Anni, Kadi Borries To Play Softball For Illinois State This Season

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Published on February 8 2017 12:19 pm
Last Updated on February 8 2017 12:19 pm

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team begins its 2017 season at the USF-Wilson DeMarini Tournament in Tampa, Florida, Thursday through Sunday. The Redbirds will face three NCAA Tournament teams during the five-game tournament.

The Redbirds face No. 25 USF for the season opener on Thursday at 5 p.m. Illinois State resumes competition on Friday for a doubleheader versus Delaware at 1 p.m. and No. 4 Florida at 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s matchup against St. John’s is scheduled for 5 p.m. with the weekend finale against No. 6 Michigan Sunday at 8 p.m.

Redbirds vs. The Field

Illinois State will face Delaware and St. John’s for the first time in program history at USF. The Bulls hold a 10-2 advantage in the series with a 2-1 decision in 2016. The Redbirds fell to the Gators three times in 2016 for Florida to earn a 9-3 lead in the series. After ISU dropped the 2016 season opener, Michigan holds a 9-3 edge.

Preseason MVC

Returning starters, catcher Jordan de los Reyes and shortstop Riley Strandgard were named to the Valley’s 2017 preseason all-conference team last week. As a team, Illinois State was selected for a fifth-place finish in the conference standings, behind league favorite Drake.

Schedule Outlook

The Redbirds embark on the 2017 season in a similar fashion to the previous year, competing in annual tournaments at USF, Arizona State and LSU. In addition, the Redbirds will travel to Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic before beginning Missouri Valley Conference play on March 17. The nonconference slate features 11 NCAA Tournament teams from 2016, including Super-Regional winners Michigan and LSU. The Redbirds will face seven teams ranked in the NCFA’s preseason coaches’ Top 25 poll.

Redbird Record Watch

Jordan de los Reyes wrapped up her junior season as the MVC’s Defensive Player of the Year in addition to earning NFCA All-Mideast Region Third-Team, All-MVC First-Team, and All-MVC Defensive Team honors. The senior started all 53 games for the Redbirds and currently ranks fourth in program history in home runs (36), fifth in RBIs (123) and third in slugging percentage (.619).

O Captain! My Captain!

The Illinois State softball has selected five captains this season: seniors Annie Heineman and Jordan de los Reyes, and juniors Alex Caliva, Riley Strandgard, and Abby Turczyn. Heneiman and de los Reyes will serve as captains for the second-consecutive year.

Youngest in the Valley

With only two seniors on the 23-person roster, the Illinois State softball team has the youngest squad in the Valley. Annie Heineman and Jordan de los Reyes make up nine percent of the team, consisting of seven freshmen, sophomores, and juniors each.

New Kids on the Block

The Illinois State softball team added seven newcomers to its roster this season, including six freshmen and one transfer from Heartland CC. The Redbirds’ freshmen pack a punch with two conference titles, four regional titles, two sectional titles, and one state championship. Among the group, there is an Iowa 1A Pitcher of the Year, a Legacy Award winner with over 100 career hits, and an Iowa Softball Gatorade Player of the Year. In high school, the six incoming freshmen set single-season double, home run, and RBI records, in addition to ranking second on Iowa’s all-time home run list.

Seeing Double

For the first time in program history, the Redbirds have a pair of twins on their roster, Anni and Kadi Borries from Teutopolis, Illinois. They are identical twins. Anni catches and plays infield. Kadi plays the outfield. They are both 5-foot-7 right-handed freshmen.

Up Next

The Redbirds travel to the Arizona State Littlewood Classic Feb. 17-19 in Tempe, Arizona. Illinois State will face Arizona State, Missouri, and South Dakota.