McLean County Times

The Illinois State Redbirds are set to face the Valparaiso Beacons in their penultimate home series at Marian Kneer Stadium. The series will commence on Friday, April 12, at 5:00 p.m. CT.

Currently, the Redbirds hold a record of 13-26 and have an even conference record of 7-7. They lost their previous series against UIC, where the Flames secured two walk-off victories. Meanwhile, Valparaiso also faced defeats against UIC earlier this week before heading to Normal for their matchup with the Redbirds.

The series schedule is as follows: Friday's game at 5 p.m., Saturday's game at 2 p.m., and Sunday's game at noon, all available on ESPN+ and WZND.

Historically, the 'Birds and Beacons have clashed only 18 times. The Beacons joined the Missouri Valley Conference in 2017 but had faced Illinois State twice before that year in 1995. In their last meeting in 2023, Illinois State swept Valpo in a three-game series with a total score of 37-8.

Valparaiso currently holds an overall season record of 8-24 and is struggling with a conference record of 2-9. They achieved their first conference win against Bradley on March 30 after ten innings and claimed victory over Belmont earlier this season. However, they have yet to secure a conference series win in 2024.

Additional highlights include a Shirsey giveaway for the first 100 fans attending Friday's game and free admission for Saturday’s "Pack the Park" event at Marian Kneer Stadium.

For more information and updates on Illinois State Softball, follow them on social media or visit GoRedbirds.com or use the Illinois State Redbirds App.