University of Illinois
Valparaiso
Illinois Meets Valparaiso in Final Home Game
April 28, 2026 | Softball
PREVIEW
| Game 51 | vs. Valparaiso |
|---|---|
| When and Where: | 5 p.m. CT, Wednesday, April 29 | Eichelberger Field, Urbana, Ill. |
| Promotions: |
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| Tune In: | B1G+ | Radio |
| Live Stats: | StatBroadcast |
| Social Media: | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois will host Valparaiso on Wednesday, April 29, for its final home game of the 2026 spring season. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. CT, with streaming on B1G+.
LAST TIME OUT
Last week, Illinois defeated Indiana State, 9-5, before falling in three games to conference opponent, Penn State. In the victory over Indiana State, true freshman Brooke Stang was 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of walks. Eileen Donahue and Keirys Click each tallied a home run in the victory, while Megan Nuechterlein and Danika Frazier combined for the win from the circle. The victory was Nuechterlein's tenth start and third win of the year, while Frazier notched her first career save. In the series against the Nittany Lions, Eileen Donahue notched two home runs and Ellie Haggard notched a hit in all three contests.
DONAHUE DINGERS
In the series finale against Penn State, junior Eileen Donahue notched her 13th home run of the season. The blast moves her into a tie for ninth in single-season program history, alongside Jenna Hall (2006) and Stephyn Abello (2017). She is the first to crack the list since Abello and Nicole Evans both did so in 2017. In 2025, Donahue also led the team, posting ten home runs.
KEIRYS KNOWLEDGE
Sophomore Keirys Click has been hit by pitch 11 times this season, which moves her into a tie for seventh in single-season program history, alongside Jess Perkins (2013) and Yazzy Avila (2025). Click currently ranks fourth in the conference and 43rd nationally in HBP.
Click also owns the program's lone grand slam of the season, which she tallied on March 13 against Iowa at home. It was the first grand slam of her career and helped propel her to third on the squad in home runs this year, with six.
IN THE CIRCLE
Yergler and freshman Abby Sabalaskey continue to own the lowest ERAs on staff, at 4.83, and 4.72, respectively. Yergler owns the lowest WHIP (1.73) and most strikeouts (57) in 104.1 innings of work, while Sabalaskey owns the best record at 7-7 and two saves.
TOP OF THE ORDER
Consistently hitting at or near the top of the lineup, juniors Skylar Brennan and Adisyn Caryl lead the team in nearly every offensive metric. Brennan owns the best average (.324), most walks (11), and highest on-base percentage (.411), while Caryl has notched the most runs (25) and stolen bases (4). The duo is tied with 47 hits and 8 doubles each. Brennan has earned 13 multi-hit games, one more than Caryl's 12, while Caryl's longest reached base streak sits at 14 games and Brennan's 13.
MILESTONE MARKS
Head coach Tyra Perry achieved her 700th career win as a head coach, over Providence on Saturday, February 21, in Raleigh, N.C. Perry also recently achieved 300 victories at the helm of Illinois on Tuesday, April 21, with a 9-5 victory over Indiana State at Eichelberger Field.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Valparaiso sits at 19-29 overall, and 7-17 in Missouri Valley play. Most recently the Beacons took two of three games in a series win over Bradley, with both victories being decided by two or fewer runs.
Madison Vrastil leads the way at the plate, with a .369 average, 36 runs, 59 hits, and 13 doubles. Mack Gallagher has also generated a lot of offensive production, with a 1.052 OPS, ten home runs, 41 RBI, and 35 walks.
Sydney McDermott, Caitlyn Quickle, and Azalya Lopez have comprised the regular rotation in the circle, each owning an ERA under five and a WHIP under two. McDermott has tallied the most strikeouts, with 103, and also the best record, sitting at 9-11.
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois is a perfect 9-0 against Valparaiso, dating back to a 3-2 victory on April 14, 2000 in Valparaiso, Indiana. Most recently, the Fighting Illini defeated the Beacons at home, 5-1, last season. In the 2025 victory, current senior Karley Yergler picked up the win in the circle, hurling five innings and conceding just one run with five strikeouts. Eileen Donahue went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and Adisyn Caryl was 1-for-3 with a home run.
UP NEXT
Illinois concludes the regular season at Indiana, May 1-3. First pitch times are set for 5 p.m. CT on Friday, 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, and noon CT on Sunday. All three games can be streamed on B1G+, or followed on StatBroadcast.
