Early Season Success
The top three in the conference all stand at or above .750, including Evansville who is on a nine-game win streak with only one loss on the season.
     As a league, The Valley has an overall record of 65-81.
Among National Leaders...
     Also, Belmont is nationally ranked at 5th for fielding percentage with a .988.  Abby Ford from Missouri State is ranked fourth in the nation for 1.08 stolen bases per game. Makenzi Swick from Missouri State leads the nation in earned run average. Missouri State is also ranked seventh in stolen bases per game with 2.92. Evansville is ranked thirteenth in the nation for doubles plays per game, and Valparaiso closely follows in eighteenth. Murray State leads the nation in Hit Batters.
Top 25...
   Evansville is receiving in the USA Today NFCA Top 25 Coach’s Poll. The Aces received 2 votes putting them in 33rd nationally. 
    This upcoming weekend, 4 MVC schools will be playing ranked opponents.
            UIC vs. (17) Kentucky
            Belmont vs. (7) Tennessee
            UIC vs. (1) Oklahoma
            Bradley vs. (25) Wichita State
 
Belmont
Belmont University is now 9-3 on the season after the weekend at the Mercer Bear Invitational. The Bruins split the weekend 2-2 with wins over Mercer University and Tennessee Tech University. Belmont opened the weekend with a 12-2 win over the Golden Eagles. Two close losses for the Bruins as they fell 5-4 to South Carolina and 2-0 to Jacksonville University. Freshman Brenna Blume posted a 3 RBI home run against the Gamecocks to take the lead. Belmont is set to play in the Tennessee Classic this upcoming weekend to face Tennessee, Appalachian State, and Jacksonville State.
 
Bradley
Bradley started strong at The Knights Classic in Orlando. The Braves defeated Gardner-Webb 10-2 in the opening game, which also featured a special visit from two parrots on the field. Facing two teams from Power 5 conferences, the Braves dropped two games to Purdue (7-8 and 1-6) and one game to Louisville (0-8). Bradley faced Columbia in the final matchup of the tournament and lost 5-7 after playing from behind for most of the game. Lauren DeRolf continued to shine, collecting another nine hits on the weekend, and Grace French once again showed off her offensive power with five RBIs and three doubles. 
 
Drake
Drake continued their non-conference schedule with a challenging weekend at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. The Bulldogs went winless in five games against a pair of nationally ranked opponents. Two of Drake’s losses came to no. 19 Arizona while the other three came to the hosts, no. 8 Arkansas. Despite not earning a win, Drake did give the Razorbacks all they could handle in their first meeting of the weekend with an 11-inning, 4-3 defeat. The Bulldogs will be back in action this weekend at the Blues City Classic in Memphis, Tenn. from Friday, Mar. 3 to Sunday, Mar. 5
 
Evansville
In the Record Book:  Evansville is enjoying its best start in school history, sitting at 13-1 following its first 14 games.  The Purple Aces have won nine games in a row with their lone defeat being a 2-1 extra inning loss to DePaul in the opening weekend.  Four of UE’s five wins this week were come-from-behind efforts, including a 9-0 deficit on Friday against St. Thomas that saw the Aces come back for a 12-9 triumph.
 
Illinois State
Illinois State had another outstanding performance from a true freshman pitcher, this week it was Hannah Meeks. Meeks pitched a 5.0 inning, one-hit, complete game shutout against Jacksonville State. She held a no-hitter through 4.2 IP, but gave up a single in the fifth and only walked two batters. Fifth-year senior Emme Olson hit two two-run home runs in that game to push the Redbirds to a 10-0 victory over the Gamecocks and give Meeks her first career win in the circle. Olson continued to stay hot at the plate for the Redbirds and currently holds a 12-game hit streak. She also collected her 100^th career RBI in her first home run against Jacksonville State. Illinois State will travel to Boca Raton, Fla. for the Florida Atlantic Parents-Weekend Tournament hosted by FAU on Mar. 3-5.
 
Indiana State
Indiana State went 2-3 over the weekend at the Easton Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa. The Sycamores defeated Kennesaw State twice, a 1-0 win in 10 innings on Friday and a 10-1 win in five innings on Saturday which included a nine-run third inning by the ISU offense. Lexi Benko threw all 10 shutout Innings against the Owls in Friday’s win. Isabella Henning had a 3-3 game with a home run against No. 7 ranked Alabama.
 
Missouri State
Missouri State third baseman Olivia Krehbiel knocked a grand slam against South Dakota State in an 8-6 victory over the Jackrabbits. The grand slam marked the third of Krehbiel's career, as she joined Staci Wattie and Jessica Acton as one of only three Bears in program history to accomplish the feat in their careers. Krehbiel also became just the third player in program history to drive in six or more runs in a single game with six RBI versus SDSU.  
Missouri State went 2-2 last weekend at the Michelle Short Memorial Collegiate Classic hosted by Central Arkansas with an 8-6 win over South Dakota State and a forfeit victory against Mississippi Valley State, while dropping two contests to UCA. Offensively, the Bears had three hitters bat .400 or better, paced by freshman Abby Ford who went 5-for-11 (.455) at the plate. Missouri State hits the road again this weekend as the travel to Oxford, Miss. for the Ole Miss Classic with five games scheduled against SEMO, Ole Miss and Mount St. Mary’s.
 
