Feb. 5, 2009
ILLINOIS STATE AT USF LOUISVILLE SLUGGER TOURNAMENT | TAMPA, FLA.
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| Dates |
Friday, Feb. 6 - Sunday, Feb. 8
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Location
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Tampa, Fla.
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Friday
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vs. Florida Gulf Coast (11 a.m. CST)
at RV/RV USF (3 p.m. CST) |
Saturday
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vs. UNC-Greensboro (8 a.m. CST)
vs. Minnesota (10 a.m. CST)
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Sunday
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vs. North Florida (10 a.m. CST)
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| Radio |
 WJBC.com (Kevin McCarty | Play-by-Play)
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| Webcast |
 GoUSFBulls.com ($9.95 for entire tournament)
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Live Stats
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GoRedbirds.com |
Tournament Info
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Tournament Central |  ISU Game Notes
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The 2009 version of the Illinois State softball team will begin its quest for the program's seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament Friday when it starts play at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament in Tampa, Fla. ISU will begin the tournament with games Friday against Florida Gulf Coast (11 a.m. CST) and tournament host USF (3 p.m. CST), followed by Saturday matchups against UNC-Greensboro (8 a.m. CST) and Minnesota (10 a.m. CST). The Redbirds will wrap up the tournament at 10 a.m. CST Sunday against North Florida.
All five of Illinois State's games this weekend can be heard live on WJBC.com, as Kevin McCarty will provide live play-by-play for Redbird fans. Live stats of each game will be available on GoRedbirds.com, along with information on how to view a live Webcast of each game.
Illinois State will begin its 45th season of collegiate softball (27th season at the NCAA Division I level) Friday when it starts play at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament. The Redbirds are coming off of a 28-20 overall record in 2008, which included a second-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 17-7 league mark.
Despite its strong conference record, Illinois State failed to make the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 2005. With a scheduled that includes 11 teams that competed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament during its first four weeks competition this season, the Redbirds will look to get the winning momentum going early and often this weekend in Tampa, Fla.
"We really are concerned about our play, not so much what the other teams are doing or can do," said Illinois State head coach Melinda Fischer. "We have to take care of ourselves before we can concentrate on the strategies involved in the game. In order to get our season started right, it is important that we execute the fundamentals of the game throughout the course of the season, and that all starts this weekend.
"I thought our first practice (Thursday in Tampa, Fla.) went pretty well. It was certainly good to get outside, get on some real dirt and real grass and play on a field again, after having to practice inside (in Horton Field House) since the start of our official practices last month."
The Redbirds were picked second in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference Coaches' Poll, after earning the No. 4 preseason spot prior to the start of the 2008 season. Four Redbirds - senior outfielder Jessie Buker, senior pitcher/first baseman Amber Smith, junior infielder Kara Nelson and sophomore utility player Abby Olson - earned preseason All-Valley honors.
ISU returns 13 letterwinners from its 2009 squad, a number that includes seven of its nine starters from last season and its entire pitching staff. Chief among those returnees is Smith, The Valley's career home run record holder (40 career home runs) who boasted a .349 batting average last season.
Also returning for the 2009 season is Nelson, who was named to the ASA National Player of the Year Watch List prior to the start of the season. Nelson led The Valley in both batting average (.401) and triples (7) last season, while she ranked first among ISU players for slugging percentage (.632), on-base percentage (.468), runs scored (37), hits (61) and doubles (9).
This weekend's tournament in Tampa, Fla., marks the third-straight year that Illinois State has opened its season in Florida. The Redbirds have begun a season in the Sunshine State in seven of the least eight years.
ISU will be facing three opponents - Florida Gulf Coast, UNC-Greensboro and North Florida - that it has never competed against before. The Redbirds own a 1-2 record all-time against tournament host USF, while ISU's all-time series against Minnesota is tied, 4-4.
For more information on Illinois State softball or Illinois State Athletics, please visit GoRedbirds.com.
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
Multimedia coverage for the Illinois State softball team's season-opening games at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament in Tampa, Fla., Friday through Sunday has been announced.
All five of the Redbirds' games at the tournament will be broadcast live on WJBC.com, with Kevin McCarty providing live play-by-play for Redbird fans. Below is a schedule of when each live radio broadcast will begin on WJBC.com:
LIVE RADIO SCHEDULE
Friday
10:45 a.m. CST - vs. Florida Gulf Coast
2:45 p.m. CST - at USF (tournament host)
Saturday
8 a.m. CST - vs. UNC-Greensboro
10 a.m. CST - vs. Minnesota
Sunday
10 a.m. CST - vs. North Florida
Live stats of all of Illinois State's games at the tournament can also be found on GoRedbirds.com, by clicking on the Live Stats in the "Events" section of the front page.
Finally, a live Webcast of all of Illinois State's games at the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament is available to purchase from GoUSFBulls.com, the official Web site of the USF Louisville Slugger Tournament. Access to the live Webcast for all five games costs $9.95.
Illinois State will open its 2009 season at 11 a.m. CST Friday against Florida Gulf Coast in the 2009 USF Louisville Slugger Tournament in Tampa, Fla. A complete preview of the tournament can be found here, along with Illinois State's game notes.
