INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time this season, the IUPUI softball team will play on its newly renovated field when the Jaguars welcome Western Illinois to the IUPUI Softball Complex for its first home and Summit League series of the season.

The Jags (8-10) and Leathernecks (13-9) are set to play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22, beginning at Noon, with Game 2 of the doubleheader starting approximately 25 minutes following the completion of Game 1. The series finale will take place at Noon on Sunday, March 23.

IUPUI is coming off a mid-week doubleheader split at Butler, which served as the team's second and third games since the calendar turned to March. Poor weather in the Midwest resulted in the Jaguars having eight games cancelled between March 2 and March 16.

"It was good for us to get out on some dirt and get some quality at-bats," head coach Amanda Rivera said following Tuesday's doubleheader at Butler. "I thought we played one of our best games last weekend against Eastern Michigan, and while we made some mistakes against Butler, we did a lot of things really well. Now it's time for Summit League play and we are excited to get going in front of our home crowd."

On the season, IUPUI has five players hitting above .300 and collectively the team is hitting .297 putting the Jags on pace to be one of the top hitting teams in its Division-I era. Sarah Lawrence leads the group with a .414 average, while Angela Bartucci, Alyssa Neff, Roni Patterson and Morgan Schlobohm all also above .300.

Schlobohm had a big day for IUPUI on Tuesday at Butler posting a combined four hits during the two games while driving in five runs, including four in Game 2. Schlobohm entered the contest with three RBI on the season.

In the circle, the Jags are led by the duo of Jocelyn Oppenhuis and Cassie Vodde. Both own ERA's below 3.20 and have accounted for 86.1 percent of IUPUI's innings pitched this season. Oppenhuis earned her third win of the season on Tuesday at Butler and gave up just one unearned run in six innings of work dropping her ERA to 2.85.

Western Illinois comes into Summit League action with a collective .343 batting average and they are led by the Summit League's leading hitter Sammy Marshall, who owns a .480 average. Teagan Walsh is also hitting above .400 with a .419 clip.


Not only do the Leathernecks get on base, but they have stolen 39 bases this season compared to just 11 for their opponents. In the circle, WIU's combined ERA sits at 4.70.

IUPUI Director of Athletics Mike Moore will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Saturday's home opener. Moore led the efforts in renovating the playing surface at the IUPUI Softball Complex last summer which included leveling the infield and outfield, installing a new irrigation system for better drainage, re-sodding the outfield, improving the dirt infield, an updated sprinkler system, and new batting cages.