Sept. 23, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
Fresh off a successful run at the inaugural State Farm Illinois Collegiate Softball Championship last weekend at Champion Fields, the Illinois State softball team will resume its fall exhibition season Wednesday when it plays host to Illinois Central College (ICC) at 5 p.m. at Marian Kneer Softball Stadium. The Redbirds will be looking to avenge the 7-4 loss they suffered against Heartland Community College in their last home game (Sept. 17).
ICC finished its spring season with a 38-19 record as a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Cougar head coach Heather Doty is a familiar presence in the central Illinois softball scene, as she was a former player at Missouri Valley Conference foe Bradley, while she also previously served as University High School's head coach.
Youth is a dominant presence on the Cougars' roster. ICC returns just five players from its 2008 squad and has 15 freshmen on roster.
Illinois State owns a 2-3 record during the fall exhibition season.
Following its home-opening loss to Heartland Community College Sept. 17, ISU shut out Northern Illinois, 2-0, Saturday afternoon to earn a win in its first game of the State Farm Illinois College Softball Championship. The Redbirds were then on the wrong end of a 7-4, extra-inning affair against Illinois-Chicago. In Sunday's bracket play, Eastern Illinois' Amber May no-hit Illinois State in a 4-0 victory for the Panthers. The Redbirds then defeated Bradley, 2-1, to win the Silver Bracket consolation game.
Illinois State is being led at the plate by freshman infielder Becky Baltikas, who went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's win over Bradley. In the circle, senior Amber Smith has looked sharp, as the Fairfield, Calif., native has been stingy with the base on balls and owns a 2-2 record in four starts.
