illinois State softball team (10-10) will finally return to action this weekend when it travels to Springfield, Mo., to take on host Missouri State (12-4, 1-1 MVC) in the Redbirds' Missouri Valley Conference-opening series. ISU and MSU will first square off in a 1 p.m. doubleheader Friday from the Missouri State Softball Field, while the two teams will conclude the series Saturday with a single game at noon.
The Redbirds were originally scheduled to begin the conference portion of their 2008 season March 15-16 at home against Creighton, but that series was postponed to April 21 due to the playing conditions at the Redbird Softball Complex. Illinois State has had four-straight series (a total of 10 games) either cancelled or postponed since it last played March 2.
Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer is excited for her team to be back in action this weekend after such a long layoff.
"At this point, we're excited to get back on the field," said Fischer. "It has been a little frustrating (not playing for 19 days), but it is what it is, and we just need to go out there and do what we are very capable of doing."
Missouri State is coming off a 3-2 upset victory over No. 11 Oklahoma Wednesday in Norman, Okla. The win marked the first home loss of the season for Oklahoma, and it was the Bears' first victory over a ranked opponent since a win over then-No. 20 Southern Illinois in 2007.
The MSU pitching staff is led by senior Melissa Porche, one of the top pitchers in the Missouri Valley Conference. Porche was 16-19 with a team-best 2.17 ERA in 2007. This season, Porche has continued her dominance, as she was named the MVC Pitcher of the Week March 17, and then picked up the win in the circle in the Bears' 3-2 victory over Oklahoma Wednesday. Porche is 6-3 on the season with a 0.90 ERA. She has 83 strikeouts this year, which account for 80 percent of the team's 104 pitching strikeouts.
In the batter's box, the Bears are led by Michelle Armentrout, who is hitting .378 on the season with 11 runs scored, 10 RBI and a .644 slugging percentage. MSU has a .271 team batting average, which ranks third in the conference.
"Missouri State is having a good season, so far," said Fischer. "(Starting pitcher Melissa) Porche is having a good season in the circle for (the Bears), coming off of her Valley Pitcher of the Week selection. We know what she is capable of doing, and she is a very strong pitcher."
Illinois State dominated the season series against Missouri State in 2007, as the Redbirds outscored the Bears, 22-2, over three games, including two-straight run-rule victories. The series was crucial for ISU, as the Redbirds' three-game sweep of the Bears gave them sole possession of second place in the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season standings, something that was in jeopardy prior to the series. In the first two games of the series (May 5, 2007), Jessie Buker hit three home runs, two of which came in walk-off fashion, to propel ISU to two-straight run-rule victories (10-1 and 11-1). The series finale came May 6, 2007, when former Redbird pitcher Shannon Nicholson pitched a career-high 12 innings to earn a 1-0, 12-inning victory.
The Redbirds lead the all-time series against the Bears, 49-24, including a commanding 24-9 record in Springfield, Mo., site of this weekend's games. ISU is riding a three-game winning streak in the series after taking all three contests last season. The Redbirds have won five of the last six games in the series.
Live radio coverage of Saturday's game will be available beginning at noon on www.newstalk560.com, courtesy of KWTO-AM 560, Springfield, Mo.
