ST. LOUIS - Northern Iowa has been picked as this year’s preseason favorite in Missouri Valley Conference softball as voted by the league’s coaches. The Panthers earned nine first-place votes and 140 points. Murray State was picked in second-place with 126 points while Southern Illinois claimed third with 103 pints.
After a record-breaking season, UNI looks to keep up the pace in 2023. The Panthers return almost all of their MVC regular season winning lineup from 2022 but have two notable losses in their lineup. Despite those losses, the Panthers roster remains stacked with pitching ace Kailyn Packard, MVC Freshman of the Year Mya Dodge, and All-MVC First Team second baseman Taylor Hogan returning. New notable additions to UNI includes three power hitting freshman in catcher/third baseman Alexis Pupillo, infielder Kate Lappe, freshman utility player Adalyn Reynolds, and outfielder/catcher Rylee Veercande. With a familiar roster and exciting new additions, the Panthers look to again capture the MVC regular season title and go to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years.
We are excited about our first season in the Missouri Valley. The softball members of the MVC have been competing at the top level of college softball nationally for a long time and we are excited to join the ranks. Even with coming off our program's first championship and NCAA Regional appearance, we know we have a lot of work to do to be competitive in this conference. With what we have returning in the circle in Jenna and Hannah, as well as a few other offensive pieces of the puzzle, we are looking forward to jumping in headfirst and hopefully making a great addition to this already strong conference.
After finishing the 2022 season with a 27-19-1 (16-10 MVC) record, third place in the Missouri Valley, the Southern Illinois Salukis return 14 players from last year’s roster while adding seven newcomers to make up the 2023 team. The Saluki returnees are highlighted by 2022 All-MVC First Team infielder Rylie Hamilton, and outfielder Elizabeth Warwick, 2022 All-MVC Second Team, as well as six other Salukis who appeared in at least 20 or more games in the field last year. The Salukis will look to keep up the pace of last year’s high-powered offense which led the Valley in both runs scored (283) and batting average (.290) despite losing several starters from 2022.
Missouri State softball returns 16 players from last season’s MVC Tournament Championship squad that advanced to the program’s seventh NCAA Tournament and earned a win in the Columbia Regional. The Bears will be led by 2022 All-MVC second-teamer Olivia Krehbiel and 2022 NFCA All-Region third-team and MVC All-Defensive team catcher Alex Boze, who became the second pair of Bear teammates to record 10 or more home runs in a single season last year. MSU will rely on a variety of arms in the circle this season, highlighted by two newcomers to pair with four hurlers from last year’s squad. The Bears will kick off the 2023 campaign on February 10
th at the Lion Classic I hosted by Southeastern Louisiana.
After 37 years at the helm of Illinois State Softball, legendary head coach Melinda Fischer announced her retirement in the fall of 2022, launching Redbird Softball into a new era in 2023 led by head coach Tina Kramos. Illinois State returns eight starters this season, including fifth-year senior Emme Olson who was an NFCA First Team All-Region selection a season ago as well as the Redbirds’ two First Team All-MVC selections from 2022 in senior Dayna Kennedy and sophomore Delainey Bryant. The freshman class consists of five student-athletes that will provide depth, both offensively and defensively, for ISU. Starting pitchers Amanda Fox and Hannah Ross are set to lead the pitching staff after gaining valuable experience in the circle during the 2022 season. Heading into 2023, experience and depth will be a dangerous combination for the Redbirds.
Belmont dominated their way through the 2022 season (33-17). The Bruins defeated Murray State (3-0) to enter the necessary game of the championship. Returning pitcher Emma Summers threw the first ever perfect game in program history against Tennessee Tech. Summers ended her season with a 2.06 ERA and 14 wins to her name while being named to the All-OVC Second Team, the All-OVC Newcomer team, and the All-OVC Tournament Team. Kristen Green proved her strength at the plate last season as she raked in eight home runs and 42 RBI. Green was named OVC Freshman of the Year and to the All-OVC First Team. True freshman Emily Cockrill was impressive at third base for the Bruins. Cockrill was named OVC Player of the week April 25 and was named to the All-OVC newcomer team. The Bruins return 14 athletes with 8 newcomers as they enter the MVC.
