McLean County Times

In Bloomington, Illinois, Inspiration Field is set to host a two-day softball tournament featuring Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU), DePauw University, and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The event will take place on April 6-7 as part of IWU's annual St. Jude's Weekend. Each day will see games scheduled at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4 p.m.

The tournament will begin with the Titans facing the nationally ranked Warhawks from UW-Whitewater on Saturday morning. Later that day, IWU will compete against DePauw at 4 p.m., following a match between UWW and DePauw at 1:30 p.m. This schedule will be repeated on Sunday.

A ceremonial first pitch by Kaylee Bowers, an Illinois Wesleyan graduate and childhood cancer survivor, will precede Saturday's game against UW-Whitewater.

Illinois Wesleyan enters the weekend with an 11-5 record after splitting a doubleheader against Lake Forest College on March 30. The Warhawks boast a perfect 12-0 record after their recent victories over Carroll on March 29. DePauw holds a season record of 9-9-1 following a sweep against Christopher Newport on March 27.

Historically, IWU has had success against both visiting teams. Against UW-Whitewater, they lead the series with a record of 24-14-1 and have won three out of their last four encounters. In matches against DePauw, IWU holds a slight edge with a series lead of 19-15.

The Titans' offense has been strong this season with five players maintaining batting averages above .400. Sophomore Anna Beckman leads the team with a .537 average and also excels in slugging and on-base percentages. Freshman Hailey Milgazo follows closely behind in batting average while leading in stolen bases.

On defense, IWU maintains an impressive fielding percentage thanks to pitchers Gianna Certa, Caroline Gatchell, and Mallory Holland. Certa leads with five wins and holds the best earned run average among her teammates.

All six games during the tournament will be live-streamed with statistics available online via iwusports.com or through the tournament central page. Additionally, fundraising activities such as raffles and t-shirt sales will occur during various sporting events over the weekend to support St. Jude's Hospital.