University of Evansville Women's Softball

Mundell led the Purple Aces to a 16-win increase in 2016 on his way to his staff being named the Missouri Valley Coaching Staff of the Year.  Highlighting the season was a streak in April that saw the program win four consecutive conference series, including wins against eventual league champion Wichita State. Under his direction, Morgan Florey earned MVC Freshman of the Year honors and was named to the All-Conference First Team.  Chandra Parr also earned a spot on the squad while Susan Norris was named to the MVC All-Defensive squad.  The all-time winningest softball coach in University of Illinois Springfield history took the helm of the Purple Aces in 2014.   "This is a tremendous opportunity for my family and me.  I look forward to having the chance to coach at the highest level," Mundell said.  "The University of Evansville has high academic standards and I embrace the opportunity to recruit student-athletes who will succeed in the classroom and on the diamond." Faced with difficult odds in his inaugural campaign at UE, Mundell did an admirable job with his squad.  His work with Danielle Freeman resulted in her being named an All-MVC player in softball after doing the same in swimming.  Due to her time with the swim team, she played in just 35 games in 2015, but hit a team-high 13 home runs while totaling 28 RBIs.  His work with first baseman Morgan Lambert resulted in her being named to the All-Defensive Team.   "I look to bring an exciting, fast paced, aggressive style of softball to the Aces," he continued.  "I want our team to be known as hard working and competitive as well as a squad that battles it out to the end every day."   Since assuming the position of Head  Softball Coach at UIS in 2009, Mundell has experienced  unparalleled success.  Guiding the program through a period of transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, Mundell guided the Prairie Stars to over 100 wins while recruiting and coaching 15 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Academic All-Americans and 24 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Academic All-Conference players.   "We are very excited to have Mat Mundell join our athletic department at the University of Evansville as our next Head Softball Coach," Senior Associate Athletic Director Dwight Merilatt said.  "Mat has a very impressive background from the University of Illinois Springfield and we know he will transfer those talents to the Aces.  Most importantly, Mat understands the overall impact of our student-athletes here at UE and as well will foster an environment of success on and off the field.  Mat will be a great asset to our University and the Evansville community, I'm very confident he will set a new tone and vision for our softball program in the upcoming years".   Other accolades his teams garnered included: three GLVC Council of President's Academic Excellence Award, four NAIA Academic All-Americans and two Division II ADA Academic Achievement honorees. In four seasons in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, 10 student-athletes earned all-conference accolades.   In 2014, Mundell coached sophomore pitcher Alex Smith, an All-GLVC second team selection who broke the school record for single-season wins and total strikeouts. The 2013 squad broke the school record for batting average (.277) and walks (142) while breaking the mark of total strikeouts (245) and a program-low 2.94 ERA.   Prior to that, the 2012 campaign was a milestone one for Mundell and the Prairie Stars. UIS won a school record 36 games while taking the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division championship. The program made its first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, which was the first for any sport in school history. The Prairie Stars, who also reached the GLVC Tournament and the NCAA Midwest Regional championship games, boasted four all-conference performers and two all-region players.   Mundell's 2012 team rewrote the school's offensive record books as his squad posted school records for team runs scored (263), runs batted in (220) and home runs (33).  In 2010, his first season with the softball squad, Mundell led the team to an 11-game turnaround from 2009.   Under the tutelage of Mundell, the Prairie Stars excelled in the classroom, earning a team grade-point average of at least a 3.20 every season, including a program-best 3.43 GPA in 2014 to earn its first-ever GLVC team academic award.   Before taking over the softball program, Mundell served as an assistant men's basketball coach at UIS from 2003-2009.  He assumed several responsibilities including scouting, recruiting, game planning, scheduling and travel arrangements.  In his time with the team, five players were recognized with various All-America awards. A student-athlete himself, Mundell was a 3-year Varsity tennis player at Eureka College.  He graduated with Bachelor's degree in 2003.  Mundell also studied education in his time at UIS.  Mat is married to Kelly Mundell and the couple has newborn daughter Marlee.   "The University of Evansville is poised and in a position to take the Missouri Valley Conference by storm," Mundell said.  "We will make tremendous strides to return to the glory of the past." Mat Mundell Head Softball Coach In one of the nation's top turnarounds, Mat Mundell led the Purple Aces to a 16-win increase in 2016 on his way to his staff being named the Missouri Valley Coaching Staff of the Year.  Highlighting the season was a streak in April that saw the program win four consecutive conference series, including wins against eventual league champion Wichita State. Under his direction, Morgan Florey earned MVC Freshman of the Year honors and was named to the All-Conference First Team.  Chandra Parr also earned a spot on the squad while Susan Norris was named to the MVC All-Defensive squad.  The all-time winningest softball coach in University of Illinois Springfield history took the helm of the Purple Aces in 2014.   "This is a tremendous opportunity for my family and me.  I look forward to having the chance to coach at the highest level," Mundell said.  "The University of Evansville has high academic standards and I embrace the opportunity to recruit student-athletes who will succeed in the classroom and on the diamond." Faced with difficult odds in his inaugural campaign at UE, Mundell did an admirable job with his squad.  His work with Danielle Freeman resulted in her being named an All-MVC player in softball after doing the same in swimming.  Due to her time with the swim team, she played in just 35 games in 2015, but hit a team-high 13 home runs while totaling 28 RBIs.  His work with first baseman Morgan Lambert resulted in her being named to the All-Defensive Team.   "I look to bring an exciting, fast paced, aggressive style of softball to the Aces," he continued.  "I want our team to be known as hard working and competitive as well as a squad that battles it out to the end every day."   Since assuming the position of Head  Softball Coach at UIS in 2009, Mundell has experienced  unparalleled success.  Guiding the program through a period of transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, Mundell guided the Prairie Stars to over 100 wins while recruiting and coaching 15 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Academic All-Americans and 24 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Academic All-Conference players.   "We are very excited to have Mat Mundell join our athletic department at the University of Evansville as our next Head Softball Coach," Senior Associate Athletic Director Dwight Merilatt said.  "Mat has a very impressive background from the University of Illinois Springfield and we know he will transfer those talents to the Aces.  Most importantly, Mat understands the overall impact of our student-athletes here at UE and as well will foster an environment of success on and off the field.  Mat will be a great asset to our University and the Evansville community, I'm very confident he will set a new tone and vision for our softball program in the upcoming years".   Other accolades his teams garnered included: three GLVC Council of President's Academic Excellence Award, four NAIA Academic All-Americans and two Division II ADA Academic Achievement honorees. In four seasons in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, 10 student-athletes earned all-conference accolades.   In 2014, Mundell coached sophomore pitcher Alex Smith, an All-GLVC second team selection who broke the school record for single-season wins and total strikeouts. The 2013 squad broke the school record for batting average (.277) and walks (142) while breaking the mark of total strikeouts (245) and a program-low 2.94 ERA.   Prior to that, the 2012 campaign was a milestone one for Mundell and the Prairie Stars. UIS won a school record 36 games while taking the Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division championship. The program made its first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, which was the first for any sport in school history. The Prairie Stars, who also reached the GLVC Tournament and the NCAA Midwest Regional championship games, boasted four all-conference performers and two all-region players.   Mundell's 2012 team rewrote the school's offensive record books as his squad posted school records for team runs scored (263), runs batted in (220) and home runs (33).  In 2010, his first season with the softball squad, Mundell led the team to an 11-game turnaround from 2009.   Under the tutelage of Mundell, the Prairie Stars excelled in the classroom, earning a team grade-point average of at least a 3.20 every season, including a program-best 3.43 GPA in 2014 to earn its first-ever GLVC team academic award.   Before taking over the softball program, Mundell served as an assistant men's basketball coach at UIS from 2003-2009.  He assumed several responsibilities including scouting, recruiting, game planning, scheduling and travel arrangements.  In his time with the team, five players were recognized with various All-America awards. A student-athlete himself, Mundell was a 3-year Varsity tennis player at Eureka College.  He graduated with Bachelor's degree in 2003.  Mundell also studied education in his time at UIS.  Mat is married to Kelly Mundell and the couple has newborn daughter Marlee.   "The University of Evansville is poised and in a position to take the Missouri Valley Conference by storm," Mundell said.  "We will make tremendous strides to return to the glory of the past."

