The Illinois softball squad will head to Orlando, Florida, to open the season against CSU Bakersfield in the Black and Gold Classic.
The ladies in Orange and Blue will look to move up the Big Ten rankings after finishing near the bottom of the league last year. They definitely have a good chance of being much better when you look at the lineup.
The roster will include three players from the latest Big Ten Players to Watch list: Paige Berkmeyer, Adisyn Caryl, and Ava Moore.
Berkmeyer returns for her senior season after an incredibly productive junior campaign, with a .313 batting average, a .500 slugging percentage, and catching 18 runners stealing, leading the Big Ten. Berkmeyer is a definite leader for this team. I'm looking for her to have a strong season in 2025.
Illinois' roster will have 13 newcomers this season. The firepower on the roster also includes All-Freshman Team honoree, Adisyn Caryl.
Caryl had a stellar freshman season batting .335 with 25 RBIs. As Caryl heads into her sophomore season, the Illini brought in a freshman class that includes Ellie Haggard, Ava Moore, and London Park. All three are on the latest Softball America Freshman Watch List. Moore was also named to the D1 Softball D100 Freshman List as well.
With returning players building off prior experience and success, and a class of strong freshman talent, the Illini are looking to be a dark horse in the loaded Big Ten this year.
According to some early projections, the Orange and Blue are predicted to finish somewhere in the middle of the conference. Therefore, as head coach Tyra Perry said, she is looking for "toughness" from this year's squad.
"...we're looking for young women who understand that the past two years weren't our best look and that we are looking for Big Ten top finishes and regional play and beyond that..."
On Friday, the Illini will get their first opportunity to meet Coach Perry's expectations at the Black and Gold Classic against CSU Bakersfield at 1 pm CT.