Eastern Illinois softball has completed its recruiting class for the upcoming season as co-head coaches Kristi Paulson and Dan Paulson announced the addition of five new faces as the second part of EIU's incoming class.
 
Signing with the Panthers this summer were four-year transfers Cameran Rios and Ruby Tarr along with junior college transfers Cassidee Bauer and Macy Pries.  The final addition to the class was early high school graduate Piper Phillips.
 
The five players join EIU's November signing class which included high school freshmen Kayla Chisholm, Regan Cooper, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Danicah Tobin and Aubrey Vogel.
 
Rios (Effingham, Ill.) comes to EIU following three seasons playing at UIC.  She led the Flames in batting average last season hitting .365 at the plate with a team-high 62 hits and 11 stolen bases.  She started more than 150 games in her career at UIC and was named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete team.  Rios played at Effingham St. Anthony High School leading the team to 72 wins over her four year prep career with four National Trail Conference championships.  Twice she helped lead her team to a final four finish at the IHSA State Championships.
 
Tarr (Sidney, Ill.) comes to EIU following two seasons playing at OVC member Western Illinois.  Tarr was a first team All-OVC selection for the Leathernecks last season ranking among the OVC leaders with a .355 batting average with nine doubles and 33 RBI.  She was an OVC All-Newcomer team selection as a freshman in 2025.  Tarr played at Tolono Unity High School and was a second team All-State selection as a senior and sophomore.
 
Bauer (Tremont, Ill.) transfers into the program after playing two seasons at Illinois Central College.  She helped lead the team to back-to-back Region 24 B championships earning NFCA Midwest All-Region honors.  As a freshman in 2025 she helped ICC advance to the 2025 NJCAA Division II World Series.  Bauer played at Tremont High School and was s second team Class 2A All-State selection as a senior. 
 
Pries (Berne, Ind.) played two seasons at nearby Lake Land College before transferring to Eastern Illinois.  She was an Academic All-America selection in the classroom and named a first team All-Region selection on the field.  She hit .381 with 47 steals and 61 runs scored with 31 RBI last season.  Pries played at South Adams High School earning a total of 12 varsity letters with four each in softball, volleyball and basketball.  She was an Indiana All-Star North in softball and finished as the school's all-time leading scorer in basketball.
 
Phillips (Monclova, Ohio) comes to EIU as an early entry high school player having earned her diploma during the summer of 2026, a year ahead of her high school graduation class.  Phillips played at Anthony Wayne High School earning three varsity letters in both softball and golf.  She helped lead the program to three district championships and two regional championships during her time on the diamond.  She was a first team All-District selection in softball.  She pitched 118 innings during her junior season allowing 18 earned runs for a 1.07 ERA with 214 strikeouts.  At the plate she hit .405 with 27 RBI.
 
EIU won its third straight regular season Ohio Valley Conference title last season and won its second straight OVC Tournament to advance to a second straight NCAA Tournament.