NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team (9-16) will continue its spring break trip this week with its first pair of midweek matchups. The Redbirds will play at Oklahoma State (19-6) Tuesday night at 6 p.m. before taking on Tulsa (14-9) at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Redbirds vs. The Field
Oklahoma State holds the 10-4 edge over Illinois State, but the two programs have not met in 16 seasons. Similarly, the Redbirds lead the series over the Golden Hurricane, 7-3, but this will be the first meeting since 1999 when Illinois State won 6-1 at home.
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 conclude its spring break trip and open Missouri Valley Conference play at Missouri State this weekend. The Redbirds and the Bears will begin the three-game set with a doubleheader on Friday before wrapping up the series with a single game on Saturday.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter and Instagram @RedbirdsSB.
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