Fighting Illini Softball Opens Season at Black and Gold Classic

Illinois (0-0) Begins Season at Black and Gold Classic
When & Where	Feb. 7-9 // Orlando, Fla. // UCF Softball Complex
Friday, Feb. 7	CSU Bakersfield // 1 p.m. CT #12/14 Georgia // 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 8	CSU Bakersfield // 1 p.m. CT UCF // 4 p.m. CT
Sunday, Feb. 9	UCF // 12 p.m. CT
Series History	CSU Bakersfield // 1-0 Georgia // 0-4 UCF // 0-1
Television	ESPN+
Stats	Live Stats
Notes	Illinois // CSU Bakersfield // Georgia // UCF
Social Media	@IlliniSB  | @IlliniSB  | Facebook | YouTube

FIGHTING ILLINI BEGIN SEASON AT BLACK AND GOLD CHALLENGE

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois softball begins the year at the Black and Gold Classic in Orlando, Fla., this weekend. The Fighting Illlini take on CSU Bakersfield, #12/14 Georgia and host UCF during the three-day tournament. Fans can view all three games on ESPN+.

CARYL COUNTRY

Adisyn Caryl earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team following the 2024 regular season. Caryl played in all 52 season games for the Fighting Illini, making 51 straight starts following the season opener when she came on in relief. 

On the year, Caryl was third on the team in batting with a .335 average along with 25 RBI. The newcomer logged 12 multi-hit games during her first year, tallying three hits in four of those games.

The Illini third baseman posted a .306 batting average with 10 RBI and four extra-base hits during league play. The Kansas native's lone homer of the season came during the Orange and Blue's series finale at Maryland, helping the team to a 4-0 win.

Caryl was the first Illinois player to make the All-Freshmen Team since a trio of Illini garnered the recognition in 2022. Following that season, Lauren Wiles, Stevie Meade and Paige Berkmeyer each took home the award.

PAIGE PATROL

Illinois catcher Paige Berkmeyer was stellar behind the plate in 2024. The Ohio native caught 18 runners stealing last year, which led the league and ranked fourth nationally. The mark currently put the catcher tied for third all-time in the Illini record books for a single season and fourth with 34 for her career.

Berkmeyer also held a hot bat during her junior campaign. The catcher finished the year with a .500 slugging percentage. Against SIUE, Berkmeyer broke the program record for home runs and total bases in a single game, tallying three and 12, respectively.

SUPER STEVIE

Stevie Meade has been a mainstay in the Illinois lineup since she first joined the Orange and Blue. The outfielder has started every game for the Illini since 2022. Meade owns the single-season record for most sacrifice hits with 13 in 2022. The senior is three sac bunts away from becoming the program's all-time leader in the category.

OPPONENT SCOUT

CSU Bakersfield wrapped up the 2024 season with a 5-46 record, including 3-24 in Big West Conference play, finishing 10th overall. It was Letty Olivarez's first season as head coach of the Roadrunners.

The last time the Fighting Illini faced off against the Roadrunners was in 2010 when the Illini won, 3-2. 

The Georgia Bulldogs head into the Black and Gold Classic after owning a 43-19 record and a .500 mark in SEC play at 12-12 in 2024. The team made its 13th Super Regional appearance in program history during the previous year. The Bulldogs also reached No. 3 in the national rankings, their highest since 2011.

Southpaw Lili Backes was named to the watch list for the 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. Last season, Backes recorded 18 wins, six saves, and a 2.68 ERA in the circle. Dallis Goodnight, a 2024 All-SEC selection, returns for her senior year after finishing with a .350 batting average, 43 runs, and 49 hits. Second baseman,Sydney Kuma made history as the program's first-ever Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner. 

Illini trails Georgia with a 0-4 total record. The last time they played was in March of 2022.

The UCF Knights finished their 2024 season with a 31-25 record, following consecutive losses to Florida State and Auburn in the NCAA Regionals. This marked the Knights' 11th appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2005.

Right-handed pitcher Yessenia Lopez and infielder Coco Jaimes were named to the D100 Freshman Watch List ahead of the 2025 spring campaign. Additionally, catcher/first baseman Beth Damon and infielders Coco Jaimes and Izzy Mertes were recognized on the Softball America 2025 Preseason Freshman Watch List. Infielder Aubrey Evans will return for her third year with the infielder earning All-AAC Second Team honors, a spot on the AAC All-Rookie Team,as a freshman.

