Feb. 23, 2012
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CLEARWATER, Fla. -
Members of the Illinois State softball team were honored guests at Eisenhower Elementary School Thursday afternoon in Clearwater, Fla. The Redbirds were invited to the Panda Celebration that was held at the school to honor the achievements of students at Eisenhower and provide encouragement for Eisenhower's fourth-grade students for their upcoming standardized tests.
Following the Panda Celebration, the team met with the Panda Pearls, a group of select fourth and fifth grade girls at Eisenhower, and put on a pitching demonstration for the group.
"It was an awesome experience," head coach Melinda Fischer said. "We have done things like this before when the NFCA Leadoff Classic was in Columbus, Ga., but this was so far above what I expected. It was a pep rally that honored the excellence that these young elementary students had achieved over the last month and the fourth graders were getting prepared to take their state writing exam. It was a lot of fun, there was a lot of energy and you could really see how much it meant to our players and how much it meant to those elementary kids."
Illinois State will open play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic at the Eddie C. Moore Complex Friday afternoon against defending America East co-regular season champion Boston at 12 p.m. CST.
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