Murray State
The Murray State softball team posted its best weekend of the young season this past week with a 4-1 showing at the Inaugural Velvet Milkman Invitational in Murray, Kentucky. The Racers split the opening day of the event but won three straight to close out the weekend. Gracie Osbron led Murray State offensively by going 8-for-15 on the week for a team-high batting average of .585. In the circle, Hannah James went 1-0 with a save over three appearances and 14.0 innings of work this past week, allowing just four earned runs on 15 hits for an ERA of 2.00 for the five-game stretch. In addition, James fanned 22 over the course of the weekend, including 11 against Bellarmine, all while not issuing a single walk.
 
UNI
The Panthers had a big bounce back week in Georgia after struggling in their home tournament two weeks ago. Despite a loss to Austin Peay State on Wednesday, UNI completed a sweep at the Panther Invitational hosted by Georgia State with five straight wins. The Panthers had their best offensive output yet, launching 8 home runs to bring in 36 runners with 32 RBIs over the course of the five games against Western Carolina, Georgia State, and Tennessee State. UNI also excelled on defense, holding opponents to less than a run per game to almost be back at .500 on the season. 
 
Southern Illinois
The Southern Illinois Salukis made their home debut at Charlotte West Stadium for the 2023 Coach B Classic and finished the weekend going 4-0 after three straight one-run wins. The Salukis have won five games in a row for the second time this season as they improve to 10-2 overall. SIU got off to a hot start Friday afternoon with a 9-1 win over Northern Kentucky in a game that ended with a three-run home run from freshman Jackie Lis. The Salukis relied on their pitching and some key hits throughout the next three games to win a trio of tight games. Next up for the SIU is another weekend at Charlotte West Stadium for the Saluki Invitational from March 3 - March 5. Southern will begin play on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader against Butler and UT Martin beginning at 2:30 PM.
 
UIC
The Flames spent the weekend out in Tampa Bay competing at the USF Invitational. Senior Carlee Jo Clark had a strong showing in the batters box, batting .308 over the five games with four hits and two RBIs. Fellow senior Alannah Cran had three hits throughout the tournament and batted .250 over the weekend. Clark also pitched 14.1 innings over the weekend and had a team-leading eight strikeouts. 
 
Valpo
     Valpo turned a pair of double plays last weekend, with a conventional 4-6-3 twin killing against Siena and an unconventional 1-3-2 double play versus FIU. Through their first 10 games of the season, the Beacons are averaging a double play every other game defensively, which ranks them 18th nationally in double plays/game.
 
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week is Hannah Kelley of Northern Iowa, the Pitcher of the Week is Kailyn Packard of Northern Iowa, and The Newcomer of the Week is Taylor Howe of Evansville. 
 
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: 
 
Hannah Kelley, R-Sr., IF, UNI
In her first full week as the designated player for the Panthers, Kelley made her mark at the plate leading UNI in batting average and becoming nationally ranked. Kelley appeared in all six games over the week for UNI against Austin Peay State, Western Carolina, Georgia State, and Tennessee State. In her 16 at-bats, Kelley slashed .500/.529/.750 with eight hits, three RBIs, and one home run to lead the Panthers in plate appearances. Kelley pushed UNI over the top for their fifth straight win of the Panther Invitational with her first home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth. Kelley blasted her fourth faced ball past the center field fence for a two-run homer to give the Panthers a 7-1 win over Western Carolina. 
Other Notable Performances: Gracie Osbron (MUR), Olivia Krehbiel (MSU), Isabella Henning (INS), Emma Austin (SIU), Jenna Nink (UE), Grace French (BRAD)
 
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK:
 
Kailyn Packard, R-Sr., P, UNI
Packard picked up her first complete game this season with three wins at the Panther Invitation where UNI went 5-0 against three different opponents. Packard led all Panther pitchers of the week with 17.2 innings pitched for a 0.51 ERA allowing only five hits while throwing 27 strikeouts. KP pitched two separate shutouts over the weekend and came close to a third against Western Carolina. In games against Western Carolina and Georgia State, Packard threw 17 strikeouts and only four walks without allowing a run to cross the plate. 
Other Notable Performances: Hannah James (MUR), Lexi Benko (INS), Hannah Hockerman (SIU), Megan Brenton (UE), Emma Summers (BEL)
 
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
 
Taylor Howe, Fr., UT, Evansville
Taylor Howe batted .389 with seven hits, six RBI, four runs and three doubles in a 5-0 weekend for the Purple Aces.  Hoe reached base 45.0% of the time and picked up a steal in her lone attempt of the weekend.  Picking up a hit in the weekend opener versus Purdue Fort Wayne, Howe opened the scoring with a steal of home in a 3-2 win.  She added a 3-4 effort in Friday’s match-up versus St. Thomas where she posted two RBI.  Included in that tally was a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded in the 6^thinning.  Howe recorded another 3-hit afternoon in Sunday’s comeback win over Bowling Green.  She added four RBI, three runs and two doubles.  Her biggest hit of the weekend came in the 7^th inning.  With her team trailing 9-6 and the bases loaded with no outs, Howe hit a bases-clearing double to tie the game before UE won later in the inning.
Other Notable Performances: Bre Haislip (MUR), Abby Ford (MSU), Elliot Stinson (SIU), Lauren DeRolf (BRAD), Hannah Meeks (ILS), Alexis Pupilo (UNI)

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