The Drake University softball team will look to improve upon their 2022 campaign this season. A year ago, the Bulldogs finished the regular season as the No. 4 seed in the 2022 MVC Tournament. Drake proceeded to take down Bradley in the quarterfinals before getting eliminated by regular season champion and eventual tournament runner-up UNI in the semifinals. The Bulldogs return a handful of elite players in the MVC including 2022 First-Team All-MVC utility player Emily Valtman, a .348 hitter with a team-high 12 home runs in 2022. Other key position players coming back for the Bulldogs are outfielder Delaney Taylor, a Second-Team All-MVC player last season, and utility player Addie Lightner, another second-teamer and All-Defense honoree. Drake also brings back pitchers Paige Bedsworth, a star in the circle and at the plate, and Mackenzie Hupke. Drake will kick off their 2023 season at the UNI Dome Tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa with a pair of games against Iowa State and Omaha and a non-MVC matchup with UNI.
Mike Perniciaro enters his sixth season as head coach of the Sycamores where he will have to replace the production of graduates Bella Peterson, Amanda Guercio and Lexie Siwek who were key pieces for ISU in previous seasons. However, he returns 1B Isabella Henning who was named First Team All-MVC last season after hitting .372 while driving in 40 runs with 12 doubles and seven home runs. Also returning for the Trees is MVC All-Defensive Team selection Abi Chipps and the ace of ISU’s pitching staff in Lexi Benko who won 14 games last season with a 2.73 ERA, recording 104 strikeouts. Behind the plate, catcher Annie Tokarek returns for her graduate season, currently tied for the third-most home runs all time at ISU with 22.
Looking ahead to this year, the Bradley Braves will kickoff the season against Colorado State down at the New Mexico State Invitational. The Braves will also play at tournaments in Tennessee, Florida, Kansas and Missouri before beginning conference play. With new head coach Sarah Willis and over 10 returning players, the Braves have high hopes for the upcoming season.
Evansville softball is coming off a 24-27 campaign in 2022 that saw the Purple Aces go 9-18 in Valley play. On the offensive side of the ball, Marah Wood returns following a team-best eight home runs and 31 RBI a season ago. UE’s looks to replace its offense at the top of the lineup with the graduation of its top two average from 2022 (Jessica Fehr-.300 and Mackenzie McFeron-.295). In the circle, Evansville looks to replace one of the best starting pitchers in recent years – Izzy Vetter. As a freshman last year, Sydney Weatherford proved that she could get the job done at multiple positions. She posted a team-low 3.34 ERA in over 119 innings of work while accumulating 20 RBI on the offensive side.
Coming in eleventh with one first place vote and looking to make a splash in the MVC is UIC. In its inaugural season in the Missouri Valley Conference, UIC’s softball team is excited for what will unfold. After having gone 13-32 last year in the Horizon League with a relatively young core, the Flames return with more experience and a roster mostly intact.
Leading the way in the circle for the Flames is senior Carlee Jo Clark, who struck out 40 and only walked 18 in over 91 innings. Fellow Christina Toniolo also returns after leading her team in strikeouts with 59. Maica Ingles isn’t just the regular lead-off for the Flames last season, but one of the offensive leaders for the program. Ingles led the team in hits (39) and runs scored (29). Dee Dee Caskey is a proven base stealer, leading the team with five and was the second best in slugging percentage at .517.
Head coach Meaggan Pettipiece begins her first season in charge of the Valpo softball program in 2023. Pettipiece will guide a squad which features 10 returning letterwinners. Senior pitcher Easton Seib was the staff ace last season, racking up eight wins and throwing 12 complete games in her 21 starts. At the plate, senior catcher Lauren Kehlenbrink led the way last year, hitting .314 and slugging .614 within MVC play while tallying 20 RBIs. Fifth-year infielder Taylor Herschbach hit .270 with 21 runs scored last season and stole 13 bases without being caught once.
2023 Softball Preseason All-MVC Team
The coaches have voted 12 players representing seven teams to the 2022 preseason All-MVC Softball team. The Missouri Valley Conference has a variety of classes represented on the team ranging from graduate students to sophmores.
Southern Illinois will host the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Championship which will be held May 10-13 in Carbondale, Illinois.