McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team has achieved notable recognition with five of its athletes earning All-Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. This announcement came during regional competition on May 17, and marks a significant achievement for IWU, which had the most selections in both the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and the region overall. The last time IWU saw this many players honored was in 2019.

Freshman Hailey Milgazo from Poway, California, received First Team All-Region status as an outfielder. She led her team with a .460 batting average and achieved top numbers in hits and stolen bases. Milgazo's performance placed her 18th nationally in Division III for hits and 45th for batting average.

Sophomore Gianna Certa earned Second Team All-Region honors following a standout season as a pitcher. "The CCIW Pitcher of the Year," Certa finished with a record of 19-3, boasting an ERA of 1.22 over 23 appearances, including eight shutouts. Her achievements ranked her fifth in Division III for shutouts and eleventh for complete games.

Senior Bailey Turner also secured Second Team status at second base after achieving career-high statistics this year. She recorded a .402 batting average along with impressive slugging and on-base percentages.

Junior Jen Kuhn received Third Team All-Region honors after finishing second on the team with a .434 batting average while playing shortstop in all 43 games. Her contributions included leading the team in doubles and on-base percentage.

Sophomore Casey Wissmiller topped her team's RBIs list and hit eight home runs to secure Third Team recognition as well. Her consistent performance ranks her among national leaders in several offensive categories.

Overall, IWU is one of four schools nationally to have five honorees among the total of 376 student-athletes recognized from 167 Division III institutions. These honorees are now candidates for NFCA Division III All-America squads set to be announced later this month at an event coinciding with NCAA Finals in Marshall, Texas.

The NFCA serves as a professional body supporting fastpitch softball coaches through various educational initiatives alongside organizing awards such as these all-region recognitions.