Kodiak Creative

Softball Set to Host CCIW Tournament at Inspiration Field

Three-day tournament scheduled for Thursday-Saturday

5/10/2023 12:17:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Regular Season Co-Champions, will serve as the No. 1 seed and host of the six-team league tournament Thursday-Saturday, May 11-13, at Inspiration Field. The three-day tournament will feature four games Thursday, May 11, beginning at noon, three games Friday, May 12, while the championship is set for Saturday, May 13.

Illinois Wesleyan's tournament begins with a 4:30 p.m. game Thursday evening. The Titans will face the winner of the first game of the weekend between fourth-seeded Augustana and fifth-seeded Carthage. The winner of the bout between No. 3 seed North Park and No. 6 seed Elmhurst will advance to the 7 p.m. tilt against No. 2 seed Millikin.

The Green and White enters the week with a 25-14 overall record, including a 14-2 CCIW mark over the 16-game regular season slate. Illinois Wesleyan claimed the No. 1 seed with a hard-fought sweep of Augustana, May 6, that saw the Titans take a 5-3 walkoff win and an 8-0 run-rule victory.

Led by the CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year, IWU saw seven Titans named to the all-conference teams Tuesday, May 9. Senior Madison Moore (Verona, Wis.-Edgewood) and sophomore Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia) were named the CCIW Co-Hitters of the Year, while freshman Claire Post (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) was recognized as the league's newcomer of the year. Joining Moore, Khoury, and Post on the All-CCIW First Team were junior Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) and sophomore Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High). Senior Nina Mardjetko (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont) and freshman Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) reeled in Second Team All-CCIW status.

Moore led the team throughout the regular season, finishing with a .385 batting average with team-highs of 47 hits, nine doubles, three triples, and 17 walks. Kuhn and Khoury both hit .336 over 39 regular season games. Kuhn's .403 on-base percentage is good for second on the team, while Khoury has provided plenty of power with 15 homers, nine doubles, and 39 RBIs.

Mardjetko has led the pitching staff, logging a team-high 128.2 innings with 91 strikeouts. She is 13-8 on the season, while senior Natalie Grubczak (Medinah, Ill.-Lake Park) has posted a 9-3 record in 18 appearances. Grubczak has fanned 49 over 82.0 innings.

The tournament begins at noon Thursday, May 11, with the Titans set to battle in the third game of the day. A full schedule can be found on the tournament central webpage, while links to live stats and live streams can be found here. Ticket prices for each day are as follows, $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, students, and children ages 6-14. Children ages five and under are free.

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