NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State softball team (17-23, 8-5 MVC) will make the quick trip up Interstate 74 on Wednesday to take on Bradley (15-22, 4-8 MVC) in doubleheader action at the Louisville Slugger Complex.
First pitch of game one between the Redbirds and the Braves is set for 3:30 p.m. with a second game scheduled to begin at approximately 6 p.m. Bradley will make the return trip to Illinois State next Tuesday, April 24, at 5 p.m. for the third and final game of the series.
The series finale has been tabbed 'Pack the Park' night at Marian Kneer Stadium. In order to help Redbird Softball break the attendance record, the first 120 students will receive a ticket to cash in for Reggie Redbird socks at the fifth-inning stretch. Hot dogs will be on sale at the concession stand for $1, courtesy of Sodexo, and Alamo II will be on-site selling the latest Redbird apparel.
Redbirds vs. Braves
Illinois State holds the 66-19 series advantage over Bradley, as the Redbirds have won the last four outings against the Braves and have taken seven of the last 10 games over Bradley in Peoria. The Redbirds' three-game sweep last season marked the first series sweep against the Braves since the 2012 season.
Going Streaking
Going into this week of Valley play, the Redbirds are riding a seven-game win streak – the longest since the heart of conference play last season, when Illinois State went on an 11-game win streak. With its trio of wins over Evansville, Illinois State is now 5-1 at home with seven games remaining at Marian Kneer Stadium this season.
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 make its debut on ESPN+ - the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company Direct-to-Consumer and International group in partnership with ESPN – when it hosts Drake this weekend at Marian Kneer Stadium. A doubleheader is set to begin at 12 p.m. on Saturday before the Redbirds and the Bulldogs wrap up the series on Sunday at 11 a.m.
About ESPN+
Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 per month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time. Launching on Thursday, April 12, ESPN+ subscribers will receive thousands of additional live events, original shows and films, and an on-demand library, which is not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. ESPN+ will not include access to stream ESPN's existing linear networks and ESPN3.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter and Instagram @RedbirdsSB.
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