The Fighting Illini and Knights have only played against each other once in 2018 when UCF secured a 3-2 victory

WELCOME TO THE FAMILLY

The Fighting Illini added 13 newcomers in the offseason. The Orange and Blue Signed 10 Freshmen and added three transfer student athletes. Notable additions include Lizzie Stiverson and Karley Yergler. The duo started their careers at Parkland College and are local to the Champaign-Urbana area, hailing from Monticello, Ill., and Mahomet, Ill., respectively. 

YOUNG AND HUNGRY

The Fighting Illini enter the season as the youngest team in the Big Ten with 17 underclassmen on the roster. The team is made up of 10 freshman, five sophomores, two redshirt sophomores, five juniors, one redshirt junior and four seniors.

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

Illini softball head coach Tyra Perry is one of 21 Black female head coaches in all of Division-I softball for the 2024 season. Additionally, the Fighting Illini leader is one of just three at the helm for a program in a power conference, along with Marissa Young at Duke and Sharonda McDonald-Kelley at Michigan State. 

The 2023 series between Michigan State and Illinois marked the first time two Black female head softball coaches faced off during Big Ten play and was believed to be the first meeting between two Black female head softball coaches at the Power-5 level.

HOMECOMING QUEENS

The Orange and Blue's opening weekend features a game with Georgia, associate head coach Laura Trout's alma mater. Trout helped lead the Bulldogs to the 2010 Women's College World Series and a final rank of No. 3 in the nation while receiving the award of Best Defensive Player. The Bulldogs' starting shortstop, Trout had a breakout season as a senior, hitting .348 to help the Dawgs return to the Super Regionals.

The Illini's meeting DePaul sends Illini assistant coach Kirsten Verdun back to her alma mater. Verdun was a two-time All-American (2012 and 2014) and helped DePaul to two NCAA regional final appearances and the 2014 BIG EAST Conference regular-season and tournament titles. She was named the 2014 BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year in addition to being named the Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championship. The star-studded pitcher became the first pitcher in program history to accumulate 900 innings with more than 900 strikeouts and 100 or more wins. She currently holds the Blue Demons' school record for career starts, strikeouts looking and batters faced, while finishing second in the record books in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, appearances and complete games. 

The four-time all-conference and all-Great Lakes Region selection was a double threat in the circle and at the plate. Verdun, who held a .347 career batting average, knocked out 37 home runs and ranks second in DePaul's record books. She holds the record for most career walks with 156.

WATCH[LIST] PARTY

The Fighting Illini saw five different players earn preseason recognition prior to the start of the 2025 campaign. 

Ava Moore took home multiple preseason honors, being named to the D100 list, Softball America's Freshman Watchlist and the Big Ten Players to Watch list. 

The freshman infielder was a three-year varsity letterwinner at Tecumseh High School. The Ohio native received the Allstate Insurance Good Hands award three times during her high school career. Moore was also named to the All-Central Buckeye Conference team in 2021-22 and 2024. During her senior campaign, when she was received First Team All Southwest District honors, Moore batted .548 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI. It was her third season batting above .500 as she did so during her freshman and sophomore seasons.

Ellie Haggard and London Park joined Moore on the Softball America list. 

Haggard comes to Champaign-Urbana ranked 60th overall by Extra Innings Elite Class of 2024. She was a four year varsity letterwinner at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School. The Illinois native took home 4A All-State honors form 2022-23. The infielder owns the state record for grand slams in an inning with two and ranks fifth all-time with eight RBI in an inning. She's also 15th all-time with 46 career homers during her high school career. Haggard continued to etch her name into record books during her four-year stint at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School as she walked away with the school records for runs, hits, triples, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and OPS.

Park was originally part of the Class of 2025, reclassifying and joining the Orange and Blue squad this season. A three-year letterwinner at Spring High School, the pitcher logged a 3.10 ERA in 160.1 innings of work during that time. The Texas native recorded 186 strikeouts en route to a 20-10 high school record in the circle. Park was named all-district each of her three years.

Of the returners, Paige Berkmeyer and Adisyn Caryl received recognition on the Big Ten Players to Watch list

LOOKING BACK AT 2024

Illinois softball finished at 21-31 last season with a 7-15 record in Big Ten play, placing the Orange and Blue 12th in the league for a second-straight year. 

The Illini won two Big Ten series in 2024, taking two-of-three from Michigan State and Maryland while on the road.

Key losses from the 2024 squad include Kelly Ryono and Tori McQueen. Ryono led the Illini with a .348 batting average and 10 home runs. McQueen tossed178.2 innings during her senior campaign and owned a squad-best 3.45 ERA in the circle.