UNI has been picked as this year's preseason favorite in Missouri Valley Conference softball as voted by the league's coaches. The Panthers earned five first-place votes and 93 points narrowly edging out second-place Southern Illinois. The Salukis garnered three first-place votes and 92 points, while Missouri State rounded out the top three with one first-place vote and 77 points.
#1 UNI Panthers
- After a historic 2021 season with the program’s first ever at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, UNI softball is poised for another deep 2022 season. Despite losing two strong players to graduation in All-American shortstop Sammy Bunch and outfielder Adara Opiola, the Panthers will field a balanced roster with both experience and youth for the 2022 season. UNI returns 3 players named to the All-MVC 1st Team in pitcher Kailyn Packard, catcher Emmy Wells, and outfielder Kamryn Shaffer.
- The Panthers will return with one of the best pitching and catcher duos in the conference with redshirt junior Kailyn Packard and freshman catcher Emmy Wells. Packard was not only named to the All-MVC 1st team at the conclusion of the 2021 season, she was also named Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Packard led the team in all pitching stats and led the conference in wins, ERA, and games started. Wells was part of both the All-MVC 1st team and the MVC All-Defensive team in 2021 along with leading UNI in at-bats with 155 turns at the plate.
- UNI will field one of its largest freshman classes in school history in 2022. The Panthers add 7 new players to their roster from across the Midwest. Among those playing for the first time this season for UNI are 5 position players and 2 pitchers. On softball signing day in 2021 Head Coach Ryan Jacobs said of this year’s new players, “Although these 2021 recruits cover all positions and styles of play, it is definitely one of the most versatile classes we have ever signed. It is a great mix of speed, size, and power in this class. We certainly expect many of them to immediately help us towards another MVC Championship.”
#2 Southern Illinois Salukis
- The defending MVC Tournament Champion Southern Illinois Salukis return 14 letterwinners from a 2021 campaign that saw Southern tally its most wins in a single-season since 2010 (37), win a conference tournament title for the third time in program history and made Southern's 13th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance. SIU also set program records for best start to a season (16-0) and longest win streak (25 games). Of SIU’s 14 letterwinners from a year ago, nine started 15 or more games in 2021.
- Despite losing a pair of future Saluki Hall of Famers- Katelyn Massa and Maddy Vermejan- to graduation, Southern's cupboard of talent continues to overflow. Jenny Jansen, Bailey Caylor and Sarah Harness, who all earned postseason accolades a year ago, are back. As is 2019 MVC Freshman of the Year Ashley Wood, who’s 2021 season was cut short due to injury but returns to help fortify SIU’s middle infield. Jansen comes into the 2022 season with several career school records in sight. The Warrenton, Mo. native is 19 runs batted in shy of breaking Shaye Harre's school record of 155 RBI while she needs 33 hits to become SIU's all-time hits leader. Caylor earned All-MVC second-team honors during a freshman campaign in which she led all Valley freshmen in batting average (.333) and hits (49) while Harness led the league in wins for the second-straight season and was brilliant in the circle during Southern's MVC Tournament title run, as she went 3-0 with a .33 ERA in 21 innings of work.
- As good as the Salukis were on the field a year ago, they were even better in the classroom. SIU’s 3.806 GPA placed second on the 2020-21 Easton/NFCA Division I All-Academic list. It marked the 11th time since 2001 that Southern has finished top-five nationally in Team GPA. No program in the nation has finished top-10 in team GPA more than the Salukis have under 23rd-year head coach Kerri Blaylock. Southern has done so 15 times since 2000- five more than the next closest program (Robert Morris, 10) and three times more than the next closest Valley team (Indiana State, 5).
#3 Missouri State Bears
- Missouri State returns 13 positon players and four pitchers from last season, including its top four hitters from the 2021 lineup and top four pitchers from the 2021 staff. Fifth-year senior Madison Hunsaker, who was named first-team all-region and to the MVC All-Defensive team last season, will be back in her versatile role for the Bears after hitting .268, while posting a 10-5 record in the circle and a perfect fielding percentage in 2021. Daphne Plummer and Olivia Krehbiel also return to the Bears this season after hitting .420 and .342, respectively, in 2021. Gracie Johnston, who led the Bears last season with a 1.87 ERA, and fifth-year senior Steffany Dickerson will also be back in the circle this season to help lead the Bears.
- Head coach Holly Hesse is entering her 34th season at the helm of the Bears program. She ranks second in the MVC in overall career victories with 844 and second in MVC career victories with 361 league wins. The coaching staff of Hesse, Sue Frederick and Beth Perine has been together since the 1996 season, making them the longest-tenured staff in the nation.
- The Bears went 9-3 at home last season, marking their highest win percentage (.750) at home since Killian Stadium opened in Springfield in 2009. Their nine victories were also the most wins at home since the 2018 season when Missouri State went 13-5 at Killian Stadium. MSU also won seven of its eight MVC series last season, including all four of its home conference series.
#4 Drake Bulldogs
- Graduate outfielder Macy Johnson returned for a fifth season with the Bulldogs. Earning MVC Scholar Athlete of the Year, she hit a career-best .444 last season and set a number of career and school records.
