Maureen Harty Executive Director | College Conference Of Wisconsin And Illinois
Maureen Harty Executive Director | College Conference Of Wisconsin And Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan University's softball coaching staff has been recognized as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Region VIII Coaching Staff of the Year. The announcement was made on June 4, following a successful season under head coach Tiffany Prager and assistant coaches Nikki Miller, Kimmy Hassel, and Bob Grimes.
The Titans achieved a 37-9 overall record, winning both the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament championships. They advanced to the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament Super Regionals for the first time since 2019. The team set a new program record with 25 consecutive wins, surpassing the previous record of 21.
Eight players from Illinois Wesleyan earned All-CCIW honors, while Jen Kuhn, Ella Hermes, and Bella Pinter received All-Region recognition from the NFCA. Kuhn also achieved First Team All-America status and won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award at shortstop. She is only the third player in program history to receive this award. Additionally, Ava Khoury and Mallory Holland became the first pair from IWU to win NFCA National Player of the Week awards simultaneously.
Coaching staffs from each of NFCA's ten Division III regions are now contenders for the ATEC/NFCA Division III National Coaching Staff of the Year award. This includes teams from Wesleyan University (Conn.), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ithaca College, Rowan University, Gettysburg College, Virginia Wesleyan University, Trine University, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, East Texas Baptist University alongside Illinois Wesleyan University. The national winner will be announced on June 11.
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