NORMAL, Ill. – For the third consecutive season, the Illinois State softball team will play in the LSU Tiger Classic, hosted by LSU, March 2-4.
The Redbirds will open the five-game set with a split doubleheader against Florida Atlantic at 12 p.m. and tournament host No. 10 LSU at 5 p.m. Illinois State will take on No. 23 McNeese State at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday before facing Purdue at 12 p.m. Tournament action will conclude for the Redbirds in a second meeting with the Boilermakers on Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m.
Redbirds vs. The Field
Illinois State will face Purdue and McNeese State for the first time since the 1996 and 1997 seasons, respectively. This will be the Redbirds fifth meeting in program history with the tournament host Tigers and fourth in three years. The first meeting between Illinois State and LSU dates back to the 1980 season, when the Redbirds won 3-0. Florida Atlantic holds the slim 2-1 series lead over Illinois State.
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 wrap up its preseason tournament play next weekend at the Oklahoma Tournament, where the Redbirds will face back-to-back national champion Oklahoma, No. 22 South Carolina and Indiana.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter and Instagram @RedbirdsSB.
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