NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State softball (19-21, 9-7 MVC) is headed to Cedar Falls, Iowa to square off against the top team in the conference, Northern Iowa (23-11, 14-1), for a three-game set on April 23-24.
GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State (19-21, 9-7 MVC) vs. UNI (23-11, 14-1)
Dates/Times:
Saturday, April 23 – 12:00 p.m. CT
Sunday, April 24 – 11 a.m. CT (DH – game 1)
Sunday, April 24 – 1:30 p.m. CT (DH – game 2)
City: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Field: Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex
TV: ESPN3
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois State leads Northern Iowa in the all-time series record, 76-32-1. The Panthers traveled to Normal, Ill. a season ago. The Redbirds took game one of the series in 2021, but the Panthers took the final two (in five innings each) to capture the series victory. The UNI series was the only conference series the Redbirds lost in 2021. Illinois State and Northern Iowa met earlier this season in a preseason tournament at Middle Tennessee State on March 11, 2022. The Redbirds beat the Panthers 8-3 as Emme Olson was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and a home run, and Hannah Ross picked up the win. It was the final game before conference season started for both squads.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
In 2021, the Panthers were 32-20 overall with a 20-7 conference record. Northern Iowa ended second in the regular season, just behind Illinois State. In the conference tournament, the Panthers made it to the championship game, but Southern Illinois beat them 2-0. UNI got an at-large bid into an NCAA Regional in Columbia, Mo. The Panthers beat Iowa State 8-0 before falling to Missouri 4-0 and the Cyclones 3-4. The Panthers were picked to win the MVC in 2022, and enter the matchup with the Redbirds 14-1 in conference and 23-11 overall. UNI sits atop the current MVC standings, its only conference loss is to Evansville. UNI has swept Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Valpo, and Loyola so far.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE 'BIRDS:
The I-74 rivalry between Illinois State and Bradley was renewed this past week as the Redbirds traveled to Peoria, Ill. to take on the Braves in a doubleheader. The squads split, each team taking a game. Pitcher Hannah Ross struck out 8 batters in the first game, a new career high for the junior. Jayden Standish and Dayna Kennedy both went deep to left field to combine for 7 RBI between the two games. Senior Emme Olson reached base safely in both contests, extending her reached base safely streak to 32 consecutive games.
NOTES
NATIONAL STATS: Freshman Delainey Bryant is currently tied for 26th in NCAA Division I softball for triples in the 2022 season, currently with 4. Only four freshmen are ranked in the top 50 in triples this season. Bryant is also tied for 37th in triples per game this season, playing in 39 games with 4 triples (.10 PG). There are only 6 freshmen in the top 50 in triples per game.
KNIGHT IS HEATING UP: Freshman Abby Knight saw the ball well against the Bradley pitchers this past week. In the first game of the doubleheader, Knight was a perfect 3-for-3 with a double. The second game, Knight was 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. She averaged .571 across the two games with a .714 slugging percentage. Knight also collected a team high 14 putouts in the doubleheader and was part of a 6-3 double play.
HOME RUN GALORE: Junior catcher Dayna Kennedy hit 4 home runs in 40 games in 2021, but has a new season high – five home runs in 2022 through 28 games played. Kennedy was the first Redbird to record a home run this season as she blasted a solo shot against Kansas City on February 12 at USF. Bryant ties Kennedy for the team lead in home runs with five.
For updates on Illinois State Softball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdsSB) and Instagram (@redbirdsoftball).
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