NORMAL, Ill. – For the 28th season in a row, the Redbirds will take flight to Tempe, Arizona, to compete in the Littlewood Classic. Illinois State will play five games over the course of three days, including a single game against tournament host and nationally ranked Arizona State.
Illinois State will open the tournament with a doubleheader against Texas State at 11 a.m. and San Diego at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. The Redbirds and the Toreros will meet again at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, before Illinois State plays its third ranked opponent of the season in No. 18 Arizona State at 5:45 p.m. The five-game tournament will wrap up with a 10 a.m. matchup with North Dakota on Sunday.
Redbirds vs. The Field
Illinois State will face North Dakota and San Diego for the first time in program history. The Sun Devils hold a 33-2 edge over the Redbirds, dating back to 1989, while Illinois State topped Texas State in the two programs' first meeting back in 2010.
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
The Redbirds travel to the Aquafina Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, next weekend. Illinois State is set to play tournament host and Women's College World Series runner-up Florida, as well as Iowa State, Maryland and Georgia Southern.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter and Instagram @RedbirdsSB.
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