TEMPE, Ariz. – For the 29th consecutive season, the Illinois State softball team will take flight to Tempe, Arizona, to compete in the Littlewood Classic, hosted by Arizona State this weekend.
The Redbirds are set to play five contests over the span of four days, beginning with the No. 14 Sun Devils on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. Illinois State will play a twin bill on Friday versus Central Michigan and No. 4 Florida, beginning at 12:30 p.m. CT. The meeting between the Redbirds and the Gators marks the second of four that are scheduled for 2019. A single game against Utah State is set for 8 p.m. CT Saturday night, before Illinois State wraps up the five-game tournament on Sunday against San Diego at 12:15 p.m. CT.
BATTLE TESTED
For the second time in three seasons, the Redbirds opened their slate with three nationally-ranked opponents in their first five games. ISU took on Florida, Arizona and Michigan to open 2019, scoring four runs on the Wolverines and a run against the Wildcats. The Redbirds' four runs against Michigan marked the most scored against a ranked opponent since ISU tacked on four in a 5-4 decision to then-No. 25 USF in the 2017 season opener. In 2017, the Redbirds also faced No. 6 Michigan and No. 4 Florida to begin their campaign.
GOING THE DISTANCE
Five Redbirds went yard during ISU's season-opening weekend, as Andrea Coursey, Alyssa Wiebel, Allison Spence, Taylor Vanderpool and Emme Olson each tallied their first home runs of the season. Vanderpool and Olson's home runs against No. 19 Michigan each marked their first career homers, making it the first time since April 29, 2017 that ISU hit at least two home runs in a single game.
Spence's homer against No. 7 Arizona marked the 12th of her career – the most of any senior on the squad – making her the first Redbird to hit a home run against a top-10 opponent since Wiebel knocked one as a freshman against then-No. 6 Michigan (2/10/17).
COMEBACK KIDS
Despite falling short in their comeback effort, the Redbirds overcame a 10-1 deficit against NC State on Feb. 8, ultimately falling 10-9 in seven innings. ISU's nine runs are the most since the Redbirds scratched 13 runs across the plate in a run rule against Indiana (3/10/18).
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