SALEM, Va. -- For the second time in program history, the Illinois Wesleyan softball team will play in the NCAA Division III Championships, taking place May 26-31 James I. Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va.

Making their first appearance in the finals since 2003, Illinois Wesleyan is 35-11 and takes on Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in their first game at 4 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, May 26. The Engineers are 33-12.

Go here for Illinois Wesleyan postseason notes and stats.

The schedule for first two days and go here for the complete championship bracket.
Thursday, May 26
Game 1 at 11a.m. ET: UT-Tyler vs. St. John Fisher
Game 2 at 1:30pm ET: Emory vs. St. Thomas
Game 3 at 4 p.m. ET: Illinois Wesleyan vs. MIT
Game 4 at 6:30pm ET: Messiah vs. Rowan
Friday, May 27.
Game 5 at 11 a.m. ET: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 6 at 1:30pm ET: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 7 at 4 p.m. ET: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 8 at 6:30pm ET: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

BEHIND ENEMY LINES: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is in the NCAA Division III final round for the first time … The Engineers are 33-12 and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament, making their second straight and second ever NCAA appearance … MIT has a 7-3 record in postseason play (2-2 last year, 5-1 this year) … MIT has played a number of common opponents with Illinois Wesleyan with wins over E. Connecticut State (9-1), North Central (5-3) and Carthage (5-2) and losses to Luther (1-8) and Chicago (0-6) … Senior Alexandra Marshall has been the Most Outstanding Pitcher and Most Outstanding Player in the Super Regional and Regional, respectively. In the regional she was 3-1 with a 1.75 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 28 innings. This season she has a 25-10 record with a 1.05 earned run average and 252 strikeouts in 219 1/3 innings … Sophomore SS Amanda Lee was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Super Regional. She is hitting .371 with eight doubles, three homers and 27 runs batted in … Sophomore outfielder Jasmin Joseph leads the Engineers with a .427 average with 11 doubles and senior catcher Tori Jensen is hitting .338.

IWU IN NCAA: The Titans (35-11) won their second regional title in the last three years and are playing in their fifth straight NCAA postseason ... Illinois Wesleyan has a 32-29 overall in 15 NCAA appearances.
...
30+ WINS: This is the fifth straight year and the 18th time overall for an IWU team to win 30 or more games. The record is 41 wins (41-7) in 2014.

CCIW CHAMPIONSHIPS: Illinois Wesleyan won its 14th College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin regular season softball title in 2016, its third straight and fourth in the last five seasons.

ALL-REGION: Six Illinois Wesleyan softball players were chosen to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-Great Lakes Region squads ... Freshman centerfielder Jillian Runyon and senior pitcher Jenna Noland were the first team selections from Illinois Wesleyan while senior catcher Danielle Smith and senior shortstop Sam Gudat were second team honorees. Sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Marquis and senior outfielder Mary Rankin were named to the all-region third team … First team All-Region choices are eligible for selection to the NFCA All-America team, which will be announced the evening of May 25 online at NFCA.org and in person at the NCAA Division III Championship banquet in Salem, Va.

ALL-CONFERENCE: Seven Illinois Wesleyan players - three first team and four second team - were chosen to the 2016 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin All-Conference Softball squads, selected by the CCIW's head coaches … On the first team were senior C Danielle Smith, senior SS Sam Gudat and freshman CF Jillian Runyon … Chosen to the second team were sophomore P Mackenzie Marquis, senior P
Jenna Noland, freshman 2B Julie Josten and senior OF Mary Rankin.

COACH KAT McCREERY: In her third season, head coach Kat McCreery has a 112-28 record (.800 winning percentage) ... A 2004 Illinois Wesleyan graduate, she was a four-year softball letterwinner at IWU and was a three-time all-CCIW selection as a catcher (2002, 2003, 2004) … She played on teams that went to three NCAA Division III tournaments and for the 2003 IWU team that finished third in the nation. She was chosen to all-tournament team for the 2003 College World Series … McCreery was an all-region honoree in 2001.

CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE: Seniors Sam Gudat and Danielle Smith both played at Illinois Central College for teams that finished fourth in the national junior college tournaments in 2014 and 2013 … Senior Mary Rankin played at Kankakee Community College in 2014 where team went 42-9 and finished fifth in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.

