By Bryan Bloodworth
BLOOMINGTON – Kat McCreery’s post-season record, as far as making the NCAA Division III Tournament, remained perfect Monday when Illinois Wesleyan’s softball team received an at-large berth.
McCreery has guided the Titans into the post season in all three seasons as head coach. The Titans (30-10) will serve as host for a four-team quadrant and face Hanover (18-18) in their opening game Friday at a time to be determined.
DePauw (29-16) will face Washington University of St. Louis (34-10) in the other game of the double-elimination tournament that ends Sunday.
McCreery said she was pretty confident the Titans would receive an at-large berth given their high ranking in the region.
“I wasn’t too concerned knowing that we were ranked in the region,” she added. “That helped a lot. But I think there’s always concern when you’re not controlling your own destiny based on not getting that automatic qualifier.”
The Titans, who won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season championship, lost the league’s automatic berth when they were eliminated in the conference tournament. IWU has lost four of its last six games, but McCreery said she’s not too concerned.
“I look at it as actually a re-set for us,” she continued. “I think it was a good gut-check and better last weekend than this weekend because this weekend if you have that kind of weekend you are done.”
McCreery admitted she doesn’t know a lot about Hanover.
“We’ve seen Wash U and DePauw, but I don’t know a lot about Hanover,” she added. “I know they’re in the same conference as Anderson (Ind.), which is typically in the post season and athletic and competitive. We can’t under-estimate anyone.”
Wheaton (31-12), which gained the CCIW automatic berth by winning the league tournament, will face Chicago at Trine in its opening tournament game.
Seven Titans earn all-conference honors
Seven IWU players – three first-team and four second-team – were chosen to the CCI W all-conference squads, selected by the CCIW’s head softball coaches announced Monday.
On the first team were senior catcher Danielle Smith of Pekin, senior shortstop Sam Gudat of Brimfield and freshman center-fielder Jullian Runyon of Tremont.
Chosen to the second team were sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Marquis of Herscher, senior pitcher Jenna Noland of Illinois Valley, freshman second baseman Julie Josten of Palatine Fremd) and senior outfielder Mary Rankin of Hartsburg-Emden.
Wheaton senior Katie Thornton earned both the CCIW Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year honors while Carthage was awarded the CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year honor and Carthage freshman first baseman Hailey Rothstein was tabbed as the CCIW Newcomer of the Year.
Bryan Bloodworth can be reached at [email protected]
