Softball Sees Seven Named to All-CCIW Teams

Titans host CCIW Tournament Thursday-Saturday, May 9-11

5/8/2024 3:00:00 PM

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team headlined the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin postseason honors Wednesday, May 8, as the league office announced its all-conference teams and specialty awards. Sophomore Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) was voted the CCIW Pitcher of the Year, while senior Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) garnered the CCIW Defensive Player of the Year distinction.

Certa, Turner, sophomores Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) and Anna Beckman (Bourbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara), juniors Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) and Ava Khoury (Columbia, Ill.-Columbia), and freshman Hailey Milgazo (Poway, Calif.-Poway) all garnered First Team All-CCIW status. IWU's staff was also tabbed the CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season. Senior Isabelle Piwowarczyk (Hometown, Ill.-Oak Lawn) was named IWU's CCIW RESPECT Award recipient.

The outright CCIW Regular Season Champion, Illinois Wesleyan posted a 13-3 record in league play to earn the No. 1 seed and hosting rights for this week's CCIW Tournament. The Green and White reeled in nine CCIW weekly awards.

Certa completed the conference season with an 8-0 record, winning each of her starts in conference play. Emerging as the top pitcher in the league, Certa led the CCIW with a 0.41 earned run average, allowing just three runs over eight starts. She limited opponents to a league-best .174 batting average, with 39 strikeouts over 51 innings.

Turner reeled in All-CCIW honors for the fourth time in her career, while she became the first Titan in program history to be voted the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. One of the best second basemen in all of Division III, Turner has put together a career-year at the plate. Over 16 league games, the four-year starter hit .420 with a slugging of .560 and an OPS of 1.013 She tallied 21 hits, sixth-most across the conference, while her 13 RBIs ranked tied for fourth.

Repeating as an all-conference honoree at third base for the second straight season is Wissmiller. As a sophomore, she has been a key component of IWU's lethal lineup. Wismiller hit .415 in conference play, finishing out a slash line of .623 slugging and .466 on base. She scored 15 runs with 22 hits and 12 RBIs, good for third, fourth, and seventh-most in the CCIW, respectively.

Beckman, a sophomore who missed much of last season due to injury, has taken hold as the starting center fielder spot for the Green and White. Beckman brings immense speed to the lineup and on the base paths. She led the conference with 23 runs scored, while ranking eighth in on-base percentage (.467) and ninth in hits (17). Beckman drew nine walks over the 16-game slate, good for a tie for third-most, with her nine stolen bases being fourth-most.

A Normal, Ill. native, Kuhn hit .400 in CCIW play with a slugging clip of .691 and an OPS of 1.150. One of the top hitters in the conference, Kuhn was second in slugging and OPS, while leading the league with 23 RBIs. She tied for third with 15 runs scored and ranked second with three homers.

Over the course of the CCIW season, Khoury hit .378 as Illinois Wesleyan's everyday starter at first. She tallied 17 hits, with seven runs scored, two doubles, and a pair of homers, while driving in seven. She tied for the team lead with nine walks and carried an on-base percentage of .482 with a slugging of .556.

Spending time in the outfield and in the DP slot, Milgazo has put together a strong rookie campaign. The Poway, Calif. product is second in the conference with a .481 batting average and fourth carrying a .526 on-base clip. Her 25 hits are second-most in league play, while her 14 runs scored are fifth. A threat on the base paths, Milgazo has swiped 13 bases in CCIW play, good for third-most.

Illinois Wesleyan will serve as host to the CCIW Tournament this week, May 9-11, at Inspiration Field. The Titans will begin their pursuit of a tournament title Thursday evening, May 9, with a 4 p.m. first pitch against the winner of the game between fourth-seeded Millikin and fifth-seeded Carthage set for earlier in the day.

CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Clare Rettler, Carthage

CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Bailey Turner, Illinois Wesleyan

CCIW Pitcher of the Year
Gianna Certa, Illinois Wesleyan

CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year
Juliana Maude, North Central

CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year
Illinois Wesleyan

All-CCIW First Team
C, Leah Foreman, Millikin
1B, Ava Khoury, Illinois Wesleyan
2B, Bailey Turner, Illinois Wesleyan
3B, Casey Wissmiller, Illinois Wesleyan
SS, Jen Kuhn, Illinois Wesleyan
SS, Kayla Lorenz, North Park
OF, Clare Rettler, Carthage
OF, Anna Beckman, Illinois Wesleyan
OF, Emma Lewandowski, Millikin
DP, Katlyn Schraeder, Millikin
UTIL, Nadia Ranieri, Augustana
UTIL, Maddie Conway, Carthage
UTIL, Chiara O'Leary, Elmhurst
UTIL, Hailey Milgazo, Illinois Wesleyan
P, Gianna Certa, Illinois Wesleyan
P, Juliana Maude, North Central

All-CCIW Second Team
C, Morgan Bielfeldt, Augustana
C, Madison Palasz, Carroll
1B, Maddy Regan, Millikin
2B, Rylee Blake, Millikin
2B, Talia Torosian, North Central
3B, Claudia Buchholz, Augustana
SS, Katie Del Re, North Central
OF, Brooke Hartzell, Augustana
OF, Abby Curtis, Carroll
OF, Eden Baker, North Park
DP, Alese Antonello, Wheaton
UTIL, McKensey Stontz, Augustana
UTIL, Olivia Hristov, Carthage
P, Lauren Koster, Augustana
P, Charly Warlow, Millikin
P, Sam Schilf, North Central

CCIW RESPECT Award Recipients
Ally Magsombol, Augustana
Madison Hoagland, Carroll
Kirby Peters, Carthage
Alex Kiriakopoulos, Elmhurst
Isabelle Piwowarczyk, Illinois Wesleyan
Taylor Young, Millikin
North Central
Kayla Sapolu, North Park
Paige Andrews, Wheaton

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