McLean County Times

The Missouri Valley Conference has announced the selection of four Illinois State softball players to its All-MVC teams, recognizing their achievements during the 2025 season. The announcement was made on Wednesday.

Senior first baseman Abby Knight and senior second baseman Delainey Bryant have been named to the All-MVC First Team. Junior pitcher Hannah Meshnick received a spot on the All-MVC Second Team, while sophomore outfielder Julia Larson was included in the MVC All-Defensive Team.

Abby Knight, from Bloomington, Illinois, played a key role for the Redbirds with a .365 conference batting average and a .834 OPS. Her performance included 35 hits, 15 runs scored, four doubles, one home run, and 13 RBIs. Defensively, she maintained a perfect fielding percentage with 211 putouts and three assists.

Delainey Bryant, hailing from Mattoon, Illinois, is recognized on the All-MVC First Team for the third time in her career. She concluded Valley play with a .348 batting average and a .871 OPS. Her contributions included 34 hits, 19 runs scored, two home runs, and six RBIs. In defense, she achieved a .956 fielding percentage with 58 putouts and 51 assists.

Hannah Meshnick from Hortonville, Wisconsin earned her first All-Valley accolade this season. As the Redbirds' consistent pitcher during Valley play, she recorded a 9-3 win-loss record with a 3.04 ERA over 19 appearances. She struck out 55 batters in league play and held opponents to a .258 batting average against her.

Julia Larson of St. Charles, Illinois was selected for her defensive prowess in right field. She registered 43 putouts in 49 chances along with four assists during league play. Offensively she had a .329 average with four triples leading the league.

Illinois State will compete in the upcoming MVC Softball Championship hosted by Drake in Des Moines, Iowa from May 7-10. They will face either Missouri State or UIC on May 8 at 1:05 p.m CT after receiving an opening-round bye.

For further updates on Illinois State Softball activities follow them on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB), Instagram (@redbirdsoftball), and Facebook (Illinois State Redbird Softball).

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App provide access to tickets and other resources related to Illinois State athletics.