Eastern Illinois (8-12) Softball Upcoming Schedule

March 7-8 at Lindenwood (9-7)
Saturday, March 7 at 1:30 pm … Live Stats
Saturday, March 7 at 4 pm … Live Stats
Sunday, March 8 at 1 pm … Live Stats


ON-TAP: Eastern Illinois opens the Ohio Valley Conference season this weekend with a three-game series at Lindenwood.  The Panthers won two games last week at the FIU Softball Classic and enter OVC play at 8-12 overall.  Lindenwood enters the weekend at 9-7 overall having won four straight last weekend in their home tournament.    EIU was picked to finish third in the OVC preseason poll while Lindenwood was tabbed sixth.    

QUICK HITTER NOTES: 
McKenzie Oslanzi added a pair of wins to her season total as she went 2-1 in the circle at the FIU Softball Classic.  Oslanzi allowed just two earned runs in a loss on Friday to host FIU.  She picked up complete game wins against both Toledo and Bradley on the next two days of the tournament allowing two earned runs to the Braves on Sunday.   For the season she is 5-6 with a 3.50 ERA.
 
Abbey Crain had two multiple RBI games last weekend at the FIU Classic driving home two runs against Saint Francis (Pa.) in the opener and then two runs in Saturday's win over Toledo.  She is hitting .288 for the season and ranks as one of four Panthers players with three or more multi-RBI games this season.  Crain's 14 runs scored this season currently rank her second in the OVC.
 
Alisha Frederick had hits in each of the final three games of the FIU Classic including driving home three runs in the win over Toledo.  Frederick has the second longest active hitting streak for the Panthers.  Her two-hit game against Toledo was her second two hit game of the season.
 
Kendall Grover continues to rank among the OVC leaders again this season.  She is third in the OVC in runs scored while ranking tied for sixth with 11 RBI.  Grover's .391 batting average is sixth in the OVC as she leads the Panthers with ten multi-hit games this season. 
 
Morgan Hance appeared in four of the five games at the FIU Classic collecting hits in all four. She currently leads the Panthers with a five-game hit streak and has reached base in eight straight games.  Hance has a .444 batting average in ten games played this season.
 
Abbi Hatton had a big offensive day at the plate on Sunday against Bradley driving in four runs.  It was her third multi-RBI game of the season after driving home two runs twice at the ULM Warhawk Invite.   Hatton has 11 RBI for the season which is tied for the team lead and ranks tied for sixth in the OVC.
 
 Kira Manganello was hit by a pitch on Friday's opening day against host FIU at the FIU Classic.  It was the tenth time this season the freshman catcher has been hit by a pitch which already ranks her in the EIU single season top ten.  Manganello is second in the NCAA in that category this season.
 
STREAKS & LEADERS (RETURNING)
Multiple Hit Games:  Kendall Grover (10), Abbey Crain (4),  Karson Davey (3), Briana Gonzalez (3)
Multiple RBI Games:  Kendall Grover (4), Karson Davey (3), Abbi Hatton (3), Abbey Crain (3)
Active Hitting Streaks:   Morgan Hance (5), Alisha Frederick (3)
Active Reached Base Streak:  Morgan Hance (8), Maddux Marshall (5), Kendall Grover (4)
 
SEASON LONG NOTES
Senior shortstop Briana Gonzalez was named the Panthers preseason player to watch by the Ohio Valley Conference as part of its preseason information released in late January.  Gonzalez started all 57 games last season at shortstop, one of two EIU players to start every game during the season.  She hit .299 at the plate ranking fourth in the OVC in RBI with 39 and tied for third in the conference with eight home runs.  During her sophomore season (2023) she set the school for being hit by a pitch in a season with 17, that total ranked 12th in the NCAA that season.
 
Eastern Illinois was picked to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll released in late January.  The Panthers received five of the 20 first place votes in the poll and were just one total point behind Southern Indiana which was picked second.  Southast Missouri was selected as the preseason OVC favorite.  EIU won the OVC regular season title last year, the third in program history, posting 40 wins.   The Panthers were the OVC Tournament Champion in 2023 making the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Eastern Illinois returns OVC Player of the Year Kendall Grover as the junior third baseman ranked among the OVC leaders in most offensive categories hitting .354 with 18 doubles, ten home runs, 46 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 47 runs scored last season.  She was the OVC leader in home runs while ranking second in the league in RBI, doubles, hits and runs scored.  Grover earned NFCA Third Team All-Region honors landing in five EIU single season top ten record lists.  She was second on the team with 21-multiple hit games and ended the year with a 12-game active streak of reaching base in consecutive games.  She was recently named to the D1Softball Preseason List of the nation's top players at third base ranked 13th.
 
Kendall Grover was named the OVC Player of the Week (Feb. 24) following her performance at the ULM Warhawk Invite.  Grover hit .429 for the weekend with two home runs and four RBI.  She ranked second among players in the tournament field with seven runs scored.  Grover drew five walks and did not strikeout in 19 weekend plate appearances.  For the season Grover is hitting .435 for the season which ranks sixth in the OVC this season.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Eastern Illinois will face Lindenwood in the OVC opening weekend for both schools.  EIU and Lindenwood are tied 3-3 in their all-time series.  Lindenwood swept EIU in three games during the 2023 season in St. Charles before EIU returned the favor with a 3-0 series sweep last season in Charleston.     

ON DECK:  After opening OVC play on the road this weekend, EIU will host Morehead State on March 15-16 at Williams Field for their 2025 home opener.

HEAD COACH: Eastern Illinois softball will be under the direction of Kristi Paulson and Dan Paulson.  The husband / wife duo serve as co-head coaches of the program and are in their first season leading Eastern Illinois.  The couple came to EIU following a successful stint at the Junior College level winning 205 games in five years as head coaches at Parkland College.  They guided the team to three NJCAA World Series appearances in four full seasons with their first season cancelled due to COVID 19 in 2020.  They won 50-plus games in three seasons finishing 7th (2021), 5th (2023) and 9th (2024) in the nation each of those seasons. This past year (2024) their coaching staff was named the NJCAA Coaching Staff of the Year by the NFCA going 58-6.  Both Kristi and Dan attended Eastern Illinois as undergraduate students.