NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team will wrap up preseason tournament action in Oklahoma this weekend to kick off its spring break trip.
The Redbirds will be one of four teams participating in the Oklahoma Tournament, hosted by the back-to-back National Champion Sooners, March 9-11. Illinois State will open with Indiana at 12 p.m. on Friday before facing No. 5 Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. Action will resume at 12 p.m. on Saturday with another meeting against Indiana and a single game against No. 18 South Carolina at 2:30 p.m. The Redbirds will play their final game of the five-game set against No. 5 Oklahoma at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Redbirds vs. The Field
Illinois State holds the 20-18 edge over Indiana, with the Redbirds coming out on top in the last three meetings with the Hoosiers. It will be the first time since the 2011 season that the pair will face each other. Oklahoma leads the series 14-1, as the Sooners have been ranked in the top-25 in the last seven meetings with the Redbirds. Illinois State's last victory over Oklahoma came during the 1988 season – head coach Melinda Fischer's third season at the helm of the Redbird program. The series between South Carolina and the Redbirds is tied at six games apiece, with the last meeting between the two programs occurring in 2016.
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 continue its spring break adventure with a single game at Oklahoma State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Tulsa on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. game against the Golden Hurricane. Missouri Valley Conference play will open for the Redbirds at Missouri State next weekend.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter and Instagram @RedbirdsSB.
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