McLean County Times

Illinois State's softball team is set to start its 2025 season at the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa, Florida. The tournament will take place from February 6-8, marking the second consecutive year the Redbirds participate in this event. Over three days, Illinois State will face five teams, including two ranked opponents.

The schedule for the tournament includes games against Delaware and South Florida on February 6. On February 7, they will compete against Georgia Southern and No. 2/3 Florida. The final game on February 8 will be against No. 22 Michigan.

Delaware enters the tournament after a record-setting season with 39 wins and tying its longest win streak at 13 games. South Florida aims to return to the NCAA Regionals after achieving over 30 victories in each of the past two years. Georgia Southern had a successful 2024 season with a strong winning percentage and returns key players Emma Davis and Faith Barth.

Florida boasts a recent SEC Championship title and made its twelfth appearance at the Women's College World Series last year with a total of 54 wins. Michigan concluded their previous season with a Big Ten Tournament title and reached the NCAA regional championship.

Illinois State's team features four players selected for the All-MVC preseason team: seniors Delainey Bryant and Bella Wilkerson, along with sophomores Adisyn Hopkins and Paige McLeod. These selections are more than any other program in their conference.

In MVC preseason predictions, Illinois State was picked to finish fourth behind Southern Illinois, Belmont, and UNI.

For further updates on Illinois State Softball, fans can follow them on social media platforms such as Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball), and Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball). Additional information can be found on GoRedbirds.com or through the Illinois State Redbirds App.