Indiana Softball to Open Season in Paradise Classic

Thursday, February 5

Boca Raton, Fla.

6:00 PM

Indiana University

FAU

Indiana Softball to Open Season in Paradise Classic

2/5/2026 11:00:00 AM | Softball

BOCA RATON, Fla. –––– The Indiana Softball program will begin the 2026 season in the Paradise Classic hosted by FAU for a five-game set from Thursday (Feb. 5) to Saturday (Feb. 7).

The Hoosiers will face FAU, Army, No. 25 Ohio State, Delaware and Stonehill in that span.

QUICK HITTERS:

Indiana led the nation in three statistical categories last season: batting average (.365), doubles per game (2.13) and on base percentage (.454).
Indiana returns five of their top nine bats in the lineup from a year ago, including two of the top three: Madalyn Strader (.413), Avery Parker (.392), Aly VanBrandt (.372), Josie Bird (.311) and Alex Cooper (.311).
This will be Indiana's fourth consecutive season beginning the year in Florida. In 2025, Indiana opened at FIU and in 2022 and 2023, the Hoosiers started play in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater.
Indiana's Avery Parker, Alex Cooper, and Aly VanBrandt were all named to the Preseason Big Ten Players to Watch List entering the 2026 season.
Two-time All-American and 2025 Indiana Softball alum Taylor Minnick is in her first season as a graduate assistant for FAU.

LAST TIME OUT:

Indiana closed the 2025 season out with an appearance in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional where the Hoosiers went 1-2 with a win over Saint Louis and two losses to Oklahoma State.
The team went 34-20 in 2025 and reached the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Tournament. The team went 14-6 in home games and 14-3 in neutral site games.
Indiana also notched wins over No. 18 Ohio State and No. 22 Nebraska on the road and won the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico when the team went 4-0.
The tournament appearance marked three consecutive seasons in the postseason for the first time in program history. Previously, the Hoosiers played in the Knoxville Regional (2023) and the Columbia Regional (2024) in that stretch.
Previous to 2023, Indiana had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2011.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT:

Indiana will face a highly talented field in the Paradise Classic as it takes on FAU, Army, Ohio State, Delaware and Stonehill over a three-day stretch.
FAU has made the NCAA Tournament the last two years with back-to-back 40-plus seasons. They return All-American pitcher return senior All-American pitcher Autumn Courtney who boasts 500 career strikeouts and 50 career victories.
The game against Ohio State will be a non-conference matchup. The Buckeyes went 45-14-1 in 2025 and were Regional Finalists in the NCAA Knoxville Regional.
Army and Delaware each won 35-plus games in 2025 and won multiple games in their respective conference tournaments.
Stonehill finished with a 16-34 record in its third season as a Division I program.

SERIES HISTORY NOTES:

Indiana last was in Boca Raton, Fla. in 2024 when it defeated the Owls in a midweek game on March 13, 4-1.
The Hoosiers last played in a tournament there in 2022 when it opened the season with a 2-2 mark in Boca Raton.