NORMAL, Ill. – Following a 3-1 weekend at Western Kentucky's Hilltopper Spring Fling, the Illinois State softball team travels south to the LSU Tiger Invitational for a five-game tournament in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Redbirds will face four 2016 NCAA Tournament teams, including Florida Atlantic, Illinois, No. 13 LSU, and No. 10 Minnesota, in addition to Troy.
Tournament Central // Notes // Live Stats // Watch (LSU only)
The Redbirds open up the Tiger Invitational on Friday, taking on Illinois at noon and tournament host, No. 13 LSU. The tournament continues with a 9 a.m. matchup with Troy before concluding the day with Florida Atlantic at 1 p.m. The Redbirds conclude the weekend against No. 10 Minnesota Sunday at 11 a.m. before returning to Normal.
For fans attending this weekend's tournament, LSU's Tiger Park and all LSU athletic venues are running a program called "Geaux Clear" which allows only clear bags into facilities. Please see below for a list of approved and non-approved items.
The Redbirds outscored their opponents at Western Kentucky's Hilltopper Spring Fling, 22-11 in the four-game tournament to come away with a 3-1 record. Illinois State faced a variety of weather conditions during the weekend from sunny, blue skies to 25+ mph winds to temperatures in the 30s.
Pitchers Sarah Finck and Ali Domkuski shared the circle throughout the weekend, both only allowing three earned runs. Domkuski struck out a career-high, nine batters with two hits against Austin Peay - the second complete game of her career.
Kori Mesecher led the Redbirds' offense, batting .700 with two RBIs. Jordan de los Reyes hit for the cycle between the pair of games on Friday, slugging 1.154 in the tournament. Caitlyn Daly hit .500 this weekend with an RBI on six hits in 10 at-bats. .
Redbirds vs. The Field
Illinois State holds a 15-20 all-time record against Tiger Invite competition. The Redbirds trail the series against Illinois and LSU, 8-12 and 1-2, respectively. The Redbirds and Golden Gophers hold even at 6-6. This weekend will include the first meeting for the Redbirds between both Florida Atlantic and Troy.
Redbirds Down No. 17 Mizzou
On Feb. 17, 2017, the Illinois State softball team defeated 17th-ranked Mizzou, 7-3 at the Arizona State Littlewood Classic – marking the Redbirds' first ranked win since 2013. A pair of home runs and a two-run double solidified the Redbird's 7-3 over the regional powerhouse.
• First win over Mizzou since May 5, 1995 (W, 5-1)
• First win over a ranked opponent since March 3, 2013 (def. #13 Lafayette, 4-3)
MVC Player of the Week
In her second-consecutive weekend batting over .550, Shannon Felde was named the MVC's softball Player of the Week, following the second weekend of competition. Felde posted another top batting average to lead the Redbirds to a 1-1 record. She hit .571 with three RBI on four hits before the ASU Littlewood Classic was called due to rain. In her fourth-consecutive multi-hit game, the sophomore sparked the Redbirds' offense against Arizona State with one RBI. In Illinois State's historic win over No. 17 Mizzou, Felde drove in two runs to give ISU the early lead over the perennial powerhouse en route to the 7-3 win.
MVC Newcomer of the Week
In her collegiate debut, Alyssa Wiebel was named the MVC's softball Newcomer of the Week to open the 2017 season – the first conference weekly honor for the Redbirds since 2015. Wiebel led the Illinois State softball team with six RBIs, two home runs, and a 1.000 slugging percentage. The freshman went 3-for-4 in her collegiate debut against No. 25 USF, driving in one run. Wiebel launched a two-run home run against No. 6 Michigan on Friday – one of only three home runs allowed by Michigan that weekend. The Van Horne, Iowa native moved into the clean-up spot in the lineup for the two remaining games of the weekend. Wiebel went 2-for-3 against Delaware with three RBIs and three runs.
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.
Up Next
The Redbirds head to the Florida Atlantic Parents' Weekend Tournament in Boca Raton, Florida. Illinois State will play six games in five days before embarking on the 2017 MVC slate on March 17 at Indiana State.
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