The Southern Illinois University (SIU) Salukis women’s softball team will start its 2026 season at the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Kickoff Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The first game is scheduled for Friday at 9 a.m. Central Time against Charlotte.
Over the weekend, SIU will play Charlotte twice, FGCU once, Ball State once, and Long Island once. The only televised game for SIU during the tournament will be on Friday at 2 p.m. against FGCU and can be watched on ESPN+. Live stats and audio coverage are also available through The Varsity Network.
In the previous season, SIU posted a 33-20 overall record and went 21-5 in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play, winning the MVC regular season championship for the second consecutive year. This marked the first time since 2004-05 that SIU secured back-to-back regular season titles. In total, SIU has won six regular season championships in its history.
During last year’s MVC tournament, SIU reached the championship game but lost to Belmont after defeating Drake and Illinois State in earlier rounds. The team has recorded ten straight winning seasons since 2015 and has achieved over 30 wins eight times during this period.
For the upcoming season, SIU returns 11 position players and two pitchers from last year’s roster. Pitchers Emma Gipson and Kiana McDowell are among those returning. Nine new players have joined for 2026—four freshmen and five transfers.
Mia Trejo joins as an assistant coach after spending two years with Utah State.
Head coach Jen Sewell enters her fifth year leading the program in 2026. Under Sewell’s leadership, SIU has compiled a record of 134-64-1 overall and 73-33 in conference play. Since joining as an assistant in 2009, Sewell has helped guide Southern Illinois to fourteen seasons with at least thirty wins. Her staff was named MVC Staff of the Year for a second straight year in 2025.
With Sewell as head coach, SIU has won two MVC tournament titles (2023, 2024) and two regular season championships (2024, 2025). Last season saw six players earn All-MVC First Team honors—a program record tie.
SIU faces Charlotte for the first time ever at this event. Against FGCU, SIU holds a historical record of two wins and three losses but won their most recent matchup in February 2023. The Salukis have played Ball State nineteen times previously with thirteen wins; they last met in March 2022 when Southern Illinois won by five runs. The team’s only previous meeting with Long Island resulted in a win during their opening game of the 2023 season at FGCU.
Among returning players are juniors Emily Williams and Mikaela Coburn—both All-MVC First Team members last year—with Williams also being named MVC Newcomer of the Year. Pitchers Gipson and McDowell return alongside senior second baseman Erin Lee and other starters Sage Grann and Amanda Knutson.
Five transfers join this year: Sydney Potter from Creighton (who set an RBI record there), Emily Delgado from Southern Utah (with significant innings pitched), Brookley Foster from Tulsa, Brooklyn Pritchett from Utah State/Salt Lake CC, and Kaylen Grammer from St. Charles CC.
Four freshmen join: pitchers Brooklynn Danielson (Wisconsin) and Hailey Lucas (Illinois), outfielder Delaney Osborne (California), and infielder Jordan Stewart (Texas).
In preseason polls, SIU was picked to finish third in the MVC behind Belmont and Northern Iowa. Both Williams and Coburn were selected to the Preseason All-MVC First Team.
Emily Williams ranked No.36 while transfer Sydney Potter ranked No.58 on D1Softball’s Preseason Mid-Major D100 Player Rankings; as a team, SIU was ranked twentieth nationally among mid-majors.
The Southern Illinois University Salukis Women’s Softball team competes at NCAA Division I level within collegiate athletics as part of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). Home games are held at Charlotte West Stadium located in Carbondale, Illinois (official website).
Fans can follow updates about the team on Twitter (@SIU_Softball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball), Instagram (@SIU_Softball), or via mobile app downloads.
