Chambana Sun

Illinois softball is set to face Northern Iowa in a midweek game at Eichelberger Field on Tuesday. The game, which will be broadcast on B1G+, is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.

Stevie Meade has been a consistent performer for Illinois since joining the team, holding the single-season record for most sacrifice hits with 13 in 2022. She is close to becoming the program's all-time leader in sacrifice bunts, currently holding 30.

The Fighting Illini have shown strength in hitting triples this season, with five players—Stevie Meade, Ava Moore, Zoie Howard, Alaina Miller, and Yazzy Avila—each recording at least one triple. Moore, Howard, and Miller lead the team with two triples each.

Paige Berkmeyer has been reliable as a catcher for Illinois. She has caught 38 runners stealing during her time with the team, placing her third in the program's record book.

Lauren Wiles has made significant contributions as a pitcher over her four-year career. She ranks sixth in appearances and eighth in starts within the program's history.

In their last series against Oregon, Illinois lost despite strong performances from Ella Cushing, Ellie Haggard, and Adisyn Caryl who each had three hits in the final game.

Northern Iowa enters Tuesday's game with a 17-8 overall record and an undefeated conference record of 6-0. The Panthers have won six consecutive games and hold a strong road record of 9-3 this season.

The all-time series between Illinois and Northern Iowa slightly favors Illinois at 2-1. Last year’s encounter saw Northern Iowa win decisively with a score of 9-0.

Illinois added several new players this offseason including freshmen Lizzie Stiverson and Karley Yergler who are local to Champaign-Urbana. This season marks Illinois as having the youngest roster in the Big Ten conference with numerous underclassmen contributing to the team.

Head coach Tyra Perry is among only three Black female head coaches leading teams in power conferences for Division-I softball this season. Last year's matchup between Michigan State and Illinois was historic as it was believed to be the first meeting between two Black female head coaches at Power-5 level during Big Ten play.

Illinois looks forward to its opening weekend featuring matches against Georgia and DePaul which hold special significance due to coaching staff connections; Laura Trout is an alumna of Georgia while Kirsten Verdun returns to her alma mater DePaul where she achieved significant personal accolades during her playing career.

Several players received preseason recognition including Ava Moore who earned multiple honors such as being named on D100 list by Softball America. Ellie Haggard and London Park also featured on Softball America's watchlist highlighting their potential impact this season alongside returning key players like Paige Berkmeyer and Adisyn Caryl who were recognized on Big Ten Players To Watch list based on their past performances.

Last year saw Illinois finishing twelfth in Big Ten standings following two successful series wins against Michigan State and Maryland but facing challenges overall resulting from key player departures like Kelly Ryono known for her batting prowess alongside Tori McQueen leading pitching efforts previously for Illini squad during that campaign.