The UIS softball team completed the 2026 season with a 33-20 overall record and a 16-12 mark in GLVC play, advancing to the conference tournament for the second consecutive year and 11th time in program history. The Prairie Stars once again established themselves as a consistent postseason program, reaching the 30-win mark for the seventh time under Head Coach Shannon Guthrie and eighth time overall in program history.

A defining strength of the season was the pitching staff, led by one of the top rotations in the GLVC. UIS finished with a 2.79 team ERA, ranking among the league’s best, and featured two of the conference’s top-10 pitchers in Rosie Bartletti and Calista Stahlhut. Bartletti, a senior from Springfield, posted a 2.07 ERA over 104.2 innings with 122 strikeouts, while Stahlhut added 130 strikeouts across 151.2 innings with a 2.68 ERA. Alexis Carroll also provided key innings, working 77.2 innings with a 3.52 ERA to round out a deep rotation. Together, the staff helped anchor a team that consistently limited opponents throughout the year.

Offensively, UIS featured a balanced lineup highlighted by both power and speed. Bartletti led the way as a dual threat, batting .346 with 29 RBIs and 49 stolen bases. Masching contributed a .300 average with 41 RBIs, while Steward added 7 home runs and a .550 slugging percentage in 45 games. Neupauer provided speed on the bases with 35 stolen bases and a .463 on-base percentage.

The Prairie Stars also found early-season success during a 10-game stretch in February, going 9-1 at the Springfield Clinic Dome at Scheels Sports Park against in-region competition, helping establish momentum that carried into conference play.

The season included several milestone achievements, including program records set by Bartletti, who became UIS’s all-time leader in both strikeouts and stolen bases. Bartletti and Masching also earned All-GLVC honors for their performances.

UIS now turns the page after another 30-win campaign built on pitching depth, speed, and consistent production across the lineup, while also recognizing the contributions of seven seniors who helped sustain the program’s success.