McLean County Times

Illinois State University's softball team will conclude its regular season with a three-game conference series against Murray State this weekend in Murray, Kentucky. The Redbirds aim to maintain their fourth-place position in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) standings, which would secure them a bye to the quarterfinals.

The series begins with a game on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by games on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at noon. Fans can follow live stats via StatBroadcast, and all matches are available for live streaming on ESPN+.

Illinois State leads the all-time series against Murray State 5-1, having first played the Racers in 2017. Last year, the Redbirds won two out of three games against Murray State at Marian Kneer Stadium.

Murray State enters the weekend with a 20-25 overall record and 10-14 in the MVC. The Racers have won seven of their last ten games. According to recent reports, team members Katy Huels, Kenley Minor, and Bailey Broemmer played key roles in a recent victory over Southern Illinois, with strong performances at the plate. Minor is highlighted as the player with the highest batting average, while Ailey Schyck leads in home runs and RBIs. Bre Haislip and Karlye Graber are noted as main starting pitchers for the Racers.

Illinois State, holding a 21-28 overall record and 14-10 in the MVC, mirrors their opponent's recent success, having also won seven of their last ten games. They are ranked second in the league for defensive fielding percentage at .966 and have committed the second-fewest errors in the MVC.

The Redbirds recently swept their MVC series with UIC and clinched a victory over UNI with a walk-off RBI single by Bella Atkinson. Notable performances this season include Abby Knight achieving her 200th career hit and several batters maintaining significant hitting streaks.

For the latest on Illinois State Softball, updates are available through various social media channels, and further information can be accessed on GoRedbirds.com.