After winning the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and conference tournament titles and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in the spring, the Illinois State softball team will begin their fall season Sunday at the Redbird Softball Complex against Highland Community College at 1 p.m.
Instead of a doubleheader the Redbirds will play a scrimmage in the fall tune-up.
The Birds have four tournaments slated for the fall which includes their own Redbird Fall tournament to be played at the Redbird Softball Complex September 8 and 9. Following the Redbird Fall Tournament the Birds will travel to Orland Park, Sunday, September 16, to play in the Bradley Invite, where they will play Notre Dame and in-state foe Illinois. September 21-23 the Birds go to Moline, Ill. to take part in the National Invitational Championship tournament, followed by the Central Illinois Festival in East Peoria September 29 and 30.
The fall season is a good time to get a good evaluation of our new players and test our versatility, said ISU head coach
Melinda Fischer.
I think we have three huge spots to fill up the middle, continued Fischer. We lost three all-conference players in pitcher Nicole Kurth, April Schermann at second base and Bridget Fournie in center field. That not only hurts defensively, but losing April and Bridget hurts offensively.
Fischer hopes that the returning players who have been waiting for their chance will take this opportunity in the fall to gain playing time in the spring.
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