Illinois State Redbirds softball, Illinois State University

Conference: Missouri Valley
Location: Nornal, IL
Home Stadium: Marian Kneer Softball Stadium
Head Coach: Melinda Fischer
Mascot: Reggie Redbird
Nickname: Redbirds
Fight song: Go, You Redbirds
Colors: Red and White

The Illinois State Redbirds softball team represents the Illinois State University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Missouri Valley Conference. They are currently coached by head coach Melinda Fischer and play their home games at Marian Kneer Softball Stadium. The Redbirds softball team ended their 2009 campaign with a 24-26 overall record and 11-11 in the MVC.

Fischer is the all-time winningest coach in Illinois State Athletics history and a Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Head Softball Coach. She has a combined nine Missouri Valley Conference and Gateway Athletic Conference regular-season championships. Fischer’s 784 career victories, spread out among 26 seasons as a collegiate head coach (at both Eastern Illinois [1979-80] and Illinois State [1986-present]), rank her as the 42nd-winningest coach in NCAA Division I softball history and the 16th-winningest active head coach.

Fischer has more wins in her Illinois State head coaching career than any other coach in Redbird Athletics history, with an ISU softball head coaching record that stands at 752-502-4 (.598) entering the 2009 season. Fischer is not only the Missouri Valley Conference’s winningest coach of all-time, but also its winningest coach in conference play.

During her 23 seasons at the helm of the Illinois State softball program, Fischer has directed the Redbirds to national prominence, most recently with their sixth NCAA Regional appearance in 2007, the program’s second-straight at-large bid. She has also led her teams to nine regular-season Valley titles, including four in the last eight seasons.