ISU in the Windy City This Weekend

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Published on April 6 2018 4:57 pm
Last Updated on April 6 2018 4:57 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

The Illinois State softball team (12-23, 3-5 MVC) will continue Missouri Valley Conference play at Loyola (16-14, 3-5 MVC) this weekend before closing out nonconference competition at DePaul (23-11, 6-0 Big East) on Monday.

The Redbirds and the Ramblers will go head-to-head in a twin bill on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Loyola Softball Park. All three games are set to be broadcast on The Valley On ESPN3. On Monday, Illinois State will stay in the Windy City to take on the DePaul Blue Demons at 4 p.m.

Redbirds vs. Ramblers

Illinois State holds the 14-6 series advantage over Loyola, as the Redbirds have won four of the last five meetings against the Ramblers. Last season, the Redbirds swept the Ramblers at Marian Kneer Stadium. In the series finale, Illinois State powered past Loyola, 15-0, in five innings with a stadium record eight home runs and a strong performance in the circle by Sarah Finck.

Redbirds vs. Blue Demons

DePaul leads the series 19-17-1 against the Redbirds, taking seven of the last 10 meetings between the two programs including four of the last five in Chicago. The Redbirds and the Blue Demons have been meeting on a consistent yearly basis since the 2009 season with the exception of 2016 when inclement weather spoiled Illinois State’s home opener against DePaul. The first meeting in program history dates back to 1986.

Doing Double Time

Back-to-back doubles by Riley Strandgard and Alyssa Wiebel in the bottom of the ninth in Saturday’s series finale helped Illinois State secure its first MVC series win, 2-1, against the visiting Indiana State Sycamores. A lead-off double by Strandgard, followed by Wiebel’s second double of the day, brought Strandgard across home plate to give the Redbirds the 6-5 victory to close the series. The home-opening series win marks the first for Illinois State since the 2015 season and its sixth extra-inning game of the 2018 campaign.

Preseason MVC

Returning starters and 2017 MVC first-team selections, utility player Shannon Felde, pitcher Sarah Finck, outfielder Riley Hale and first baseman Allison Spence, were named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s 2018 preseason all-conference team. Illinois State was selected as the favorite to repeat as the Valley champion in 2018, receiving 88 points and two first-place votes. Southern Illinois, UNI and Drake each received multiple first-place votes, selected second, third and fourth, respectively.

Schedule Outlook

Illinois State begins the 2018 campaign on the road at five tournaments and plays two MVC series before the home opener on March 30. The nonconference slate features 12 NCAA Tournament teams from 2017, including super regional winner LSU, Women’s College World Series runner-up Florida and back-to-back national champion Oklahoma. The team will also play three NCAA Tournament teams after beginning conference play: Southern Illinois, the reigning MVC Tournament champion, DePaul, the 2017 BIG EAST Tournament champion, and Illinois. The Redbirds will face seven teams ranked in the NCFA’s preseason coaches’ Top 25.

New to the Birdhouse

The Illinois State softball team added five newcomers to its roster in 2018, all hailing from Illinois. The Redbird freshmen pack a punch as all five were four-year varsity letter-winners and multi-sport athletes in high school. As a group, the class won eight IHSA regional championships and four sectional championships, while winning ASA state and northern national championships. Within the freshman class, there is an IHSA career RBI record holder, Herald & Review Player of the Year, team MVPs, members of NHS, and a senior class Valedictorian.

Up Next

Illinois State will return to Marian Kneer Stadium next weekend and resume MVC play when it hosts Evansville for a three-game series. The Redbirds will stay close to home when they travel to Bradley on April 18 for a mid-week doubleheader before hosting Drake for their third home series April 21-22.