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Redbird softball campaign honors legendary coach Melinda Fischer

Melinda Fischer
courtesy
/
GoRedbirds.com
Longtime ISU softball coach Melinda Fischer retired in 2022.

A six-figure fundraiser for Illinois State University softball will include naming their field after a legendary coach.

The Melinda Fischer Softball Fund has launched with an initial $100,000 goal to finance facility and technology upgrades, plus professional development resources for student-athletes. The field at Marian Kneer Stadium will be named Melinda Fischer Field as a tribute to Fischer’s 37 seasons as ISU softball’s head coach.

Her career with ISU is far longer; as a student, she played field hockey, basketball and softball, witnessing the evolution of women’s collegiate sports in real time.

Fischer collected 1,159 career wins. She kicked off her coaching career at Eastern Illinois University and is among the top 20 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I softball history. She also tallies the most wins of any coach in Illinois State history, guiding 10 teams to Missouri Valley Conference titles and five MVC Tournament wins.

Fischer retired in 2022.

Lauren Warnecke is a reporter at WGLT. You can reach Lauren at lewarne@ilstu.edu.