University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Indiana State
Panther softball wraps up the regular season at home against Indiana State
4/30/2026 1:09:00 PM | Softball
UNI softball (25-22 / 13-10 MVC) vs. Indiana State (22-25 / 10-12 MVC)
- Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex | Cedar Falls, Iowa
- May 1 | 2:30 & 5:00 p.m. CT
- May 2 | 1:00 p.m. CT
- ESPN+
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The Panthers wrap up the regular season at home with a three-game series against the Indiana State Sycamores on May 1 and 2. This will be the first meeting between the Panthers and the Sycamores since the 2023 MVC Tournament. UNI was defeated by a 1-0 final in that matchup, but holds the all-time record with a 69-35 advantage. UNI is 8-3 in the regular season against the Sycamores in their last 11 matchups.
UNI is coming off a two-game sweep of the Bradley Braves in its final road matchups of the regular season. The Panther softball team broke four single-season records in its trip to Peoria, Illinois, for a doubleheader against the Bradley Braves. A back-and-forth matchup in game one saw Katelyn Callahan play the hero for UNI, before the Panthers picked up their second shutout of the season in game two. A 10-9 final in game one saw the Cats break the UNI and MVC record for single-season runs, single-season RBIs, and conference-only home runs. Game two's 9-0 victory saw Skylar Benesh break the single-season MVC record for total runs with 62.
Kate Lappe led UNI with a .625 batting average against the Braves, with five hits and four runs in eight at-bats. A double and two home runs from the senior drove in six runs with 12 total bases for a 1.500 slugging percentage. Katelyn Callahan and Skylar Benesh each finished with a .429 batting average in the series, with three hits on seven at-bats apiece. Callahan finished with a home run and two RBIs with two runs, while Benesh posted three runs with four RBIs.
In the circle, Anna Wischnowski finished with a 0.00 ERA and picked up the win in a six-inning start in game two, earning a partial shutout with Kelsey Endress. Wischnowski struck out three batters and allowed just three hits in her six innings. Morgan Vertz was the other pitcher of record, with a game-one victory. Vertz came in and pitched three innings, striking out a pair.
As of April 29, UNI leads the MVC in multiple statistical categories, including batting average (.325), hits (429), home runs (90), home runs per game (1.91), on-base percentage (.439), RBIs per game (7.32), total RBIs (344), scoring (7.81), slugging percentage (.601), total runs (367), total sacrifice flies (14), and walks (257). The Cats have the third-most walks in the nation, while ranking sixth in home runs per game, ninth in total home runs, 10th in RBIs per game and scoring, 13th in slugging percentage, 14th in RBIs and total runs, and 17th in on-base percentage. The Cats are second in the league in double plays (17), double plays per game (0.36), doubles (79), doubles per game (1.68), and fewest hit batters (15).
Individually, Skylar Benesh leads the MVC with the nation's sixth-most hits (78) and eighth-best batting average (.476). The sophomore is 16th in the nation with a Valley-leading 1.32 runs per game and 17th in the nation with 62 total runs. Benesh's 138 total bases on the season is 20th in Division I. The second baseman is second in the league with a .558 on-base percentage and a .841 slugging percentage.
Kate Lappe has drawn the nation's eighth-most walks per game this season with 0.98, which leads the Valley. The senior has the 15th-best on-base percentage (.564) and 19th-best slugging percentage (.943) in Division I. Lappe also leads the MVC with 19 home runs and 0.40 home runs per game. She is second in the conference with 54 RBIs, 1,15 RBIs per game, 1.11 runs per game, and 132 total bases.
Brynn Acton leads the MVC with 56 RBIs and 1.24 RBIs per game and is second in the Valley with 18 home runs and 0.40 home runs per game. The freshman's 18 home runs are the most hit by a freshman in a single season in Valley history. Acton is third in total bases with 102.
UNI is 26 hits away from breaking the UNI single-season hits record, set in 1997 with 455 hits.
Individually, Skylar Benesh is six hits shy of breaking the UNI single-season hits record set in 2022 by Lindsay Wood with 83 hits. The sophomore is 13 hits from breaking the MVC record, set in 2007 by Kara Nelson with 90 hits. Benesh is 14 total bases from breaking the Panther single-season record set by Sammey Bunch in 2021 with 151 total bases. In league-only contests, the second baseman is three hits away from the single-season hits record (in league-only play) set by Jamie Davison of Evansville (2001), Brittany Fortner of Wichita State (2014), and Alexis Pupillo of UNI (2023) at 44. She is also just five runs in Valley play away from the league-game-only record set by former Panther Kylee Sanders in 2023, with 37 runs in conference action.
Kate Lappe needs just two walks to break the UNI single-season record set by Madison Parks with 47 drawn walks in 2024. She needs four home runs to break Sammey Bunch's single-season home runs record of 22 set in 2021 after a pair last weekend against the Bradley Braves. The senior is 15 RBIs away from the UNI single-season record set in 2023 by Mya Dodge with 68 and 16 RBIs from the MVC record set by Jordan de los Reyes of Illinois State with 69 in 2017. Lappe is 20 total bases away from the Panther single-season record of 151 set in 2021 by Sammey Bunch. In league-only contests, the infielder is eight runs from the MVC's league-only single-season record set by former Panther Kylee Sanders with 37 in 2023.
Brynn Acton needs five home runs to break the UNI single-season record, set by Sammey Bunch with 22 long balls in 2021. The freshman needs 13 RBIs to break the UNI record for single-season RBIs, and 14 to break the MVC single-season record. In league-only contests, Acton needs four home runs to break the MVC's conference-only single-season record for home runs, set by Jordan de los Reyes of Illinois State (2017) and Annie Mueller of Missouri State (2024) at 15
With two victories against the Redbirds earlier this season, Coach Jacobs moved up to No. 4 on the Valley's MVC wins list, passing Rich Calvert (DU, 2003-23) in the No. 4 spot with 284 league wins. Jacobs sits with 293 MVC victories after a series against Bradley.Â
Last season, UNI recorded its sixth straight season (excluding COVID-19 2020 season) at .500 or better in conference play as well as top three in the league. After UNI's Valley series against Bradley, the Panthers have won 134 conference matchups in that span to just 44 MVC losses.
UNI softball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Softball), X (@UNISoftball), and on Instagram (@unisoftball). The 2026 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
