No. 2 Softball Set to Host MVC Tournament at Charlotte West Stadium

No. 2 Softball Set to Host MVC Tournament at Charlotte West Stadium

05/06/2026 | 11:00:00 | Softball

By: Dominic Hoscher, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Riding a four-game win streak, the Southern Illinois University softball team (33-15 overall, 21-6 MVC) is set to host the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Charlotte West Stadium in Carbondale, Ill.

Details
- Date: Game 5 - Thursday, May 7, at 3 p.m.
- Location: Charlotte West Stadium - Carbondale, Ill.
- Opponent: No. 3 Murray State / No. 6 Evansville
- Live Stats: Game 5
- Watch: Game 5 - All games will be streamed on ESPN+
- Tournament Central

Looking at the Bracket
The first elimination game of the tournament will be on Wednesday at 6 p.m. and consist of the loser between Illinois State-UNI and Murray State-Evansville. The winner of Illinois State-UNI will face No. 1 Belmont on Thursday at 12 p.m., while the Murray State-Evansville winner will take on No. 2 SIU at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

If SIU wins its game on Thursday, its next game will be on Friday, May 8, at 12 p.m. For the full tournament schedule, click here.

Weekly Recap
The Salukis finished off the regular season with a 4-0 week against SIUE and UIC. With the four wins, SIU improved to 33-15 overall and 21-6 in MVC play.

This marks the fourth consecutive season Southern Illinois has won 30 games. Southern has also reached 20 conference wins three years in a row.

As a team, the Salukis combined for a .357 batting average and 29 runs in four games against the Cougars and Flames. The pitching staff recorded a 2.15 ERA, limiting both teams to a combined 12 runs (eight earned) over the past week.

The strong performance led to Emily Williams and Brooklynn Danielson both receiving weekly awards. Williams was named the MVC Player of the Week for the second time this season, while Danielson was the MVC Pitcher of the Week. Danielson was also awarded D1Softball Mid-Major Freshman of the Week honors.

Williams and Mikaela Coburn were the team's top performers offensively with a team-high seven hits each. Coburn hit one home run, one triple, one double, and recorded six RBI while Williams homered twice, hit three doubles, and led the team with nine RBI.

Danielson led the way in the circle with a 2-0 record and a 0.64 ERA in three appearances. Emily Delgado was second on the team with a 2.21 ERA and went 1-0 with one save.

The Salukis are searching for their sixth MVC Tournament Championship this week in Carbondale. Only Illinois State (six) has more tournament titles than SIU.

Series History vs. All Tourney Teams
Against Belmont, SIU is 8-7 all-time. The two sides met in Carbondale for a three-game series from March 28-29. Belmont won, 2-1, with wins in game one and game three while SIU took game two, 5-1.

The Salukis and Racers split a Tuesday doubleheader on April 21 in Kentucky, making SIU's record now 19-7-1 vs. Murray State. Southern last faced Murray State in the MVC Tournament on May 9, 2023, where SIU won, 2-1.

Southern Illinois is now 85-51 against Northern Iowa after sweeping the Panthers in three games from April 17-18. The last time the Salukis and Panthers met in the postseason was in the MVC Championship on May 11, 2023. SIU won, 3-2, in Normal, Ill.

Illinois State now leads the series against Southern Illinois, 73-72, after winning 2-of-3 in Normal from March 20-21. The two programs have met in each of the past five MVC tournaments, with SIU going 4-1 against Illinois State in those five meetings.

Southern Illinois holds a record of 81-30 against Evansville after winning both games of a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 7, in Carbondale.

Seven Salukis Receive All-MVC Recognition
Amanda Knutson, Maleah Blomenkamp, Emily Williams, and Brooklynn Danielson were all named to the All-MVC First Team on Wednesday, while Hayden Kurtz was named to the Second Team. Sydney Potter was SIU's representative on the All-Defensive Team.

Danielson was also awarded MVC Freshman of the Year, becoming the eighth Saluki to receive this honor. The Kenosha, Wis., native is the first SIU player to earn this recognition since Maddia Groff in 2024.

Emily Delgado was named the MVC Newcomer of the Year, marking the second consecutive season an SIU player has won the award (Emily Williams in 2025). Delgado leads the league in saves (four) in conference play and has a 2.20 ERA and 0.99 WHIP against MVC opponents.

Williams Breaks Single-Season RBI Record
On Saturday at UIC, Williams broke SIU's single-season RBI record with her 58th of the season. This surpassed Jackie Lis' record of 57 that was set in 2023. Williams' 42 RBI in conference play are the most in the league, while her 12 home runs are tied for the league-lead.

Williams has recorded multiple RBI in three of her last four games and in 14 games total.

The junior is also at 15 home runs on the year, the fifth-most in a season in program history. Williams is two homers away from tying the single-season record of 17 (Lis in 2023, Williams in 2025).

Potter: One Homer Away from Tying Record
Entering the MVC Tournament, junior Sydney Potter is one home run away from tying Lis and Williams' single-season home run record of 17.

Potter's 16 home runs are the most by a Saluki catcher in program history. The junior has played and started all 48 games as SIU's catcher in 2026.

Blomenkamp's Big Year
Redshirt sophomore Maleah Blomenkamp's .459 batting average in conference play leads the Valley. Blomenkamp is also third in on-base percentage (.535) and second in hits (39) against MVC opponents.

Overall, Blomenkamp has a .385 batting average, the highest mark on the team. The outfielder made the All-MVC First Team for the first time in her career. This comes one year after Blomenkamp was limited to 21 games in 2025 prior to suffering a season-ending injury on March 16 against Illinois State.

Corner Infielders Both Receive All-MVC Honors
Third baseman Amanda Knutson was named to the All-MVC First Team while first baseman Hayden Kurtz earned a spot on the All-MVC Second Team. Both Knutson and Kurtz made All-MVC teams for the first time in their collegiate careers.

Knutson is batting .383 in conference play, ranking ninth in the Valley. The junior has set a new career high in hits (43), home runs (seven), doubles (eight), and RBI (27) in 2026.

Kurtz has started every game for SIU since hitting her first-career home run on Feb. 28 against Western Carolina. The sophomore has a .355 batting average with six home runs, 28 RBI, and a .645 slugging percentage in 35 games played.

Home Sweet Home
For the eighth consecutive season, Southern Illinois has won double-digit games at home as it is 12-2 while playing in Carbondale. The two losses are the fewest the Salukis have had at home since 2017 (went 11-2).

Where the Dawgs Rank
The Salukis rank second in the Valley in batting average (.304), home runs (53), and runs scored (269). In the circle, SIU's ERA of 2.88 is second behind only Belmont at 1.92.

Against Valley opponents, Southern's ERA is 2.11, which also ranks second in the league.

Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Softball, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiSoftball and on Instagram at @SIU_Softball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.