McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team will travel to face the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in a doubleheader on Thursday, April 3. The games will be held at the van Steenderen Complex with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.

Illinois Wesleyan, currently holding an 11-5 record, is coming off a successful 4-0 run at their home tournament. The Titans achieved victories over Wartburg and DePauw on March 29, and subsequently defeated Lake Forest twice on March 30. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, ranked number 16 nationally, brings a perfect 14-0 record into this non-conference match. The Warhawks recently swept Carroll and are in the midst of competing against teams from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Jen Kuhn, a senior from Normal, Illinois, currently leads the Titans' offense with a .537 batting average, contributing 27 RBIs, nine doubles, and 29 hits. Freshman Bella Pinter follows with a .381 batting average and a team-high eight walks. Ava Khoury, a senior, has hit three home runs this season, driving in 17 runs with a .348 batting average. Junior Casey Wissmiller trails closely with a .346 average.

On the pitching side, junior Gianna Certa has thrown a team-high 38.2 innings, holding a 2.17 earned run average with 20 strikeouts and a 6-1 record. Sophomore Mallory Holland leads with a 2.00 ERA over 21.0 innings, while freshman Maddie Pool has struck out a team-best 27 over 27.1 innings, restricting opponents to a .192 average at the plate.

The teams have developed a rivalry since 2003, with Illinois Wesleyan leading the series 24-15-1. However, each team has won seven games when playing on UWW's home field. In the last four meetings, the teams have split the results, with Illinois Wesleyan narrowly losing 1-0 at home on April 6, 2024.

Fans can watch the games via live stream or follow live stats, both available on the softball schedule page of iwusports.com.