Eastern Illinois (31-19, 21-5 OVC) Softball Upcoming Schedule

May 8-10 at Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at Louisville Slugger Park – Peoria, Illinois
Thursday – May 8 at 12:30 pm … Live Stats  | Watch ESPN+
Additional Games TBA Based on Results
 
Tournament Bracket |  Championship Website

ON-TAP: Eastern Illinois will play in the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament starting on Thursday at Louisville Slugger Park in Peoria, Illinois.  EIU enters as the No. 1 overall seed and regular season champion for the second straight year.  It does mark the third straight season EIU has made the OVC Tournament field as either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed earning a double-bye in the tournament.  EIU won the OVC Championship in 2023 beating SIUE in the championship game.  The Panthers lost in the OVC Championship game last year to Southeast Missouri.

QUICK HITTER NOTES: 
Abbi Hatton was named the OVC Player of the Week following the final weekend of the OVC season.   She hit .700 in the series at Western Illinois with 11 RBI. She drove in a season-high six runs in Sunday's game which included her first career grand slam.   Hatton had multiple RBI in each game for the weekend and now leads the team with ten multi-RBI games this season.  The six RBI were the most by an EIU player since Kendall Grover drove in seven last year against IU Indy.   Hatton increased her season batting average to .296.
 
McKenzie Oslanzi was named the OVC Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season as she posted a 3-0 record with one save for the week with a 0.81 ERA.   She started the game at Illinois with five scoreless innings and then re-entered in the ninth allowing one unearned run to collect her third save this season.  Oslanzi had a win in each game against Western Illinois with two wins in starts and one win in relief.  She now has 19 wins this season with a season ERA of 2.43.  Those numbers drop even more in OVC play with a 1.71 ERA and a 13-5 record.  She walked just 22 batters with 82 strike outs in 94.1 innings of OVC work.  Oslanzi picked up career win No. 40 on Sunday and needs two more wins to join the EIU career Top 10 for victories.
 
Eastern Illinois clinched back-to-back OVC regular season titles with its two wins on Saturday at Western Illinois and then added an insurance win to their season totals on Sunday with an 11-1 victory.  The 31 wins are currently the ninth most in the school's NCAA Division I history as EIU has won 30 or more games in three straight years.  It marked back-to-back 20-plus win seasons in the OVC and the fourth time in school history EIU has won 20 or more conference games.  EIU has won OVC regular season championships in 2011, 2013, 2024 and 2025.  EIU won its only OVC Tournament title in 2023 to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Eastern Illinois has had some offensive success this season with their current season totals ranking in the all-time Top 5 in several categories.  EIU has scored 256 runs which ranks as the fourth most in school history.  Panthers batters have drawn 170 walks for the fourth most in school history.  The 212 RBI currently ranks as the fifth most in school history.  EIU batters have been hit by pitch a total of 42 times this season which is the third most in school history.  Briana Gonzalez set the school single season record with 17 two years ago while freshman Kira Manganello has been hit by pitch 15 times this season to rank 11th in the NCAA this season.   In the circle, EIU has had three pitchers combine for nine saves which is a school single season record.
 
Abbey Crain has set the table for the Panthers offense all season as she enters the OVC Tournament with a team-best 13 game hitting streak.  She had a single hit in each of the games at Western Illinois after a string of three straight games with two hits.  All 55 of her hits this season have been singles as she is sixth in the conference in hits this year.  A fifth-year player, she missed most of last season after being hurt in the second tournament of the year returning this year as one of three seniors on the roster.
 
Kendall Grover has made a strong argument for being a candidate for OVC Player of the Year.   Grover won the award last season and this year enters the OVC Tournament with a 12-game hitting streak.  Grover is currently hitting .418 on the season with an on-base percentage of .513.  She leads the OVC in walks draw with 29.  She is looking to become just the ninth player in program history to hit over .400 for an entire season.   Grover dots the OVC Top 10 in most offensive categories once again this season and has climbed into the EIU career Top 10 in several offensive categories – Runs (119 / T6th), Hits (189 / 9th), Doubles (47 / 3rd), Home Runs (25 / 4th), RBI (106 / 8th), Walks (66 / T6th).
 
Alisha Frederick came up big in the Panthers midweek victory at Illinois driving in three of the Panthers four runs in the extra inning victory.  The sophomore transfer was held hitless in the weekend series at Western Illinois but did score a pair of runs after drawing walks.  She has three total 3-RBI games this season against Illinois, Toledo and UT Martin.
 
Karson Davey started all 50 games this season in centerfield for the Panthers and is one of four Panthers in the line-up with an average over .300 for the season.  Davey opened the Western Illinois series with three hits for her second three-hit game of the season (Tennessee Tech).  She reached in each of the final games of the series without picking up a hit as she had a stolen base in each contest to finish the year with nine stolen bases. 
 
Briana Gonzalez picked up hits in two of three weekend games at Western Illinois as the senior finished the year with a .270 batting average.  The only four-year player on the Panthers roster, Gonzalez has appeared in 195 games at Eastern Illinois making 176 career starts.  She has started every game she has appeared in over the last two seasons.  She drove in two runs in the opening game win at Western Illinois giving her six games with multiple RBI.  Her season high is four against both Houston Christian and Tennessee Tech.
 
Morgan Hance has developed into the Panthers designated player during the OVC portion of the season playing in 23 of 26 conference contests.  She closed the regular season with a four-game hitting streak including a 3-for-3 day with three runs scored in the Sunday win at Western Illinois.  That performance moved her season batting average back above the .400 mark as she is hitting .415 for the season.  It marked her third three-hit game of the season (Tennessee Tech / Southern Indiana).
 
