The Illinois State softball team will begin its home schedule with a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at noon Central Time on Tuesday, March 10, at Marian Kneer Stadium. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+, and all regular-season home games for Redbird softball are free and open to the public.
This matchup marks an important event for both fans and players as it opens the Redbirds’ slate of home games. The opportunity allows supporters to see the team compete locally while providing athletes with a familiar environment.
Last weekend, Illinois State started Missouri Valley Conference play by winning two out of three close games against Evansville. The Redbirds swept Friday’s doubleheader with scores of 3-2 and 6-5 in nine innings before dropping Saturday’s game 8-7. Friday’s win was Coach Kramos’ first career victory in a conference opener. Pitcher Paige McLeod earned two wins during the doubleheader, allowing two earned runs and striking out four batters in six innings in game one, then pitching four innings of relief in game two for her seventh win this season.
Hannah Meshnick had a strong performance over the weekend, going three-for-four with a triple, two home runs, six runs batted in, and three runs scored. Freshman Ava Boyer drew four walks against Evansville on March 7, becoming the first Redbird since May 2023 to achieve that mark in a single game. Senior Bella Atkinson leads the conference and ranks nineteenth nationally with sixty total assists this season at third base.
According to the official website, Illinois State Redbirds benefits from the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund for competitiveness and recruitment. The athletics program is linked to Illinois State University according to the official website and competes in NCAA Division I events across various regions according to the official website. Student-athletes utilize resources such as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for preparation according to the official website. Fans can find news, schedules, rosters, and other resources through Illinois State Redbirds platforms according to the official website.
Looking ahead, updates about Illinois State Softball can be found on social media channels including Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball), Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball), as well as GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App.
