The Southern Illinois University Salukis Women’s Softball team announced on April 4 that it will travel to Indiana State for a three-game series, beginning Sunday and concluding Monday in Terre Haute. The Salukis, currently holding an 18-13 overall record and a 7-4 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference, will then return home to host Evansville for a doubleheader on Tuesday.
This upcoming stretch is significant as it presents an opportunity for Southern Illinois to strengthen its position within the conference. The team participates in NCAA Division I competitions, according to the official website.
Last weekend, Southern Illinois went 1-2 against Belmont at home. After dropping the first game by a score of 7-0, the Salukis rebounded with a four-run fifth inning and nine hits to win game two, 5-1. Freshman Brooklynn Danielson pitched four scoreless innings for the win while Emily Delgado earned the save. Outfielder Maleah Blomenkamp led offensively with six hits in nine at bats and posted a .667 batting average during the series.
In their history against Indiana State, SIU has won each of their last ten meetings and holds an all-time record of 90-27 over the Sycamores. Their most recent matchup was on April 6, 2025, when SIU outscored Indiana State by a combined total of 19-6 across two games.
Indiana State enters this weekend’s contest with an overall record of 18-16 and is coming off three consecutive wins. The Sycamores are currently ranked third in conference pitching ERA at 3.78 but have struggled offensively compared to other teams in the league.
Southern Illinois has seen strong performances from several players this season. Blomenkamp leads all Missouri Valley Conference players with a .607 batting average and .703 on-base percentage so far this year. Junior catcher Sydney Potter hit her fourteenth home run last weekend—tying her for fourth place all-time among single-season home run leaders at SIU—and junior Emily Williams ranks near the top of multiple conference leaderboards including RBI and slugging percentage.
The Salukis’ pitching staff is one of the strongest in their conference this season with freshman Hailey Lucas leading with a team-best ERA of 2.39 while Delgado follows closely behind at fourth place (2.55). Danielson also stands out among league play pitchers with opponents hitting just .157 against her.
The Southern Illinois University Salukis Women’s Softball program competes as part of collegiate athletics within NCAA Division I softball according to their official website; they are based in Carbondale, Illinois where they host games at Charlotte West Stadium as reported by their official site; additionally they maintain membership within Missouri Valley Conference per university sources.