LAURA BONDS: Senior Laura Bonds has a .398 career average, third best in an IWU uniform ... Her career .469 on-base percentage is fourth best … Was named to the inaugural 2016 Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III National Player of the Year Watchlist ... Chosen to the third team of the 2015 NFCA All-American softball squads ... Had .472 average in 2015, fifth best in an IWU season … Transfer after two years at Lincoln Land Community College.

MAGGIE GRAHAM: The sophomore outfielder was chosen the "Most Outstanding Player" in the NCAA Division III Super Regional … She was 4-for-8 (.500) with three RBI against Luther … She is hitting .545 in last 11 at bats, all in NCAA play …

SAM GUDAT: Senior shortstop … First team all-conference as she led CCIW with .463 average … Second team all-Great Lakes Region … Second team all-CCIW as a junior … Had 13 doubles in 2015, tied for seventh most in IWU season … Transfer to IWU after two years at Illinois Central College …

JULIE JOSTEN: Selected to all-tournament team for Bloomington, Ill., NCAA Regional ... Named to second team of all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin softball squads ... Has 13 doubles and eight home runs, both tied for seventh most in a season ...

MACKENZIE MARQUIS: Sophomore Mackenzie Marquis (17-6, 2.37 ERA) was selected as the "Most Outstanding Player" in the NCAA Regional as she pitched 18 innings and allowed only one unearned run that weekend … Marquis is ninth all-time at IWU with 193 career strikeouts … Her 17 wins is tied for ninth in a Titan season (the record is 22) and her 30 appearances is tied for second (the record is 32) ... Named to third team of all-Great Lakes Region squad ... Named to second team of all-CCIW softball squads ... Named "National Pitcher of the Week" by National Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association on April 6 ... Named CCIW "Pitcher of the Week" April 5 ... As a freshman she was second team all-CCIW ... Pitched back-to-back no-hitters (3-0 vs. Wis.-Stevens Point March 29 and 5-inning 10-0 vs. Monmouth (Ill.) April 1 …

JENNA NOLAND: Senior Jenna Noland (14-4, 2.05 ERA) selected as the "Most Outstanding Pitcher" in the NCAA Super Regional … Noland is No. 2 at the school with 8.63 strikeouts/7 innings and third with 458 career Ks. Her 41 career wins is sixth most at the school and the .183 opponent batting average is the third best for an Illinois Wesleyan pitcher in history ... Named to first team of all-Great Lakes Region squad ... Chosen second team all-CCIW as senior and sophomore and was first team all-CCIW as a junior ... Pitched six-inning no-hitter vs. Marietta as a freshman …

MARY RANKIN: Senior leftfielder Mary Rankin has the ninth highest on base percentage (.433) and 10th highest slugging percentage (.532) in school career records ... She was named to the third team of all-Great Lakes Region squad and has been second team all-CCIW as a junior and senior ... Was "Hitter of the Week" in CCIW April 12 ... Was also second team all-conference in volleyball as a senior …Transfer from Kankakee Community College where, as a sophomore, she was an NJCAA All-American second baseman for team that went 42-9 and finished fifth in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament …

JILLIAN RUNYON: Freshman centerfielder Jillian Runyon holds the school season record with 40 stolen bases (in 42 attempts) and is fifth in an IWU season with 44 runs scored ... She was chosen to the first team of all-Great Lakes Region squad and was named to first team of all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin softball squads ...

DANIELLE SMITH: Senior catcher Danielle Smith has the fifth highest on base percentage (.462) and sixth best slugging percentage (.552) in school career records and her .372 career average is 12th best ... Named to second team of all-Great Lakes Region squad ... Chosen to all-Bloomington, Ill., Regional team ... Named first team all-CCIW as a junior and senior ... Her 49 RBIs in 2015 is second-most by a player in
a single-season in IWU history ...Transfer to IWU after two years at Illinois Central College …

IWU SUCCESS: Illinois Wesleyan has captured nine College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championships this school year, the most ever in IWU history ... IWU has women's championships in soccer, golf, volleyball, basketball, indoor track, outdoor track and softball and men's titles in lacrosse and golf.

CONNECTION WITH SALEM: Illinois Wesleyan fans are no strangers to the Salem, Va., area. The Illinois Wesleyan men's basketball team won a national championship there in 1997 and earned third place finishes in the Salem Civic Center in 1996, 2001, 2006, 2012 and 2014 ... The Illinois Wesleyan softball team placed third in the finals in Salem in 2003.