Sophia Olman has taken over the everyday catching duties for the Panthers during OVC play making starts in 25 of 26 conference games.  Olman ended last season as the everyday catcher behind the plate and has once again secured that spot. She ended the regular season with back-to-back two RBI games at Western Illinois including her first triple of the season on Sunday.  She has two home runs with her two-run blast against Southern Indiana walking off the Panthers win over the Screaming Eagles in extra innings. 
 
Sophie Cerveny is the Panthers third senior in the line-up starting the eight final games of the season.  Cerveny has responded to that opportunity with hits in five of the eight games for a .363 average over the final two weeks of the year.   She is a two-year member of the program after transferring from Omaha where she was part of the Mavericks 2023 NCAA Tournament team.  She posted a season high three hits in the second game of the Western Illinois series.
 
Karlie McKenzie has been solid in the circle for the Panthers this season posting a 9-3 record with an OVC best five saves.  The five saves for McKenzie rank as the second most in a single season in EIU history.  She picked up the win in relief last week at Illinois.  On the season McKenzie has an ERA of 2.84 with that number dipping against OVC opponents to 1.87 in 67.1 innings of work.
 
Marybeth Dyson has been a starter part of the season and used as a defensive replacement in the outfield over the final two weeks of the season.  She has started 22 games with 38 total appearances.  She has picked up hits in two of her last three plate appearances with a hit at Illinois and a hit at Western Illinois.   Last season Dyson appeared in 51 games making 32 starts. 
 
Eastern Illinois has played seven extra inning games this season with the Panthers posting a 5-2 record in those contests.   EIU has won four straight extra inning games with the last loss a 4-3 eight-inning setback to Washington on March 27.  EIU's two longest games this season have both been in OVC play with 10-inning wins at Tennessee Tech (W, 3-2) and vs SIUE (W 5-4).
 
Eastern Illinois pitching staff has posted a season ERA of 2.78 this season with that dropping to a 1.82 ERA in Ohio Valley Conference play.  This season EIU is 28-6 when holding teams to three or fewer runs with a 18-3 record in OVC games. 
 
STREAKS & LEADERS
Multiple Hit Games:  Kendall Grover (22), Abbey Crain (13),  Karson Davey (12), Briana Gonzalez (9)
Multiple RBI Games:  Abbi Hatton (10),  Kendall Grover (9),  Briana Gonzalez (6),  Abbey Crain (5), Alisha Frederick (5)
Active Hitting Streaks:   Abbey Crain (13), Kendall Grover (12), Morgan Hance (4) 
Active Reached Base Streak:  Abbey Crain (14), Kendall Grover (13), Karson Davey (9)

SEASON LONG NOTES
Eastern Illinois played its third Big Ten team of the season on Wednesday, April 30 and picked up a 4-3 win over Illinois.   It was the Panthers fourth all-time victory over the Fighting Illini and first since May 2, 2017.  Earlier this year EIU lost at home in extra innings to Washington and then lost on the road at Purdue. 

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.  Southeast 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.  She added her second OVC Player of the Week Award after the OVC opening series against Lindenwood.  Grover hit .667 over the series with three home runs and one double finishing the weekend with a 2.333 slugging percentage.  In the series finale on Sunday, she was walked four times including two intentional walks.  Kendall Grover was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week for the third time this season (April 21) after powering EIU to a series sweep at Tennessee State.  Grover collected hits in all three games with a .417 average for the weekend.  She had two doubles, a triple and a home run while driving in eight runs for the weekend.  Grover ranks among the OVC leaders in just about every offensive category this season. 
 
McKenzie Oslanzi was named the OVC Pitcher of the Week (March 10) for her efforts against Lindenwood.  Oslanzi had a pair of bookend complete game shutouts in the series.  She allowed one unearned run in the second game of the series taking a loss in relief finishing the weekend with a 2-1 record and 0.00 ERA.  She is currently second in the OVC in wins while ranking in the OVC Top Ten in innings pitched, strike outs and ERA.
 
Alisha Frederick was named the OVC Player of the Week (March 24) as the sophomore hit .438 during the Panthers five games, helping the team post a 4-1 record.  In the doubleheader win over UT Martin, Frederick hit a home run in both ends of the twin bill as she drove home six runs for the weekend.  Frederick had an on-base percentage of .500 while scoring four runs and picking up two stolen bases.
 
Karlie McKenzie was named the OVC Pitcher of the Week (March 24) as she made four appearances and factored in the decision in three of those outings.  McKenzie posted a 2-0 record in the circle with one save.  She had a 2.15 ERA for the week with 13 strike outs. The save in the final game of the series was the third of the year for McKenzie which leads the OVC and ranks 15th in the NCAA.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Eastern Illinois will be playing in its 23rd OVC Tournament when the Panthers take the field in Peoria on Thursday.  It marks the second straight season EIU has played as the No. 1 seed and fourth time overall.  The previous two times came in 2011 and 2013 when EIU hosted the OVC Tournament in Charleston both seasons.  EIU is 39-40 all-time in the OVC Tournament with OVC Tournament records against teams in the field of (Lindenwood 0-0, SIUE 2-3, Southeast Missouri 4-10, Southern Indiana 3-0, Tennessee State 1-0, Tennessee Tech 2-9, UT Martin 10-1).

ON DECK:  The Panthers are looking to win their second OVC Tournament title and qualify for their second NCAA Division I Softball Tournament.  EIU made its first appearance in 2023 playing in the Evanston Regional hosted by Northwestern.   EIU lost to host Northwestern and Miami (Ohio). 

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.