Panthers Set to Take the Field for MVC Tournament

Friday, May 13

Carbondale, Ill.

1:30 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

Illinois State (MVC Tournament Quarterfinal)

Panthers Set to Take the Field for MVC Tournament

5/10/2016 1:42:00 PM | Softball

By: Riley Ubben

The University of Northern Iowa softball team is set to take the field for a quarterfinal game in Carbondale, Ill. for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday at 6:34 p.m. The Panthers (38-18, 16-10 MVC) earned the three-seed in the tournament that features the top eight teams in the Valley, securing a first round bye. UNI has qualified for the conference tournament seven straight seasons and seven of the eight years with Head Coach Ryan Jacobs at the helm. All seven games of the tournament will be broadcasted on the Valley on ESPN3.

The Panthers will take on the winner of the Thursday afternoon game between six-seed Evansville (24-25, 12-14 MVC) and seven-seed Illinois State (18-32, 10-14 MVC). UNI earned series wins over both the Aces and Redbirds during the regular season, taking two of the three games from both squads. The Panthers defeated Evansville 6-0 in game one of their three-game series before splitting the next two games, clinching the series win with a 2-1 victory on the Sunday series-cap. UNI wrapped up MVC regular season play against Illinois State, falling to the Redbirds in game one before taking the next two.

Drake (29-23, 17-8 MVC) awaits the winner of UNI's quarterfinal game on Friday at 2:34 p.m. UNI earned a 2-1 series win over the Bulldogs earlier in the season, taking both games of the doubleheader at Robinson-Dresser Field in Cedar Falls by a combined score of 15-1. The Bulldogs would beat UNI in game three in Des Moines, winning game three 3-2 in a pitcher's duel between top-MVC hurlers Chelsea Ross and Nicole Newman.

UNI posted the second-best RPI in the MVC this season, ranking 74^th nationally while tournament top-seed Wichita State sits at 50. The Panthers are one of two teams in the in the country to have played more than 13 games on a neutral field this season and go unbeaten, racking up a 14-0 record while back-to-back National Champion and top-ranked Florida went 13-0 on a neutral field. In addition, UNI ranked 28^th nationally in on-base percentage this season while three Panthers finished ranked inside the top-30 in various statistical categories. Caitlin Wnek struck out just two times this season, ranking sixth nationally as one of the hardest batters to strike out while Kennedy Bailey (17^th) and Chelsea Ross (27^th) were ranked in walks per game and batters struck out, respectively.

UNI last captured the MVC Tournament Championship and automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament back in 2013 when the Panthers defeated Evansville 2-1 in the championship game as the four-seed. This season, the Panthers tied the record for second-most wins in program history, tying the number of 38 set by the 2013 squad. In 1990, UNI secured their first conference championship in the Gateway Conference Tournament as they won six games to win the title under Head Coach Meredith Bakley.

THE FIELD
1. Wichita State (33-19, 18-6 MVC)
2. Drake (29-23, 17-8 MVC)
3. UNI (38-18, 16-10 MVC)
4. Southern Illinois (32-18, 15-10 MVC)
5. Bradley (18-29, 12-14 MVC)
6. Evansville (24-25, 12-14 MVC)
7. Illinois State (18-32, 10-14 MVC)
8. Missouri State (21-29, 10-14 MVC)

LAST SEVEN APPEARANCES
2015
#3 UNI vs. #7 Illinois State – L 2-8
2014
#5 UNI vs. #8 Missouri State – L 3-4
2013
#4 UNI vs. #5 Southern Illinois – W 6-4
#4 UNI vs. #1 Creighton – W 1-0
#4 UNI vs. #7 Evansville – W 2-1
2012
#1 UNI vs. #4 Southern Illinois – L 0-1
2011
#4 UNI vs. #5 Missouri State – L 0-2
2010
#4 UNI vs. #5 Missouri State – L 3-4
2009
#3 UNI vs. #6 Bradley – L 2-4

MVC Tournament Bracket