CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois softball (9-26, 1-8 Big Ten) welcomes in-state opponent Illinois State to Eichelberger Field on Tuesday, March 31 for a midweek matchup. The game time has been moved earlier to 2:30 p.m. CT due to anticipated inclement weather.
LAST TIME OUT
The Fighting Illini took one of three games from Minnesota at its home stadium, run-ruling the Gophers, 14-6, in five innings, on Saturday afternoon. In the victory, Danika Frazier went the complete game in the circle, conceding five earned runs and notching a pair of strikeouts. Eileen Donahue also excelled on Saturday, going 4-for-4 at the plate with five RBI.
BRENNAN BULLETIN
A junior college transfer, Skylar Brennan has immediately made her presence felt for Illinois, having started all 35 games in the outfield. She leads the team in batting average (.352), hits (37), and doubles (8). She has a current reached base streak of six games, dating back to March 21 against Northwestern, and ten multi-hit games, tied with Adisyn Caryl for most on the squad.
DONAHUE DINGERS
Eileen Donahue was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate in Illinois' victory over Minnesota on Saturday, its first victory of conference play. Donahue's outing was the first four-hit game by an Illini player this season and just the second with five or more RBI. Donahue has had three multi-hit games and four home runs through three conference series.
IN THE CIRCLE
Sophomore right-hander Danika Frazier earned her first start and first win of the season on Saturday over Minnesota, 14-6, in five innings. Frazier conceded five earned runs, tallied two strikeouts and walked just one batter, lowering her season ERA to 5.71. Senior Karley Yergler started the other two outings, leading the Illinois pitching staff with a 4.43 ERA and 37 strikeouts on the season.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Illinois State sits at 18-11 and 8-4 in Missouri Valley play, most recently falling in two of three games to Northern Iowa. The Redbirds emerged victorious, 8-6 (8 innings), in game one, before falling in a high-scoring affair, 24-16 (6 innings), in the Saturday evening rubber match. Bella Atkinson brought high power to the plate on Friday, going 3-for-5 with a grand slam, two doubles, and four RBI. Paige McLeod got the win in the circle, pitching seven innings and improving to 12-3 on the season, while Hannah Meshnick registered the save.
Atkinson and Morgan Calhoun both own a team-best .402 batting average, while Atkinson paces the squad in hits (39), doubles (11), and RBI (28). McLeod's ERA sits at a staff-best 2.93 through 98 innings of work, along with 45 strikeouts and a 1.37 WHIP.
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois owns the all-time series advantage, 17-9, over Illinois State, emerging victorious in eight of the last nine contests between the sides. The first-ever outing came on March 18, 2003, when Illinois defeated Illinois State on the road, 4-3, in nine innings.
On March 12, 2025, The Fighting Illini defeated the Redbirds at home, 3-1. Adisyn Caryl and Ava Moore both went 2-for-3 at the plate, including an RBI single from Moore to tally the first run of the game. Alaina Miller, Gabrielle Debevec, and Eileen Donahue each posted one hit in the game. Current junior Megan Nuechterlein earned the save, finishing the final two frames in the circle for Illinois and logging two strikeouts.
MILESTONE MARKS
Head coach Tyra Perry achieved her 700th career win as a head coach, over Providence on Saturday, February 21, in Raleigh, N.C. Perry is also just five wins away from 300 victories at the helm of Illinois, which she could achieve as early as April 7 against Western Illinois.
UP NEXT
Following the midweek outing, the Fighting Illini head to East Lansing, Michigan, for a three-game series at Michigan State, April 3-5. All three games can be streamed on B1G+.
