Illinois Wesleyan Softball Notes - NCAA Division III Regional
May 10-13, 2007 in Eau Claire, Wis.

NCAA APPEARANCES: This is the seventh NCAA Division III tournament appearance for Illinois Wesleyan and the first since the team finished third in the nation in 2003. The Titans lost that year to eventual national champion Central (Iowa)…IWU has a record of 11-12 (.478) in the six NCAA tournaments but was 0-4 in their first two (1994, 1995).

VS. THE FIELD: IWU is 2-4 against other teams in the regional with two wins over Augustana on April 12 (8-0 and 13-10) and losses at Chicago on March 31 (5-1 and 2-0) and to Augustana in the CCIW tournament May 4-5 (4-1 and 6-0).

THIRTY WINS: This is the 10th time an Illinois Wesleyan team has 30 or more wins in a season…The school record for victories is 39, set by the 2001 team that was 39-14.

COACH HULIT: In his second season at Illinois Wesleyan, Lloyd Hulit has a record of 63-24 (.724 winning percentage) and a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin record of 25-3 (.893) with one regular season championship.

FROM NEW ZEALAND TO EAU CLAIRE: The Titan season started in January, when the team traveled to Wellington, New Zealand, for the first week of the year. IWU played two doubleheader exhibitions and spent time sightseeing, fishing and shopping.

ALL-REGION: Seniors Molly Coers and Lauren Hyland and junior Ashley Deck were named to the first team of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-Great Lakes Region squads…Sophomores Valerie Hackett and Monica Urban were chosen to the second and third teams, respectively…Deck was a first team choice in 2006 as well.

ALL-CONFERENCE: Senior Lauren Hyland was chosen “Pitcher of the Year” for softball in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and was joined on the first team of the all-CCIW squads by sophomore first baseman Valerie Hackett, junior second baseman Ashley Deck, sophomore outfielder Monica Urban and senior shortstop Molly Coers…Junior catcher Kelly Nelson and junior third baseman Kendahl McIntyre were named to the second team…Hyland and Deck were first team selections a year ago and Coers was on the second team in 2006 and 2004 and was a first team all-CCIW player in 2005…The IWU coaches, along with Augustana, shared the “Coaching Staff of the Year” award…IWU led the league in batting average (.359) and earned run average (1.81).

TEAM RECORDS: The 2007 Illinois Wesleyan team has hit 33 home runs, easily topping the old record of 22, set in 2001…Also this season, the team has tied the record of doubles with 68 and is third with 422 hits (the record is 430, set in 2006)…This year’s Titans have the fifth most runs batted in (206), the seventh most triples (14) and have scored the fifth most runs (243).

MOLLY COERS: The senior shortstop from Manito, Ill. (Midwest Central HS) has etched her name in the IWU softball record books in a number of categories… She is Illinois Wesleyan’s all-time leader in hits (198) and runs scored (132), is second in steals (68) and her career .383 batting average is third best…She is tied for most runs in a season (46) and her 64 hits is second most to the record of 77 (Brynn Hasse, 2003). Her 24 steals is fifth best in an IWU single season…Coers was second in the league with a .444 average and led the conference with 24 hits. She was second in runs scored with 18 and tied for the league lead with three triples…First team all-CCIW, 2007 and 2005, and second team in 2006 and 2004.

LAUREN HYLAND: The senior pitcher from Evergreen Park, Ill. (HS) needs five strikeouts to become the school’s all-time leader. She now has 359 and trails only Jennie Siron, who fanned 363 from 1993-96…Hyland holds the school records for appearances in a season (28 this year) and career (89) and is second in career innings pitched (435)…Her 17 wins is third most in a season at IWU and her career 42 victories is third best, as is her 1.86 career earned run average…Hyland was the first IWU player to earn the CCIW pitching award since Kelly Murray, who won the league honor in 2004 and 2002…In league play, Hyland was 7-0 with a 1.76 earned run average (seventh in the league) against conference teams. She was third in CCIW stats with 37 strikeouts in a league-most 51 2/3 innings…Two-time CCIW “Pitcher of the Week” this year…Pitched six-inning no-hitter vs. Maryville in 8-0 win on April 15.

ASHLEY DECK: Junior second baseman from Bolingbrook, Ill. (HS)…First team all-Great Lakes Region in 2007 and 2006…Her 39 runs batted in is fifth most in an IWU season and her 13 doubles is tied for fifth but within striking distance of the season record of 15 (Jamie Palmer, 2004)…Has 90 career runs batted in (seventh most at IWU) and is also seventh with a career batting mark of .368…Also has eight career home runs…Deck led the league with 16 runs batted in, was tied for third with 13 runs scored and was 10th in the conference with a .378 batting average. Her seven doubles was second most in conference play and her 30 total bases was fifth…Named CCIW “Player of the Week” on March 27.

VALERIE HACKETT: The sophomore from New Lenox, Ill. (Lincoln Way Central HS) has clubbed 10 home runs to set a school record for most home runs in a season…Her 10 career home runs ties her for sixth most in a Titan career as the all-time leader is 14 by Sara Powers from 1998 to 2001…Hackett was fifth in the CCIW with a .421 average, second with four home runs and fourth with 12 runs batted in… Named CCIW “Player of the Week” on April 17.

MONICA URBAN: Sophomore outfielder from Wheaton, Ill. (North HS)…Her 26 steals is fourth most in a season and within reach of the record of 30 (Nicole Williams, 2001 and Kelly Kramer, 1989)…In just two seasons Urban has 45 steals, eighth most in an IWU uniform…Urban tied for second in the CCIW with 12 stolen bases and was sixth with a .414 average.

ALLISON WARD: Freshman first baseman/designated hitter from Bloomington, Ill. (Normal Community HS)…Had a powerful impact on Titans with eight home runs in her first year of college after hitting only one home run in high school career…Hit two vs. Augustana on April 12.