McLean County Times

Illinois State is set to begin its Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play this weekend against Southern Illinois. The series will be held at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, with games scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at noon. Fans can follow live stats through StatBroadcast and watch the games streamed on ESPN+.

Historically, Illinois State holds a slight edge over Southern Illinois with a series lead of 71-67. The teams last faced off during the MVC Tournament semifinals last season, where Southern Illinois claimed a walk-off victory, advancing to win the championship and secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. In their last regular-season encounter in 2023, Illinois State swept Southern Illinois in three games.

Southern Illinois recently concluded its non-conference tournament schedule by hosting the Saluki Invitational, finishing with a record of 3-1. Players Emma Austin and McKenzie Newcomb received MVC Weekly Awards for their performances during the event. Austin was recognized as Player of the Week for her .667 batting average, while Newcomb earned Newcomer of the Week honors with an impressive pitching performance.

Illinois State enters conference play after competing in the Milisa Moore/Shane Lamb Tournament hosted by Central Arkansas, where they recorded one win out of five games. Their standout performance came against Central Arkansas when they achieved a season-high 12 hits and scored ten runs. Delainey Bryant and Abby Knight contributed home runs during that game.

The Redbirds also faced a narrow defeat against Illinois earlier this week in their final non-conference matchup before meeting Southern Illinois. Four players from Illinois State were named to the 2025 All-MVC preseason team: seniors Delainey Bryant and Bella Wilkerson, along with sophomores Paige McLeod and Hopkins.

For more updates on Illinois State Softball, fans are encouraged to follow their social media channels or visit GoRedbirds.com.