Outsiders who saw the Illinois State University softball team’s unflattering record after the first month of the season could have written off the Redbirds. Those familiar with the program knew better.
Illinois State was 5-14 after the first four weeks of the season under the direction of first-year head coach Tina Kramos. The Redbirds took some lumps in early-season tournaments in Arizona and Kentucky, and a pair of Florida trips.
But it’s all by design. And it’s been that way for years.
“We’re playing some of the best teams in the country those weeks. That’s what those tournaments are for,” Kramos said. “We get to see different opponents and teams outside our region, and hopefully we’re learning something and improving each weekend and each game.”
Playing a difficult schedule is nothing new for the Redbirds. Fifth-year graduate student Emme Olson knows that as well as anyone. “It was maybe a bit of a bumpy road to start off, but it’s good to see that competition right out of the gate,” Olson said. “That’s really what it’s for.”
As it has many times before, the strategy worked in 2023. After facing those early-season challenges, Redbird softball hit its stride in time for its last non-conference tournament of the spring as it went a perfect 4-0 at a tournament at Murray State in early March. Then, after dropping its first Missouri Valley Conference game of the season, the team rattled off 11 wins in a row.
Redbird softball carries a 30-21 record into this week’s MVC Tournament at Southern Illinois’ Charlotte West Stadium. Holding the tourney’s No. 3 seed in the 12-team field, the Redbirds earned an opening-round bye and will face either No. 6 Southern Illinois or No. 11 UIC, on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the single-elimination tournament. Illinois State swept Southern Illinois in a three-game series this past weekend.
The conference tournament is familiar territory for Kramos, an Illinois State assistant the past 22 seasons and a former student-athlete at Missouri State. But it will be her first as a head coach after being named to the post in August when legendary coach Melinda Fischer announced her retirement after 37 seasons at the helm.
“It’s been a transition, but it’s been a lot of fun,” Kramos said. “There’s been a lot of learning of new things in the office—probably more than anything—and learning some new things on the field, too.”
A strong senior class has helped the first-year head coach. One of those seniors is Olson, the program’s all-time leader in doubles (53), who also ranks among the top five in team history in career hits (217) and games played (218). She’s never missed a start in five years on the team.
Olson’s connection to the program extends ever farther back. Her sister, Abby Olson ’11, starred for the Redbirds and was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Percy Hall of Fame in 2022. With an 11-year age difference between the Olson sisters, Emme doesn’t remember much of Abby’s softball career. She remembers earning McDonald’s gift certificates for returning foul balls to the press box during her older sister’s games at Illinois State’s Marian Kneer Stadium. And she remembers the steady presence of Fischer and Kramos.
When it was her time to decide where to play at the college level, there wasn’t much to deliberate. “I didn’t want to look anywhere else,” Emme Olson said. “It was pretty much Illinois State the whole time.”
Olson served as a team captain for three years prior to this season. Seemingly a shoo-in to serve in the role for a fourth-straight season, Olson surprised her new head coach this spring.
“I thought it was a good idea for other people to get a feel and to step into those positions because there are so many girls here who are suited for the position,” Olson said. “Being a captain really changed my perspective, and I carried that perspective with me into this year, but I think it was good for other girls to have that opportunity, too.”
Olson is still very much an unofficial captain, of course, and her experience and leadership will be relied upon at this week’s conference tournament. The team will also be drawing upon lessons learned throughout the season, including that challenging slate of games to open the 2023 campaign.
“We have to focus on the good things, but also remember what happened during our losses and improve on those things,” Olson said. “And I think each one of us has something we can individually improve upon to make the team better.”
Up-to-date tournament and ticketing information are available at the Missouri Valley Conference’s Tournament Central website. Every game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
