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Eastern Illinois Softball Upcoming Schedule
Rosemont Dome Tournament (Rosemont, Ill.) -- TOURNAMENT INFORMATION PAGE
Feb. 10 vs. Western Michigan – 7 pm …  No Live Stats
Feb. 11 vs. St. Thomas – 12 pm … Live Stats | 
Feb. 11 vs.  Valparaiso – 2:30 pm … Live Stats | 
Feb. 12 vs. Bowling Green - 9:30 am … Live Stats | 

ON-TAP: Eastern Illinois opens the 2022 season playing at the Rosemont Dome Tournament in the Chicago suburbs.  EIU is coming off a 25-19 season that saw the Panthers finish at 16-14 in the OVC.  EIU returns OVC Player of the Year Megan Burton from last season as EIU was one of the top offensive teams in the league.  EIU last played in the Rosemont Dome Tournament during the 2017 season posting a 3-1 record to open that season. 
 
EIU SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR SINGLE SEASON HOME RUNS: Eastern Illinois set the single season school record for home runs last season as the Panthers belted out 56 home runs during the 2021 campaign.  The Panthers broke the previous single season record of 45 (set during the 2011 season) during its weekend series against Murray State in late April.   EIU ended the regular season ranked in the Top 25 in the NCAA in home runs while leading the OVC.  Eight players had at least one home run last season with five players hitting six or more home runs.  EIU returns players that hit 35 of the 56 home runs last season.

BURTON RETURNS FOLLOWING OVC POW YEAR: Eastern Illinois shortstop Megan Burton returns to the Panthers line-up after earning Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year honors last season.   Burton became the first EIU position player to win the award while also earning first team All-Region honors.  This preseason Burton has been named to the Elite 100 preseason players by Extra Innings Softball and listed as the EIU player to watch in the OVC preseason rankings.  Last season Burton led the OVC in home runs setting the EIU single season record with 18 home runs, a total that ranked ninth in the NCAA in the regular season.  She was second in the OVC in both runs scored with 43 and RBI with 46.   Burton hit .324 from the season but increased that average against conference foes hitting .364 in league play.  She recorded 15 multiple hit games and 14 multiple RBI games last season.
 
QUICK HITTER NOTES:  
Outfielder Morgan Lewis provided the Panthers some speed on the bases last season as she earned All-OVC Newcomer Team honors despite missing the final seven games of the regular season.  Lewis led the OVC in stolen bases going 23-of-26 for the season including two games with three stolen bases.  At the plate Lewis led the Panthers with a .357 average.
 
Eastern Illinois continues its connection with local junior college program Lake Land College as the Panthers added several players from the nationally ranked squad.  Joining EIU's roster this season are infielder Marama Makea, outfielder Carson Cole and pitcher Rachel Kaufman.  The trio of players join outfielder Katie Nicholson who joined the EIU program last season and finished the season hitting .324 with 11 stolen bases.
 
In addition to the junior college route, EIU added several four-year college transfers to the EIU roster for this season.   The Panthers bolstered the battery with the addition of pitcher Tieghan Morio from Ball State and catcher Lindy Milkowski from Iowa.  EIU also added infielder Maddie Swart from Purdue Fort Wayne and outfielder Kendall Fields from Ball State. 
 
Second baseman Hannah Cravens led the Panthers in doubles last season finishing with 11.  She would finish third on the team in home runs (7), RBI (34) and slugging percentage as the Panthers were among the top offensive teams in the OVC last season. 
 
Pitcher Olivia Price returns for her sophomore season after posting a 9-6 record in her freshman campaign.  Recruited as a position player, Price moved into a pitching role during the season and became a solid No. 2 pitcher in the Panthers line-up.  She finished the season with two shutouts and one save.

SERIES HISTORY: Eastern Illinois has previously faced three of the four opponents in this weekend's Rosemont Dome Tournament.   This will be the fourth meeting between EIU and Western Michigan with the Panthers holding a 2-1 series lead.  The schools last met in 2018.  This will be the first meeting between EIU and St. Thomas as the Tommies are in their first season playing at the NCAA Division I level. EIU and Valparaiso will be meeting for the 18th time on Friday afternoon with the Panthers owning a 13-4 all-time series lead.  The schools last met in 2017.  EIU closes out the tournament facing Bowling Green.  EIU holds a 3-1 all-time lead in the series with the schools last playing in 2004. 
 
NEXT UP:  Eastern Illinois travels South next week as the Panthers will play six games in the River City Classic II Tournament in Vicksburg, Miss.  EIU will play two games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

HEAD COACH: Tara Archibald is her third season as the head coach at Eastern Illinois.   In her first season Archibald led EIU to an 11-10 record to open the season prior to COVID-10 shortening the season for all college teams.   The Panthers did not get into Ohio Valley Conference play during the 2020 season.   Last season she posted her second straight winning record as EIU finished at 25-19 overall, 16-14 in the OVC.  Archibald has a career record of 36-29 entering the 2022 season.  Archibald is a 2004 graduate of Southern Illinois where she played softball for the Salukis helping the team make the 2003 NCAA Tournament.  She hails from a softball family with her father, Gerry Glasco, the head coach at Louisiana.  She has coaching stops at both the high school and collegiate ranks.   She is assisted by Rachel Houck and Aeshia Miles.