CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois softball (15-36, 3-17 Big Ten) heads to Indiana for its final series of regular season conference play, May 1-3. First pitch times are slated for 5 p.m. CT on Friday, 1 p.m. CT on Saturday and noon CT on Sunday, from Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington, Indiana. All three games can be streamed on B1G+.
LAST TIME OUT
Illinois defeated Valparaiso on Wednesday evening, 6-3, in its last home game of the season. Left-hander Abby Sabalaskey got the start in the circle, throwing six innings and conceding just two runs on four hits. Senior Alaina Miller shone in her last outing at Eichelberger Field, a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI and a walk. Sophomores Ellie Haggard and Keirys Click also tallied two hits each.
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. Donahue currently leads the team with 36 RBI, slugging a team-best .629.
TOP OF THE ORDER
Currently hitting at or near the top of the lineup, juniors Skylar Brennan and Adisyn Caryl both add a consistent presence to the Illinois batting order. Of the regular starters, Brennan leads the way in batting average (.327), walks (21), and on-base percentage (.419). Caryl owns team-highs in runs (25) and doubles (9), while both players are tied with 48 hits heading into the weekend. Brennan owns 13 multi-hit games, and Caryl 12 on the year. Caryl recently tallied her 150th career hit in the victory over Valparaiso.
IN THE CIRCLE
Freshman left-hander Abby Sabalaskey leads the pitching with an 8-7 and 4.57 ERA. Senior Karley Yergler has the best WHIP at 1.73, and most strikeouts, with 57. Sabalaskey has picked up one of the team's three conference victories, with Danika Frazier and Megan Nuechterlein recording the other two.
TOUGH AS THEY COME
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.
OPPONENT SCOUT
The Hoosiers sit fifth in the Big Ten, with a 38-13 overall record, and 14-7 mark in conference play. Indiana emerged victorious in its last Big Ten series against Michigan, taking two of three from the Wolverines on the road.
A two-time Big Ten Player of the Week selection, Aly VanBrandt has led Indiana's offensive production, with a .406 batting average, 59 runs, 69 hits, and 23 stolen bases, all team bests. VanBrandt has notched 20 multi-hit games this season. Seven other Hoosiers are batting .300 or better, including Avery Parker, who leads the squad with 17 home runs and 57 RBI.
Freshman Aubree Hooks has made an immediate impact in the circle, owning a staff-best 2.39 ERA in 70.1 innings of work. Also playing a significant role, Ella Troutt, Brooke Mannon, and Taylor Hess all own ERAs under 4.00 and 45 or more strikeouts.
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois leads the all-time series, 24-11, dating back to April 28, 2001, in Indiana, when the two sides split a doubleheader. The Fighting Illini won the last series on the road in 2022, taking two of three games from the Hoosiers.
