Juniors Emily Williams and Mikaela Coburn from the Southern Illinois University softball team have been selected for the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) First Team, according to an announcement by the league on Thursday.
Both athletes were previously named to the All-MVC First Team in 2025 after their sophomore seasons. Williams received additional recognition as the MVC Newcomer of the Year in 2025 and was included on both the All-MVC First Team and MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. The Louisville, Kentucky native posted a .333 batting average, hit 17 home runs, and drove in 53 runs. She matched SIU’s single-season home run record, set a new mark for slugging percentage at .767, and recorded the second-highest RBI total in program history.
Coburn, an outfielder from Paducah, Kentucky, finished her first year as a Saluki with a .357 batting average—seventh-best in the conference. She tallied 40 hits, 27 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, two home runs, and 20 RBI while reaching base at a .416 clip. This marks Coburn’s first appearance on the Preseason All-MVC team since joining SIU.
Southern Illinois was projected to finish third in this season’s preseason poll. Belmont was chosen as preseason favorite with Northern Iowa ranked second.
The Salukis are set to begin their season on Friday, February 6 against Charlotte at the FGCU Kickoff Classic held in Fort Myers, Florida. The team is coming off winning last year’s MVC Regular Season Championship.
The full list of Preseason All-MVC First Team honorees includes players from Bradley, UNI (University of Northern Iowa), Belmont, Valparaiso, Murray State and others alongside Williams and Coburn representing Southern Illinois.
Honorable mentions were also announced for several players from UNI, Belmont, Drake, Indiana State and Illinois State.
Fans can follow updates about Southern Illinois University softball through social media channels including Twitter (@SIU_Softball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball), Instagram (@SIU_Softball), or by downloading the “Salukis” Mobile App available on major app stores.
