CCIW Softball Players of the Week - April 29, 2024 - Gianna Certa & Jen Kuhn

Certa & Kuhn Sweep CCIW Weekly Softball Awards

Certa earns fourth honor of season, Kuhn first of her career

4/29/2024 4:00:00 PM

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - For the second time this season, the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team swept the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin player of the week awards the league office announced Monday afternoon, April 29. Sophomore Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) was named the CCIW Pitcher of the Week for the third straight week, while junior Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) received Hitter of the Week status for the first time in her career.

Certa is the first Titan to earn CCIW Pitcher of the Week in three consecutive weeks since Ally Wiegand did so in the 2019 season.

The sophomore righty turned in another exceptional week in the circle for the Titans, as IWU went 3-1 overall. Certa won both of her starts, doing so without yielding an earned run. The Third Lake, Ill. product began the week with a complete game effort against Coe, where she tied a career-high with eight strikeouts over seven innings of work. Certa followed that up with a five-inning shutout of Carroll, April 27, where she fanned three. She has not given up an earned run in 29 innings, a span that dates back to April 13 and includes a 28-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Kuhn powered Illinois Wesleyan's offense as IWU posted a 3-1 record, April 24-27, including a sweep of CCIW doubleheader. Kuhn hit .600 for the week with a team-high nine hits in a team-leading 15 at bats. She tallied three doubles and cranked two homers, while driving in 10, all of which led the team. Kuhn walked twice and did not strikeout over the course of the week. She put together an unreal slash line of .600 / 1.200 / .647 as the Titans outscored their opposition, 30-7. Kuhn played a role in 15 of the runs, good for 50 percent of the scoring production.

She began the week with a 2-for-3 game against Coe, April 24. Kuhn drove in both of IWU's runs, first belting a solo homer in the fourth, then recording a walk-off double in the seventh to lift the Titans past a Kohawk team receiving votes in national polls. She went 1-for-3 in game two against Coe, before posting a 6-for-9 day in a twin bill against Carroll, April 27. Kuhn went 2-for-4 with one driven in and one run scored in game one. The Normal, Ill. native then popped off with a 4-for-5 effort that includes six RBIs and three runs scored. Kuhn, who doubled and homered in the 18-0 victory, finished one shy of the program's single-game RBI record.

Illinois Wesleyan heads into the final week of the regular season with a pair of road doubleheaders. The Titans begin the weekend with a 1 p.m. twin bill at Wheaton College Friday, May 3, before trekking to Augustana College for a 12 p.m. first pitch Saturday, May 4.

2024 CCIW Softball Student-Athletes of the Week
Hitter
April 29: Jen Kuhn, Illinois Wesleyan
April 22: Nadia Ranieri, Augustana
April 15: Ava Khoury, Illinois Wesleyan
April 8: Maddie Conway, Carthage; Bailey Turner, Illinois Wesleyan
April 1: McKensey Stontz, Augustana
March 25: Anna Beckman, Illinois Wesleyan
March 18: Hailey Milgazo, Illinois Wesleyan
March 11: Clare Rettler, Carthage
Feb. 26: Brenna Morley, Elmhurst

Pitcher
April 29: Gianna Certa, Illinois Wesleyan
April 22: Gianna Certa, Illinois Wesleyan
April 15: Gianna Certa, Illinois Wesleyan
April 8: Nadia Ranieri, Augustana
April 1: Charly Warlow, Millikin
March 25: Juliana Maude, North Central
March 18: Nadia Ranieri, Augustana; Kelsey Bruno, Millikin
March 11: Gianna Certa, Illinois Wesleyan
Feb. 26: Andrea Kuhne, Carroll

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