EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Sue Kunkle was surprised when she saw the initial Great Lakes Valley Conference softball preseason poll back in February.
The University of Southern Indiana was ranked seventh. A little too low for her liking.But the Screaming Eagles never took it personal. They kept their focus on achieving each goal they set for themselves.
It allowed them to land a prestigious spot in the only ranking they truly care about.
USI is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, the NCAA announced Monday morning. This is the first time in program history the Eagles have been seeded first in a regional.
“We’ve said all along that this team is different,” Kunkle said. “They’re resilient, they’re gritty. We’re not super flashy. This taste of success has only made them hungrier.”
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USI (43-10) will host games on campus from Thursday through Saturday in the double-elimination regional. The other three teams coming to town are Lindenwood (35-11), Drury (36-15) and Saginaw Valley State (34-18). The Eagles will play at 2:30 p.m. Thursday against Lindenwood and the winner will play again at noon Friday. The championship game(s) will be at noon and, if necessary, 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Whoever wins the regional championship will advanceto a super regional next week to play the champion of the other Midwest Regional, which is being hosted by No. 2 Indianapolis.
“We’ve worked hard all season to get to this point,” said senior Katie Back. “We’re all really excited. I don’t think it would have really mattered what seed we were as long as we were getting to play. But we’re definitely happy.”
It’s been a season of special accomplishments for the Eagles, from a 16-game conference winning streak to sweeping the regular-season and tournament titles. Plus, aNo. 15 ranking in the latest national coaches poll.
USI won its fifth GLVC tournament title in program history on Sunday. After defeating William Jewell and Lindenwood in the first two games, the Eagles had a thrilling battle against UIndy in the title game.
The Greyhounds had no-hit the Eagles through four innings. But then, things started to click. It started with back-to-back singles from Sammie Kihega and Rachel Martinez. Then, Katie Back entered the game as a pinch hitter and came through with an RBI double which ended up being the game-winning hit in a 1-0 victory.
“I ran up to Katie and told her that she was my lifesaver,” said Allie Goodin, who pitched a complete game shutout in the championship while allowing just two hits. “She’s been clutch for us all year. I’m glad it was her.”
A well-balanced squad has been one of the keys to success for the Eagles this season. Eight players are batting over .300 while Lexi Fair leads the GLVC with 17 doubles. Two pitchers also have an ERA below 2.00 with Josie Newman and Goodin each winning over 10 games in the circle.
During any given game, it seems someone different has stepped up.
“We just have a whole roster of really good talent,” Kunkle said. “It’s kind of like we can interchange it whenever and not miss a beat.”
USI has dubbed this season as its “Farewell Tour." As the Eagles prepare to exit the GLVC and Division II, they want to showcase how successful they’ve been at this level. They were the national champions in 2018 and also reached the Division II World Series in 2017.
“It’s just so nice to be able to play for something a little bigger than us,” Back said. “It’s our last time in this conference. We want to be able to show them something before we leave.”
For Kunkle, this has been the dream ending of a successful tenure in D-II. But she and her team are refusing to be satisfied with just a conference title and a No. 1 seed. They want more. They want a chance to play for a national title in Denver.
That journey continues Thursday on USI's campus.
“I’m not settling because I really think we can keep going. I really think we can win this. There’s no telling what this team is capable of,” Kunkle said. “I don’t envy anyone that has to play us right now.”
Contact Courier & Press sports reporter Hendrix Magley via email at hendrix.magley@courierpress.com or via Twitter @TweetsOfHendrix.
