The Illinois Wesleyan University softball team had four student-athletes named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team, according to a May 26 announcement by the organization. Junior Mallory Holland, along with sophomores Grace Wilkens, Riley McDoniel, and Julia Wilkens, were recognized for their achievements both on the field and in the classroom. Grace Wilkens will advance to the Academic All-America ballot.
Holland earned her second consecutive honor after making 20 appearances as a pitcher for Illinois Wesleyan. She recorded a 7-6 record with an earned run average of 2.75 over 61 innings pitched and maintained a 3.80 grade point average as a marketing major.
Grace Wilkens started all 43 games as center fielder and leadoff hitter, posting a .343 batting average with 47 hits and leading the team in runs scored (37) and stolen bases (24). She also achieved a perfect fielding percentage and was named to several all-conference teams while maintaining a 4.00 GPA as a finance major.
McDoniel started in right field during her first year as an everyday player, hitting .240 with seven multi-hit games and helping lead Illinois Wesleyan through tournament play while holding a 3.92 GPA in kinesiology & allied health. Julia Wilkens played left field in her sophomore season, finishing with a .244 batting average across 43 games played while studying finance with a GPA of 3.98.
Illinois Wesleyan finished its season at 31-15 overall, winning both the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season championship (15-1 league record) and tournament title before advancing to the championship game of the Waverly Regional at the NCAA Tournament level.
The women’s softball program competes at NCAA Division III from Bloomington, Illinois; it is part of intercollegiate athletics within the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin at Inspiration Field, according to the official website.