After directing the University of the Cumberlands softball program to NAIA World Series in each of the last three seasons, Bailey Dillender was named the head coach of the University of Evansville softball program, UE Athletics Director Dr. Ziggy Siegfried announced on Monday.   “We are excited to bring Bailey Dillender on board to lead our softball program. Bailey’s track record speaks for itself — from developing championship teams to mentoring student-athletes on and off the field,” Siegfried said. “Her ability to recruit, develop talent, and foster a culture of excellence makes her a perfect fit for our future. We’re proud to have her at the helm and can’t wait to see what’s next for our program.”   Dillender has built Cumberlands into an NAIA powerhouse, leading the Patriots to a 138-23 record over the last three seasons while going 62-1 in Mid-South Conference games over that time.  Her 2025 squad posted a 40-9 record while going a perfect 18-0 in conference play.  That followed the two winningest seasons in school history as the led the Patriots to 49 victories in both 2023 and 2024.  On March 22, 2025, Dillender won the 250th game of her head coaching career.   The 2023 campaign saw Cumberlands put forth a record of 49-5-1 and an unblemished 21-0 conference mark on the way to its first NAIA World Series appearance.  Her 2024 squad matched the program record with 49 victories while recording a 23-1 MSC record.  Since 2023, Dillender’s teams have won three MSC regular season championships, two MSC Conference Tournament Championships, and three NAIA Opening Round Championships while earning NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2023 and 2024. “I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead the Purple Aces, I immediately connected with Ziggy and the hiring committee about the vision of where we all collectively wanted the Evansville Softball program to be,” Dillender exclaimed. “Throughout this process the people who I have had the opportunity to connect with and the overall pride of being a Purple Ace stood out the most and spoke volumes of the momentum on our campus as well as within our community.”   After going 57-67 in her first three seasons with the Patriots, Dillender paced her team to a 41-16 mark in 2021 while coaching the program’s first-ever NAIA All-American.  In 2022, Cumberlands went 35-16.  She is a 4-time Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year (2019, 2023, 2024, 2025).   Along with the team accolades, Dillender’s student-athletes have enjoyed great individual success.  She has developed eight NAIA All-American and six NFCA All-Americans.  Since 2018, she has coached 52 MSC All-Conference selections and 19 MSC All-Conference Gold Glove award winners.  In the classroom, her teams were equally impressive earning NAIA Scholar-Team honors each season since 2017 while 95 student-athletes have earned MSC Academic All-Conference honors.   Prior to joining the Cumberlands, Dillender was an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech from 2014-2017.  Highlighting her tenure with the Golden Eagles was an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship in 2015 along with an appearance in the NCAA Auburn Regional.   Dillender began her coaching career in 2012 at her alma mater – Campbellsville University.  Following her playing career from 2008-2012, she spent the ensuing two years as an assistant with the program.  She was one of the top players in program history, earning Mid-South Conference 1st Team All-Conference accolades in all four years as a player while serving as team captain in her final two seasons.    In 2010 and 2011, she was named the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year.  Dillender was named an NFCA All-American in 2009 and a NCCAA 2nd Team All-American in 2011.  She graduated Cum Laude in 2012 and made the Dean’s List in her final three years as a student-athlete.  In 2023, she was named to the Campbellsville University Hall of Fame.   “I look forward to leading and serving our student-athletes while also striving to bring MVC Championships back to Evansville,” Dillender added. “Go Purple Aces. Let’s get to work!”  

Alyssa Richards joined the Purple Aces and Head Coach Bailey Dillender as an assistant softball coach in July of 2025.  She has worked with Coach Dillender at the University of the Cumberlands since 2017 where she worked with pitchers and catchers while also assisting with the hitters.  Under her tutelage, Patriots pitchers recorded an earned run average of 2.78 or lower every season since 2021.  In 2023, the team wrapped up the year with a 1.80 ERA while the 2022 squad finished with a 2.01.   Prior to joining the Patriots, Richards wrapped up a four-year playing career at Tennessee Tech University where she split time between first base and catcher. Richards played in 209 games, while notching 159 hits, 30 home runs, and 22 doubles over her four-year career at Tennessee Tech. She also recorded 105 RBIs, while posting a .280 career batting average. In 2015, Richards helped lead the Golden Eagles to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Richards was also named OVC First Team All-Conference during her senior season. Richards graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Multi-Disciplinary Studies with a focus in Special Education and Physical Education from Tennessee Tech in May 2016. She also graduated with her Master's Degree in Health and Human Performance and Coaching from Cumberlands in May 2021.  

Mia Aldridge was named an assistant softball coach at UE in July of 2025.  She previously worked with head coach Bailey Dillender at University of the Cumberlands where she was on the staff since July of 2021. She coordinated the outfield defense while assisting with hitters, pitchers, recruiting, and opponent scouting.  One part of the game that Aldridge specializes in is stolen bases.  In three of the last four seasons, UC has broken the single-season school record for stolen bases. In her first season with the Patriots in 2022, UC accumulated 108 steals.  Two years later, the squad finished with 122 before resetting the record with 124 steals in 2025.    She joined UC after spending five seasons at Campbellsville University where she was a softball student-athlete while working in their sports information department.  During her playing career, CU won three conference titles including both the Regular Season and Tournament Championship in 2021. Every complete season Aldridge competed for the Tigers they made the NAIA postseason where they also boasted 35+ win seasons.   in her career she took home First Team MSC honors three times both in the infield and outfield. Aldridge appears in the CU record book 17 times for her top-ten single season and career numbers. Her top-ten rankings include first in career walks (89), first in career fielding percentage (.993), sixth in career runs scored (157), eighth in career doubles (37), eighth in career total bases (309) and eighth in career stolen bases (27).     Aldridge obtained her undergraduate degree at Campbellsville, studying Sport Management. She received her master’s degree in Coaching from Cumberlands and also has an MBA.