2013 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Softball Teams

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan senior outfielder Keri Leach, who led the league in hitting, was chosen as the "Player of the Year" for softball in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

A first team all-CCIW choice, Leach was joined on the first team by senior third baseman Emma Clark, sophomore outfielder Audra James and senior pitcher Alyssa Vorel. Junior pitcher Molly McCready was selected to the second team of the all-CCIW squads.

Leach, who was a second team all-CCIW selection last season, led the league with a .583 batting average and also led the conference with 28 hits and 20 runs batted in and an .896 slugging percentage. She was second with 13 runs scored and had six doubles.

Leach is the eighth Titan to earn the league's "Player of the Year" honor. The others were Monica Urban (2009), Allison Ward (2008), Brynn Hasse (2004), Stephanie Stephen (2000), Jen Siron (1996), Jenny Miller (1994) and Missy McEndree (1991).

Clark was fourth in the conference with a .425 average and tied for second with a .725 slugging percentage. She had three doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI. Clark was a first team all-CCIW player in 2011 and a second team selection in 2012.

A repeater as a all-CCIW first team choice, James had a .395 batting average, eighth best in CCIW games. She led the conference with 15 runs scored and was second with eight stolen bases.

Vorel, who was a second team all-conference honoree in 2012, was 8-0 against CCIW opponents and second in victories and opponent batting average (.223). She was third with 56 innings pitched and fourth with a 2.50 earned run average.

McCready had a 3-2 record with a 3.09 ERA in conference games. She was second in the league with 50 strikeouts and fifth with a .248 opponent batting average. McCready was a first team all-CCIW selection and co-winner of the "Pitcher of the Year" honor in the league in 2012.

Carthage's Krystina Leazer was named the CCIW "Pitcher of the Year" for the second straight season and North Central's Amanda Walker was the "Newcomer of the Year."
The 2013  CCIW "Coaching Staff of the Year" award was shared by league champion Carthage and North Park.

No. 2-seeded Illinois Wesleyan (30-7, 11-3 CCIW), ranked 17th in the May 1 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll, opens play against No. 3-seed Augustana (26-12, 7-7 CCIW) in the CCIW Softball Tournament at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 3 at the Carthage Softball Field in Kenosha, Wis.