As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve rapidly, it may seem rare for athletes to stay with one university all four years. Some individuals, however, dedicate themselves to one program and one program only, pouring all their hard work and devotion into their sport.
Senior left fielder Stevie Meade is one of those special athletes who has committed nothing but time and effort to her college for the past four years. Now, she’s about to close the book on her softball career at Illinois (20-23, 4-11) with only seven games remaining in the 2025 season.
Before she departs from the Illini and hands the torch off to her teammates, she reflected on her time with them and her performance this season.
Captain mentality
Meade is one of only four seniors on Illinois’ roster this year. Because of her collegiate experience and knowledge of the game, she set distinct goals for herself at the beginning of the season.
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“I was named captain before the season started,” Meade said. “One of my big goals was just to be an impactful leader for these younger girls, as we have such a younger team.”
The Kansas native may be one of the oldest players on the team, but that doesn’t prevent her from developing a sisterhood with the newcomers.
“This team is so special in so many different ways,” Meade said. “I think that our bond from the younger classmen and the upperclassmen, especially the freshmen, is so special. It is nothing I have ever experienced before … From the beginning, we had to set the standard that us upperclassmen know and just guide the younger class in and all the newcomers into filling their roles, which would then fall into our standard and culture.”
When hard times hit, it’s comforting to have an established leader at the forefront, guiding the young ones to certainty. Meade is one of those bright leaders for Illinois. She takes pride in her captain status to help steer the team in the right direction.
Emotions flowing
It’s not an easy process saying goodbye to the sport one has played for nearly their entire life. For Meade, she’s played softball for about 15 years, and the culmination of her journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions.
“One emotion that has just stuck with me the most is just my gratitude and gratefulness that I have for this program and for all these girls,” Meade said. “There may be things that may not go our way or haven’t been going our way, and a lot of adversity has been thrown at us … It is kind of sad that it is coming to the end, but super grateful and just happy to be a part of this experience.”
Meade emphasized that she wanted to make the most out of her final year with the Illini. This took extra evaluation with coaches, teammates and herself to pinpoint how she could achieve this.
“It just really boiled down to, ‘What do I want to make the last of my few moments here playing?’” Meade said. “That genuinely just kind of kicked me into a different gear. Just knowing that these are my last moments, there’s nothing to leave, and just to throw it out all on the table and just to have fun with it.”
It took Meade a second to ignite the fire inside her that sets her apart from others this season. She went long stretches of games without getting anything to go at the plate, but, eventually, she found her groove.
Once Big Ten competition began, Meade started to show Illini fans that she’s the same mighty Meade she has always been. Currently, she’s hitting a 0.293 batting average, has slammed five home runs on the year and is second on the team in RBI with 26.
“I think I always put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect, or to have these certain expectations that are almost impossible to achieve,” Meade said. “I just try to work on knowing that whatever I put out there is whatever I put out there, but I want it to be the best of my ability, and not letting anything distract me or tear me down just so I can go out there and enjoy these last few months.”
Doing it for her Illini family
This year hasn’t been the smoothest for the Illini. They’re essentially playing as a new team. A majority of underclassmen are against some of the fiercest competitors in the country. Regardless of the hardships they’ve faced, they consistently have each other’s backs through and through.
“Lean on your teammates; I think that’s been a huge, huge, huge thing throughout this season,” Meade said. “It’s just doing it for the person to your left and to your right. We’re all sisters, and we all have the same common goal … This is for a bigger purpose, and truly embodying the family culture, and just wanting to do good for the person next to you, not for yourself necessarily.”
While Meade set goals individually, ultimately, her focus revolves around the team overall and ensuring each player excels just as much as she does. When Illinois thrives, Meade thrives, and she doesn’t hold back on embracing the joy and success of her peers.
“We truly go through every up and down together,” Meade said. “There has just been so many different experiences, moments where you just feel so welcomed and loved. You truly do have a second family when you are here. I think that was something that will forever live with me, just knowing that these teammates I can call sisters for a lifetime.”
Final countdown
Meade and the Illini travel to Piscataway, New Jersey, to battle the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (17-32, 1-14) this weekend. Rutgers is the worst team in the Big Ten statistically and only has a 0.235 batting average.
Illinois has had trouble competing on the road, with a 2-14 away record this season. However, with a relatively even matchup lined up and a whole lot of positivity flowing through the dugout, the Illini could fly away victorious and trail into the final games of the season on a high note.
@tess_eken
