Softball - CCIW Tournament Celebration - 2022

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Softball Lifts Lid on 2023 in Lexington

Titans play Transylvania Sunday, Feb. 26

2/25/2023 10:17:00 AM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The reigning College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Champions begin the 2023 season on the road Sunday, Feb. 26, as the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team travels to Transylvania University for a twin bill. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. ET.

The Titans welcome back four All-CCIW honorees from a season ago by way of sophomore Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High), junior Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West), and seniors Natalie Grubczak (Medinah, Ill.-Lake Park) and Nina Mardjetko (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont). Under the direction of head coach Tiffany Prager, IWU posted a 27-15 record last season while playing the second-toughest schedule in the country. The Green and White won three straight games in the CCIW Tournament to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

In addition to the four all-conference picks, IWU also welcomes back starters in sophomore Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia), junior Megan Fontanetta (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove), and senior Madison Moore (Verona, Wis.-Edgewood). Behind the plate, junior Hope Yeoman (Lafayette, Ind.-William Henry Harrison), who stepped in after Hayley Earl sustained a season-ending injury, is back alongside freshman catcher Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West). Post is one of six newcomers to the roster, as freshmen Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara), Gianna Certa (Grayslake, Ill.-Grayslake North), Caroline Gatchell (Grayslake, Ill.-Carmel Catholic), and Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) along with junior transfer Priscilla Peek (Deer Creek, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame) enter their first season with the Titans.

Included in the strong group of returners is IWU's top-two batting averages from a season ago. Kuhn led the team with a .357 clip in 2022, the best of qualified hitters, while Moore boasted a .333 average. Kuhn clubbed seven home runs, good for third on the team, while Khoury blasted eight homers and drove in 33.

In the circle, Grubczak and Mardjetko were credited with 20 of IWU's 27 wins last season. Grubczak led the team with a 1.91 earned run average, while limiting opponents to a .210 batting average, and also tallied a pair of saves. Mardjetko was the team's strikeout leader with 64, and also led the Titans in wins (12) and complete games (8).

Sunday's games will come a few weeks after Transy opened the season at Rhodes College, Feb. 11-12. The Pioneers carry a 3-1 record into this weekend's double dip, having won three in-a-row after dropping their season opener to UT-Dallas, 4-1.

Illinois Wesleyan and Transylvania have met eight times since 2012, including in each of the past two seasons. IWU leads the tally, 5-3, but Transy has won the last two matchups.

First pitch is set for 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 26. Links to live stats and a live stream of the games can be found on the softball schedule page of iwusports.com.

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