- Bulldogs have their eyes on an MVC Championship after falling to SIU in the quarterfinals last season. With 16 returning players and five additions, Drake hopes to also make an NCAA tournament run. The last appearance was in 2019.
#5 Indiana State Sycamores
- The Sycamores return a bulk of their lineup including both First Team All-MVC selections from last season in Bella Peterson and Lexie Siwek. Also returning is last season’s MVC Freshman of the Year Isabella Henning.
- Indiana State will look to continue their offensive success from last year as the Sycamores led the MVC with 369 hits.
- Coach Mike Perniciaro welcomes two new assistants to his staff this season with former Georgia pitcher Brittany Gray and former Indiana infielder Rachel O’Malley joining the program.
#6 Illinois State Redbirds
- The Redbirds are entering the 2022 season as the 2021 MVC regular-season champions. The team went 31-10 overall with a 17-5 conference record last season. The 2022 schedule will feature seven contests against schools in Power 5 conferences - four teams from the Big 10, two from the PAC 12, and one from the SEC. The tough preseason schedule will help prepare the Redbirds for the start of a competitive conference season, beginning March 19 at Missouri State.
- Illinois State will return two of its top three offensive producers in Kaili Chval and Emme Olson for the 2022 season. Both Chval and Olson started in all 41 contests for the Redbirds last season. Chval made all her starts in the outfield (33 in left field, 8 in center field) and batted second in every lineup. She averaged .336 with 39 H and 17 RBI. Olson made all her starts at second base, hitting third in the lineup. She averaged .318 with 4 HR, 41 H, 28 RBI, and was tied for team leader in doubles (8). Both Chval and Olson earned Second Team All-Conference selections for the 2021 season.
- The 2022 roster will feature many young and hungry players looking for their opportunity to grow and develop under the leadership of longtime head coach Melinda Fischer, who is currently six wins away from 1,110 career wins at Illinois State (1,094-814-4). There are six true freshmen on this season's roster and are expected to make an impact both offensively and defensively for the Redbirds.
#7 Bradley Braves
- Senior Camryn Monteer had a breakthrough junior season, earning Second-Team All-MVC honors in 2021 after she led the Braves with a .342 average (11th in MVC) and also paced Bradley in at bats, hits, walks, on base percentage and tied for the team lead with 26 runs. Monteer took over the starting spot at third and emerged as BU's leadoff hitter, owning a team-high 11 multi-hit games. She entered the 2021 season with a .213 career average and just one extra-base hit before belting four doubles and two triples last spring.
- Lucy Mead has started all but one game she has appeared in as a Brave and enters her final year on The Hilltop just nine runs from pushing her career total among the top 10 in Bradley history. A career .322 hitter, Mead swiped a team-best 13 bases last year for the most by a Brave since 2017.
- Bradley had 21 of 44 games decided by two runs or less in 2021 and the Braves own an impressive 15-6 mark in those contests, which included an 8-5 record in league games. The 15 wins in games decided by two or less runs were the most for the Braves since 2009 (18-13).
#8 EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES
- A new look Purple Aces squad saw eight position players and one pitcher graduate while opening up opportunities for newcomers and returners to make their mark. Seven newcomers join the 2022 squad including three transfers.
- Evansville’s pitching staff will be anchored by senior Izzy Vetter. She is coming off of her top collegiate season that saw her strike out 199 batters to rank third in the MVC and 28th in the nation. She tossed a no-hitter on May 2 against Bradley.
- o On the offensive side, sophomore Marah Wood returns after one of the top freshman campaigns in school history. A 3-time MVC Newcomer of the Week in 2021, Wood batted .303 while finishing with a .415 on-base percentage. Wood recorded 11 home runs, 32 RBI, 25 runs and 25 walks. Her 11 homers was the most for a freshman in program history.
#9 Loyola ramblers
- Following the 2021 season, the Ramblers made some key changes to help benefit the team offensively. With the return of Madison Ebeling along with other key returners and newcomers, Loyola hopes to improve from their record last season and make an impact in the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Ebeling, who hit .302 last season with three homeruns, will be a staple of this lineup for the Ramblers. She will be accompanied by four other seniors in Bri Clifton, Abbey Jacobsen, Nova Sinskul and Sydney Ruggles.
- The pitching staff looks to improve after earning a 4.10 ERA last season. They return Sydney Ruggles and Bri Clifton to the rotation while also adding freshmen Peyton Pepkowski and Andie Broniewicz, who are expected to make an immediate impact on the mound for the Ramblers.
#10 VALPARAISO Beacons
- Amanda Eberhart enters her first season as head coach of the Valpo softball program in 2022. Eberhart brings seven years of head coaching experience at the Division I level, most recently spending the last three years as the head coach at Omaha, and also has eight seasons of experience on staffs at Big Ten programs.
- Eberhart has a roster of 19 players to work with, 14 of whom saw action last season. Leading the returnees is center field stalwart Peyton Moeder, who will make the 100th start of her career in Valpo's first game of the season. A 2019 MVC All-Defensive Team honoree, Moeder registered four outfield assists in Valley play last season while also hitting a team-best .297 in conference action.
Preseason All-MVC Team
The coaches have voted 12 players representing six teams to the 2022 preseason All-MVC Softball team. The Missouri Valley Conference has a variety of classes represented on the team ranging from a graduate student to a freshman.