Important Info
The When and Where
Wednesday, May 12- Saturday, May 15
Evansville, IN – Hosted by Evansville
The How
Single-elimination tournament
All ten conference teams reach tournament
The #5 and #6 seeds receive byes; #3 and #4 receive double byes to the quarterfinals; and #1 and #2 receive tri-byes to the semifinals
The Who
#1 seed Illinois State
#2 seed Northern Iowa
#3 seed Missouri State
#4 seed Southern Illinois
#5 seed Drake
#6 seed Bradley
#7 seed Indiana State
#8 seed Evansville
#9 seed Loyola Chicago
#10 seed Valparaiso
Superlatives
A Hidden Gem
Southern Illinois right-hander Sarah Harness boasts a 19-6 win-loss record, a 1.72 ERA, and 182 strikeouts this year. She has led the Salukis in the circle, playing well beyond her true sophomore classification.
A Breakout Star
Illinois State’s dual-threat standout Mack Leonard has performed well both in the pitching circle and at the plate this season. Entering the tournament, she boasts an 11-4 overall record and an ERA of 2.59 while also batting .423 with ten home runs to her credit.
A Team to Watch
Illinois State and Southern Illinois have dominated the headlines this year on behalf of the MVC, but don’t look past Northern Iowa – the Panthers earned their way to the #2 seed and have a hearty offense and quality pitching.
A Storyline
After a red-hot start to the season, Southern Illinois faded late and finished with the 4th overall seed. Illinois State and Northern Iowa, particularly, enjoyed sustained hot streaks down the stretch of the conference season.
What’s at Stake
The winner of the conference tournament earns the Automatic Qualifier into the NCAA tournament. Additionally, in the May 2nd RPI rankings, Illinois State came in at #46 and Southern Illinois was #50; either team could be “on the bubble” for an at-large selection to the NCAA tournament.