Chambana Sun

Illinois softball is set to kick off its season at the Black and Gold Classic in Orlando, Florida. The Fighting Illini will face CSU Bakersfield, Georgia, and host UCF over the course of the three-day tournament from February 7-9. All games will be available for viewing on ESPN+.

Adisyn Caryl, who earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2024, is expected to play a key role this season. Last year, she played in all 52 games for Illinois, achieving a .335 batting average with 25 RBIs. Her performance included twelve multi-hit games.

Catcher Paige Berkmeyer had an impressive season last year by catching 18 runners stealing, which led the league and ranked fourth nationally. She also achieved a .500 slugging percentage during her junior campaign.

Stevie Meade has been consistent in the lineup since joining Illinois in 2022 and holds the single-season record for most sacrifice hits with thirteen that same year.

CSU Bakersfield ended their previous season with a record of 5-46 under first-year head coach Letty Olivarez. Georgia Bulldogs finished their last season with a record of 43-19 and reached their thirteenth Super Regional appearance. UCF Knights concluded their previous campaign with a record of 31-25 after NCAA Regional losses.

The Fighting Illini added thirteen newcomers this offseason including Lizzie Stiverson and Karley Yergler from Parkland College. The team enters as the youngest squad in the Big Ten conference this year with seventeen underclassmen on their roster.

Head Coach Tyra Perry is one of only twenty-one Black female head coaches in Division-I softball as of last season. She remains one of just three leading programs within power conferences alongside Marissa Young at Duke and Sharonda McDonald-Kelley at Michigan State.

Associate Head Coach Laura Trout's alma mater Georgia will be part of Illinois' opening weekend competition while Assistant Coach Kirsten Verdun returns to DePaul where she was once named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year.

Several players have received preseason recognition ahead of this year's campaign including Ava Moore who appeared on multiple watchlists such as D100 list and Softball America's Freshman Watchlist among others alongside Ellie Haggard and London Park making appearances too.

Last season saw Illinois finish twelfth place within Big Ten standings holding onto records such as winning two series against Michigan State & Maryland away from home despite losing key players like Kelly Ryono & Tori McQueen after completion thereof