University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Illinois State
Panthers hit the road for a crucial MVC showdown at Illinois State
4/24/2025 2:06:00 PM | Softball
UNI softball (26-16 / 14-7 MVC) at Illinois State (19-26 / 12-9 MVC)
- Marian Kneer Softball Stadium | Normal, Illinois
- April 25 | 5 p.m. CT
- April 26 | 2 p.m. CT
- April 27 | 12 p.m. CT
- ESPN+
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — After a midweek non-conference setback, the UNI Panther softball team turns its focus back to Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play this weekend, hitting the road for a three-game series against longtime rival Illinois State. The Panthers and Redbirds will clash for the 122nd time in program history, with the series set to begin Friday in Normal, Ill.
UNI is looking to bounce back from a 6-2 loss to in-state rival Iowa State on Tuesday. Despite the defeat, the Panthers saw strong individual performances at the plate, with Skylar Benesh and Addison McElrath each recording multi-hit games. McElrath and Kylee Sanders delivered the team's RBIs.
The Panthers are coming off a standout weekend performance in their last MVC series against league-leader Southern Illinois. Junior slugger Kate Lappe put together one of the most dominant series performances of the season, batting .625 with four home runs, six RBIs, and a staggering 2.125 slugging percentage. Katelyn Callahan and Kylee Sanders added their own firepower with slugging percentages of 1.250 and 1.100, respectively. Redshirt junior Anna Wischnowski led the charge in the circle, picking up both wins in the series with 5.2 innings pitched and just three hits allowed. Her 1.59 ERA over the weekend helped secure UNI's critical series victory.
For their performances, Lappe and freshman Drew Hinrichs earned MVC weekly honors. Lappe notched her second MVC Player of the Week nod of the year and became the first Panther to earn D1Softball.com National Player of the Week recognition. Hinrichs was named MVC Freshman of the Week for the first time in her career.
Head coach Ryan Jacobs continues to make history in his 18th season at the helm. Earlier this year, Jacobs became the program's all-time winningest coach with a dramatic extra-inning victory at Illinois. He also notched his 500th career win during the Doc Halverson Classic, becoming just the eighth coach in MVC history to reach the milestone.
The Panthers swept Illinois State in last year's series at Robinson-Dresser Field with emphatic 8-0, 4-1, and 19-1 victories. UNI's 19-1, five-inning rout in the finale included a 16-run fourth inning.
UNI enters the weekend leading the MVC in several key statistical categories, including home runs (65), RBIs (247), runs per game (6.29), slugging percentage (.504), on-base percentage (.399), and stolen bases (88). The Panthers also rank top-20 nationally in multiple categories, including eighth in walks (203) and 11th in home runs per game (1.55).
Kylee Sanders has emerged as one of the top all-around players in the league, leading the Valley in batting average (.425), hits (57), and assists (113), while also boasting the third-best assist-per-game average (2.76) in the nation. Freshman speedster Skylar Benesh leads the MVC in stolen bases (20), just four shy of the UNI single-season record.
At the heart of UNI's offensive engine is Lappe, who leads the MVC in home runs per game (0.34), on-base percentage (.533), slugging (.867), and total bases (104). Her 14 home runs are just eight shy of tying the single-season program record of 22.
UNI is looking to continue its streak of top-three MVC finishes, having posted a .500 or better conference mark in each of the last five full seasons. With a 116-33 record in Valley play over that stretch, the Panthers have cemented themselves as a conference powerhouse. Coach Jacobs is also closing in on another milestone, just seven league wins away from cracking the MVC's all-time top five in conference victories.
First pitch for Friday's opener is set for 5 p.m., with games two and three scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
UNI softball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Softball), X (@UNISoftball), and on Instagram (@unisoftball). The 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
