Illinois (1-4) will compete against three teams in the Roar City Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee. Mercer (2-2) is a more familiar competitor, but Stony Brook (1-4), Tennessee State (2-3) and Quinnipiac (0-0) are all new challengers to Illinois in this tournament. 

After a mildly disappointing start to the season, the Illini have much to improve upon this series. Here are some do’s and don’ts as the Illini try to maximize success on the field this time around. 

Do: Play aggressively, play with passion

This weekend, Illinois must come out hot, with lots of fire and attack on both ends of the ball, to establish a rhythm among the team. The Illini cannot let anything slip past them this weekend, and that begins with defense. 

Last weekend, Illinois saw some flashes from certain players, particularly freshman shortstop Ava Moore. Moore put herself out there in the Black and Gold Classic, making diving plays and hustling hard to make stops on the defensive end. Similarly, redshirt sophomore utility player Yazzy Avila constantly scrambled quickly to make catches and get batters out. 

Consistent efforts like these are what the Illini should continue to strive for every game. When they play with intentionality and aggressively, they’re capable of so much. 

Don’t: Be sloppy, lazy

Last season, Illinois significantly struggled with fielding in terms of errors. The Illini even tied for No. 3 in 2024 with the most errors in a game, with eight against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. If they want consistent victories, they cannot play sloppy and must be ready for everything that comes their way. 

In the first tournament of 2025, Illinois finished with eight errors in five games. In fact, the first runs scored against the Illini were due to errors, and teams will continue to take advantage of these errors if the Illini continue to make them. To lessen mistakes, they must expand their communication and awareness on the field. 

Do: Keep swinging

Illinois struggled to get momentum on offense in its last outing, going scoreless in two games. But the team demonstrated it is also capable of putting up lots of runs. In the season opener, Illinois ended the game on top with eight on the board. 

The Illini don’t necessarily need to swing for the fences. However, they also shouldn’t swing at poor-quality pitches. This is where patience comes into play. At the plate, the Illini must be poised and careful with their movements and watch the ball keenly. 

Athletes like senior utility player Zoie Howard and sophomore infielder Eileen Donahue showcased how well they can hit the ball when it comes to them. Similar approaches from the rest of the squad could result in big things for the Illini.

Don’t: Get discouraged

While this point is less game-focused, it’s still important to keep in mind. A 1-4 record is not pretty to look at, but there is loads of talent on this team, and the Illini should not get discouraged if more defeats happen this weekend.

For one, there are tons of games left to play, so the team has time to develop and find a groove before the conference competition begins. Second, losing confidence in themselves will only make things harder as the season continues. They’re bound to make mistakes and lose every so often, but if they can’t pick themselves up after a tough game, it’ll be harder.

Illinois must stay focused on itself and the things it can control. Getting discouraged and slowing down early would throw off the tempo for the whole year. 

Tournament details

Illinois begins its second competitive weekend on Thursday with a matchup against Tennessee State and Mercer soon after. On Friday, the team concludes the tournament against Stony Brook in the morning and Quinnipiac in the afternoon.

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