CCIW Players of the Week - April 20, 2026 - Casey Wissmiller & Gianna Certa

Certa & Wissmiller Sweep CCIW Awards

Titans coming off 4-0 week in league play

4/20/2026 3:00:00 PM

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - A four-win week led the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team to a sweep of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin awards released by the league office Monday afternoon, April 20. Senior Casey Wismmiler (Bloomington, Ill.-Olympia) was tabbed the CCIW Hitter of the Week, while senior Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) reeled in Pitcher of the Week status.

Wissmiller garnered a CCIW weekly award for the second time in her career and the first since pulling it in May 8, 2023 during her freshman campaign. Certa hauls in the seventh CCIW Pitcher of the Week honor of her storied career, including the second this season.

In a 4-0 week, Illinois Wesleyan swept a crucial twin bill with Millikin to start the week, April 16. The Titans won 5-0 and 10-1 to hand the Big Blue their first conference losses of the year. IWU followed with a pair of run-rule shutouts at Elmhurst, April 18, winning by scores of 12-0 and 8-0 to improve to 11-1 in CCIW play.

Wissmiller was unstoppable at the plate for Illinois Wesleyan as the Titans outscored their opponents 35-1. Wissmiller put together a slash line of .600 - 1.400 - .583 with six hits in 10 at bats. She scored six runs and drove in eight, while churning out two doubles and a pair of homers. The Bloomington, Ill. product added two stolen bases and a walk, finishing the week without a strikeout. The senior third basemen went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in game one against Millikin before ripping off a 2-for-2 showing in game two. At Elmhurst, she pieced together a 2-for-3 effort in game one with four RBIs and two runs scored. Wissmiller closed the week with a 1-for-2 outing and two driven in.

Certa went 2-0 on the week, leading the Titans in the circle. Certa compiled an earned run average of 0.00 over 11.0 innings and held opponents to an abysmal .118 batting average. She began the week with an impressive outing against Millikin, April 16. The senior righty took a no-hitter into the sixth against the CCIW's top offense, before settling for a two-hit complete game shutout. She fanned four in the contest and walked one. Certa closed the week with another strong performance at Elmhurst, April 18. She went 4.0 innings in a blowout win, fanning eight of the 13 batters she faced and limiting the Bluejays to a pair of hits.

Illinois Wesleyan is back in action with a four-game homestand this weekend, April 25-26, as the Titans play host to Carroll University and Carthage College. IWU is scheduled to play Carroll Saturday, April 25, beginning at 1 p.m., while Sunday, April 26, will see the Titans battle Carthage at 1 p.m.

2026 CCIW Softball Student-Athletes of the Week
Hitter
April 20: Casey Wissmiller, Illinois Wesleyan
April 13: Summer Wynn, Millikin
April 6: Audrey Gradin, Augustana
March 30: Charley Condill, Millikin
March 23: Abby Whitehead, Wheaton
March 16: Gwen Hendrick, Carthage
March 9: Clare Rettler, Carthage
March 2: Kayla Lorenz, North Park

Pitcher
April 20: Gianna Certa, Illinois Wesleyna
April 13: Addie Garr, Augustana
April 6: Gianna Certa, Illinois Wesleyan
March 30: Anais Fernandez, Carthage
March 23: Shylah Dozeman, Wheaton
March 16: Sam Schilf, North Central
March 9: Sam Schilf, North Central
March 2: Makayla Wall, Carroll

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