Softball’s Senior Day Set for Saturday Against Carroll

IWU in the thick of race for CCIW title

4/26/2024 12:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team will recognize its six-person senior class Saturday, April 27, prior to a crucial College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin doubleheader against Carroll University. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. at Inspiration Field, with the Senior Day ceremony anticipated to start around 12:40 p.m.

The Titans head into Saturday with a 22-9 overall record, including a league-leading 8-2 record in CCIW games. IWU holds a slim one-game lead over Augustana, leaving Saturday's twin bill with Carroll full of postseason implications. Most recently, the Green and White split a non-conference doubleheader with Coe, April 24. Illinois Wesleyan won the first game on a walk-off double by junior Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) before falling in game two. Carroll travels to Bloomington with an 11-23 record after going 0-2 in a doubleheader with UW-Oshkosh, April 25. The Pios cannot be overlooked though, as Carroll has lost 10 games by two runs or less, including three in extra innings.

IWU and CU have met 22 times previously, with the Titans leading the series, 19-3. IWU has won five of the past six meetings, including the last three bouts. Most recently, the Green and White swept a doubleheader 3-2 and 5-1 in Waukesha, April 15, 2023.

Freshman Hailey Milgazo (Poway, Calif.-Poway), Kuhn, and sophomore Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) lead the way for the Titan offense. Milgazo is hitting a team-best .462 on the year with 48 hits, also the most on the team. Kuhn has driven her average up to .441 behind a team-leading 10 doubles. In all, Kuhn has accounted for 71 total bases with 16 extra-base hits. She leads the team with 33 RBIs, while sophomore Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) has 32. Beckman, who is hitting .427, leads IWU with four triples and a .520 on-base percentage.

Sophomore Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) headlines the IWU pitching staff with an impressive 1.45 earned run average. She has posted a 12-2 record in 15 appearances, while also grabbing a save. Certa has fanned 79 batters over 96.2 innings and is limiting opponents to a .222 average, all of which are team-bests.

Illinois Wesleyan will recognize Megan Fontanetta (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove), Isabelle Piwowarczyk (Hometown, Ill.-Oak Lawn), Hope Yeoman (Lafayette, Ind.-William Henry Harrison), Maya Black (Springfield, Ill.-Glenwood), Priscilla Peek (Deer Creek, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame), and Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) prior to first pitch. Together, the group has been a part of 103 wins, a CCIW Regular Season Championship last season, three straight CCIW Tournament Championship appearances, and one trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

A live stream of Saturday's games along with live stats will be available through links on the softball schedule page of iwusports.com.

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