UIS softball opens the GLVC Tournament on Wednesday afternoon, entering as the No. 6 seed in a double-elimination field against No. 3 McKendree at 1:00 p.m. at EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Ill.

The tournament has been held at EastSide Centre for the 22nd consecutive year, with the Prairie Stars making their 11th appearance in the GLVC postseason. The top eight teams by conference winning percentage earned spots in the bracket.

The Prairie Stars enter at 32-18 overall and 16-12 in league play after closing the regular season with a 4-0 weekend at home. The surge included two strong pitching performances from Calista Stahlhut, a one-hit outing from Rosie Bartletti, and a win from Alexis Carroll to finish the regular season.

Pitching has been the backbone of UIS all year, with a staff ERA of 2.57 that ranks third in the league. Bartletti (1.53 ERA) and Stahlhut (2.54) headline a rotation that has kept opponents to a .232 average and will be central to a postseason run.

Offensively, UIS leans on balance and speed, led by Bartletti, who is hitting .329 with 50 hits, 12 doubles, and 46 stolen bases, and Bailey Masching at .310 with 39 RBIs. Rebecca Neupauer and Bartletti anchor an offense that pressures defenses on the bases and can deliver power in key moments.

The Prairie Stars will need that mix against a McKendree team that arrives at 40-12 overall and 21-7 in conference play, including a No. 17 national ranking. The Bearcats are making their fourth straight GLVC Tournament appearance and have already posted a 40-win season.

McKendree features one of the league's most dangerous offenses, led by Lauren Harris (.474, 16 HR, 58 RBI) and Jasmine Myers (.370, 11 HR, 51 RBI). In the circle, Sami Huck anchors the staff with a 1.93 ERA and 224 strikeouts, giving McKendree a dual threat.

The teams met in Lebanon on April 19, with McKendree taking both games, 4-0 and 7-0. Wednesday's matchup will feature a pitching duel between two of the league's top staffs. Bartletti and Stahlhut held the hot-hitting Bearcats off the scoreboard through the first four innings in both meetings, and timely run production will likely be the difference.

A win would send UIS into Thursday's 2:00 p.m. game against the winner of Missouri S&T and Maryville. A loss would drop the Prairie Stars into an elimination game Thursday at 11:00 a.m. against the loser of that matchup.

All games at EastSide Centre will be ticketed at $15 for adults, $5 for students (ID required) and youth (K-12), and free for children 5 and under. Tickets should be purchased in advance at GLVCsports.com/tickets. All games will stream live on GLVCSN.com behind a paywall.