Redbirds to Open MVC Play at Evansville

ON DECK

The Illinois State softball team begins Missouri Valley Conference play with a three-game road series at Evansville March 7-8. Friday's doubleheader is slated for 2:30 and 5 p.m. CT at Tri-State Orthopedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium. The series will wrap up Saturday, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. CT.

OPENING MVC PLAY

The Redbirds open MVC play with a three-game road series at Evansville on March 7-8.

• The Redbirds are 0-3 in conference openers under Coach Kramos.

• ISU is 50-29 in MVC play over the last three seasons.

• ISU went 16-11 in the MVC in 2025.

LAST TIME OUT

The Redbirds went 4-1 at the Make It Happen Games in Madeira Beach, Fla. from Feb. 27-March 1, earning wins over Colgate, UAlbany, Siena and UMass. The Redbirds posted two shutouts, including a 6-0 win over UAlbany and a 7-0 blanking of UMass to claim the 10th victory of the season. The Redbirds are 8-2 in their last 10 contests and head into MVC play with a 10-6 overall record.

MVC WEEKLY HONORS

Two Redbird softball players earned MVC weekly honors on March 3, as Morgan Calhoun claimed Freshman of the Week, and Hannah Meeks clinched Player of the Week.

• Meeks led the Redbirds last weekend with a .538 batting average, 1.077 SLG% and .571 OB%, going 7-for-13 at the plate with four doubles, a grand slam and six RBIs. This is Meeks' second-career MVC Player of the Week honor.

• Calhoun batted .500 with a .833 SLG% and a .500 OB%. She went 9-for-18 at the plate with two home runs, six RBIs and five runs scored to earn her first-career MVC weekly honor. She currently ranks fourth in the conference and leads the team with a .440 batting average this season

MCLEOD GOES 3-0 IN FLORIDA

Junior Paige McLeod had a fantastic weekend in the circle, going 3-0 with wins over Colgate, Siena and UMass. She tossed two complete games and earned her second-career shutout. McLeod gave up three earned runs and fanned six batters over 18.1 innings for an ERA of 1.15. She now ranks third in the conference with a 2.07 ERA on the season.

ISN'T IT GRAND

The first grand slam of the season came off the bat of junior Hannah Meeks. Leading UMass, 2-0, with one out in the top of the third, Meeks smashed a full count grand slam to deep right field. Her first-career home run was just one highlight of her 3-for-4 effort at the plate that included two doubles and five RBIs.

GOING, GOING, GONE

Along with Meeks' grand slam, Illinois State smashed five other home runs this weekend. Three of those long balls came off the bat of senior Bella Atkinson,  who ranks sixth in the conference with four total homers on the season. Rookie Morgan Calhoun, who is currently tied for the most home runs by a freshman in the MVC with three, slugged ISU's other two dingers last weekend in Madeira Beach.

DOUBLE PLAY D

Sisters Ella Boyer and Ava Boyer, who hold down the middle infield, third baseman Bella Atkinson, and first basemen Hannah Meeks/Morgan Calhoun, helped turned six double plays over the weekend in Madeira Beach. ISU has turned nine total double plays, which ranks 28th in the NCAA this season.

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