ON DECK
Illinois State softball heads to Carbondale, Ill., for the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Championships hosted by Southern Illinois. The Redbirds clinched the No. 5 seed and will take on No. 4 Northern Iowa in the opening round on Wednesday at noon CT. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT
Illinois State closed the regular season with a series win over in-state and conference rival Bradley. The Redbirds fell, 9-2, in the first game before taking the final two games, 9-2 and 9-1 in five innings.
BIRDS AT THE MVC TOURNEY
The Redbirds clinched the No. 5 seed at this year's Missouri Valley Conference Championships and look to win their first MVC Tournament title since 2012 and their seventh in program history. The double elimination tournament hosted by Southern Illinois features the top six teams in the conference: No. 1 Belmont, No. 2 Southern Illinois, No. 3 Murray State, No. 4 UNI and No. 6 Evansville.
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The Redbirds hold a 6-9 mark against the other five teams in the tournament.
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Illinois State leads the MVC with 86 doubles and 20 double plays turned, while ranking in the top three in scoring, fielding percentage and RBIs and home runs per game.
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Junior pitcher Paige McLeod boasts a 12-3 record in the Valley with seven complete games and two shutouts.
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Bella Atkinson ranks fourth in the MVC with a .395 batting average.
LAST TIME VS UNI
The Redbirds lost 2-of-3 games against Northern Iowa in the regular season, and the series rubber match was one to remember.
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With 40 runs and 35 hits combined between the Panthers and Redbirds, UNI hit eight home runs en route to the 24-16 six-inning victory in game three
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Despite the Redbirds explosive offensive start and an early 13-0 lead, they could not withstand a relentless comeback from the Panthers.
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Twenty-four runs is the most scored by a Redbird opponent in a single game in program history.
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The Redbirds totaled a season-high nine extra base hits, including two homers and seven doubles.
MVC SCHOLAR-ATHLETES
Five Redbirds were selected to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete team, the league office announced on Monday. Seniors Hannah Meshnick, Bella Atkinson and Bailah Bognar, junior Paige McLeod and sophomore Tatum Wolford were all recognized for their hard work on the field and in the classroom.
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Atkinson, 3.60 GPA, Agriculture
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Bognar, 4.00 GPA, Business Admin and Marketing
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McLeod, 3.70 GPA, Prelicensure BSN
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Meshnick, 3.96 GPA, Exercise Science
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Wolford, 3.92 GPA, Elementary Education
NEWEST 40-40 CLUB MEMBER
With her two hits and one run scored against Bradley in the series finale, sophomore Tatum Wolford became the 23rd individual player in program history and the second Redbird this season to join the 40-40 club, amassing at least two of the following three in a single season: 40 hits, 40 runs scored and 40 RBIs. Wolford currently boasts 42 hits, 40 runs scored and 17 RBIs.
Last  month, senior Bella Atkinson became the 22nd individual player in program history to join the 40-40 club.
There are a few other Redbirds within reach of joining the program's 40-40 club this season: Julia Larson needs six runs and Morgan Calhoun needs eight RBIs.
TRIPLE 40
Last month, senior third baseman Bella Atkinson joined the 40-40 club, but with her three runs scored during the Bradley series, Atkinson achieved a feat only four other players have done in a single season in program history: 40-40-40. Atkinson currently boasts 62 hits, 43 RBIs and 40 runs scored this season, leading the Redbirds in all three categories.
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