Chambana Sun

Illinois softball is set to face Missouri at Mizzou Softball Stadium on March 18. The game will start at 3 p.m. and will be broadcasted on SECN+. Illinois currently holds a 13-11 record, while Missouri stands at 16-13 for the season.

Stevie Meade of Illinois has been consistent in her performance, nearing the program's all-time record for sacrifice hits. "Meade owns the single-season record for most sacrifice hits with 13 in 2022," highlighting her contribution to the team.

Five players from Illinois have recorded triples this season, contributing to the team's high ranking in conference standings for triples per game. "The Fighting Illini have five different players who have recorded a triple this season."

In their last game, Illinois faced Wisconsin and lost with a score of 8-6. Meanwhile, Missouri's recent performance includes a successful run in a non-conference tournament.

Missouri leads the all-time series against Illinois with a record of 16-4 and has won seven consecutive meetings against them.

Head coach Tyra Perry is one of only three Black female head coaches leading a program in a power conference. This milestone highlights diversity within Division-I softball coaching ranks.

Illinois' roster this year is notably young, comprising many underclassmen and new additions like Lizzie Stiverson and Karley Yergler from Parkland College.

Preseason recognition was given to several players, including Ava Moore, who earned multiple honors such as being named to the D100 list and Softball America's Freshman Watchlist.

Last season, Illinois finished with a 21-31 overall record and placed twelfth in Big Ten play for two consecutive years. The team saw significant contributions from Kelly Ryono and Tori McQueen during that period.