EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Tennessee State softball team opens Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend as the Tigers travel to Evansville, Indiana, for a three-game series against the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles at the USI Softball Field.

The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 8, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m., followed by game two at 3:30 p.m. The series finale is set for Sunday, March 9, at 12 p.m.

Tennessee State enters the weekend looking to build momentum after competing at the MUSB Invitational II in Macon, Georgia. The Tigers played several competitive games during the tournament, including a pair of one-run contests and multiple games decided late.

Offensively, TSU saw strong performances from Kailyn Jean-Baptiste and Jace Jackson throughout the weekend. Jackson helped spark multiple rallies, including an RBI double against Columbia, while Jean-Baptiste continued to contribute on both sides of the ball with key hits and strong defensive play in the infield.

Jasmine Blackburn also delivered a clutch RBI earlier in the tournament, while Alexis Woods and Hailey Hunt consistently reached base to create scoring opportunities for the Tigers' lineup.

Defensively, Jean-Baptiste and Mariyah Brown anchored the Tigers, combining for numerous putouts across the weekend and helping limit additional scoring opportunities for opposing offenses.

In the circle, Tennessee State utilized a four-pitcher rotation of Kristian Holder, Tianna Salcido, Chelsi Ervin, and Miriam Gordon. Gordon delivered an effective relief outing with 2.2 scoreless innings, while Ervin made her collegiate debut and logged valuable innings for the Tigers. Holder recorded multiple strikeouts in her appearances, and Salcido has continued to take on key starting responsibilities early in the season.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 – RBIs recorded by Jace Jackson and Kailyn Jean-Baptiste in the MUSB Invitational II.

2.2 – Scoreless relief innings thrown by Miriam Gordon during the invitational.

13 – Combined putouts by Kailyn Jean-Baptiste and Mariyah Brown in TSU's defensive effort against Columbia.

4 – Pitchers utilized by the Tigers during the weekend (Holder, Salcido, Ervin, Gordon).

1 – Collegiate debut made by Chelsi Ervin, who logged multiple innings in the circle.

SERIES HISTORY

Tennessee State and Southern Indiana have met multiple times since the Screaming Eagles joined the conference landscape. The Tigers hold several key wins in the series, including a shutout victory in Evansville during the 2024 season.

Tennessee State at USI

• Dates: Sunday–Monday, Mar. 8-9, 2026

• Location: Evansville, Ind.

• Venue: USI Softball Field

Game Schedule (CT)

• Sunday, Mar 8 – at USI | 1 p.m.

• Sunday, Mar 8 – at USI | 3:30 p.m.

• Monday, Mar 9 – at USI | 12 p.m.

Coverage

• Streaming: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3

• Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/usi/softball/

• Social: @ TSUTigersSB | @ TnStateSoftball