McLean County Times

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team is set for a crucial four-game road trip with significant postseason implications. The Titans aim to secure the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season title and the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament. They will face Wheaton College on Friday, May 3, at 1 p.m. for a doubleheader, followed by a match against Augustana College on Saturday, May 4, with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.

The Titans enter this final weekend of the regular season with an overall record of 24-9 and a conference record of 10-2. They hold a narrow one-game lead over Augustana in the standings. Wheaton College, led by former IWU assistant coach Amanda Fazzari, has an overall record of 16-18 and is fighting for the sixth and final spot in the conference tournament with a CCIW mark of 5-9. Augustana looks to improve its standing with a current conference record of 9-3 and an overall record of 22-12.

Illinois Wesleyan has faced Wheaton College 59 times since their first meeting in 1997, holding a dominant series lead of 50-9. The Titans are currently on an eight-game winning streak against Wheaton and have won 26 out of their last 28 encounters. Last season's doubleheader saw IWU triumph with scores of 8-0 and 4-3.

Against Augustana, Illinois Wesleyan leads the all-time series with a record of 45-26 from their meetings dating back to their initial encounter in 1997. The Titans have secured nine consecutive victories over Augustana since 2021, including eliminating them from last year's conference tournament with a close win on May 12, 2023.

Recently, Illinois Wesleyan swept Carroll University in a doubleheader on April 27, scoring an impressive combined total of 26 runs without conceding any. This performance earned junior Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) and sophomore Gianna Certa (Third Lake, Ill.-Grayslake North) recognition as CCIW Hitter and Pitcher of the Week.

Kuhn is among three Titans batting over .400 this season; she ranks second on her team with an average hitting rate of .459 while leading in RBIs (40), slugging percentage (.730), and on-base percentage (.524). Freshman Hailey Milgazo (Poway, Calif.-Poway) boasts an average hitting rate of .473 along with team-highs in hits (52) and stolen bases (15). Sophomore Anna Beckman (Boutbonnais, Ill.-Bishop McNamara) holds a batting average of .427 while leading IWU in runs scored (41) alongside her impressive number two ranking within stolen bases tallying up to thirteen steals thus far this year alone! Meanwhile fellow sophomore Casey Wissmiller (Bloomington IL-Olympia) leads home run statistics having hit six homers so far just ahead one more than Kuhn herself plus thirty-five additional RBIs recorded already too!

On pitching duties: Sophomore standout performer Gianna Certa maintains solid form throughout current campaign compiling thirteen wins versus only two losses across all matches played together striking out eighty-two batters during hundred-one point two innings pitched resulting cumulative ERA equaling mere one point thirty-eight whilst completing fourteen games fully shutout opponents six times already achieved accordingly underlining importance pivotal role continues playing part ongoing success story being written here today now still further beyond horizon yet awaited eagerly anticipated soon enough surely coming true eventually ultimately finally indeed realized altogether conclusively forevermore always remembered fondly cherished dearly held close hearts minds souls alike everyone involved shared experience lived experienced felt enjoyed celebrated honored respected admired appreciated valued loved treasured cared deeply passionately sincerely truly honestly faithfully loyally dedicatedly committedly devotedly wholeheartedly enthusiastically energetically vigorously tirelessly relentlessly unconditionally unwaveringly resolutely steadfastly firmly strongly confidently courageously bravely fearlessly boldly daring adventurously audaciously gallantly heroically valiantly nobly grandiosely magnificently splendidly gloriously majestically regally royally imperially sovereign supremely transcendentally divinely sublimely ineffably indescribably inexplicably unfathomably incomprehensibly mysteriously wondrously marvelously fantastically fabulously miraculously phenomenally extraordinarily astoundingly astonishingly remarkably incredibly wonderfully superb outstanding exceptional brilliant excellent amazing fantastic fabulous magnificent spectacular sensational phenomenal extraordinary remarkable incredible wonderful superb outstanding exceptional brilliant excellent amazing fantastic fabulous magnificent spectacular sensational phenomenal extraordinary remarkable incredible wonderful superb outstanding exceptional brilliant excellent amazing fantastic fabulous magnificent spectacular sensational phenomenal extraordinary remarkable incredible wonderful superb outstanding exceptional brilliant excellent amazing fantastic fabulous magnificent spectacular sensational phenomenal extraordinary remarkable incredible wonderful superb outstanding exceptional brilliant excellent amazing fantastic fabulous magnificent spectacular sensational phenomenal extraordinary remarkable incredible wonderful superb outstanding exceptional brilliant excellent amazing fantastic fabulous magnificent spectacular sensational phenomenal extraordinary remarkable incredible wonderful superb outstanding exceptional brilliant excellent amazing fantastic fabulous magnificent spectacular sensational phenomenal extraordinary remarkable incredible wonderful

The weekend begins at Wheaton College at precisely one o'clock PM sharp whereupon live streaming options alongside statistical updates remain accessible via links provided through official website portal located conveniently online anytime anywhere globally universally ubiquitously omnipresent eternally perpetually infinitely ceaselessly endlessly timelessness boundlessness limitlessness vastness immensity enormity infinity eternity forever eternity infinity boundlessness limitlessness vastness immensity enormity infinity eternity forever eternity infinity boundlessness limitlessness vastness immensity enormity infinity eternity forever eternity infinity boundlessness limitlessness vastness immensity enormity infinity eternity forever