BLOOMINGTON, Ill. ? On the heels of a 25-win season last spring, 12
letterwinners are back for the 1999 version of the Illinois Wesleyan University
softball team.
The Titans, who were 25-13 last year and 8-5 in College Conference
of Illinois and Wisconsin play, open their season under head coach Mandy
Neal in the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla., Saturday.
Leading the returning players is junior shortstop Jackie Kloiber
(Oak Forest, Tinley Park HS), last year’s "Most Valuable Player." Kloiber
batted a team-high .393 and also led IWU in runs (34) and hits (44), and
tied a school season record with eight triples for the Titans.
Joining Kloiber in the infield will be senior first baseman Amy
Pollitz (Wheaton, North HS). An all-conference and all-region player for
the second straight season, Pollitz batted .342 with a team-high 35 RBI.
After three seasons, Pollitz ranks fifth in career hits (130), second in
runs batted in (87), and seventh in batting average (.352) on IWU all-time
lists.
Junior Beth Keller (Normal, Community HS) and freshman Mandi
Cioni (Granville, Putnam County HS) are vying for the second base job while
sophomores Becky Stenning (Monee, Crete-Monee HS) and Sara Powers (Manhattan,
Lincoln-Way HS) are in contention for the third base opening.
Keller, a two-year letterwinner, batted .340 with a team-leading
15 stolen bases last spring while Powers hit .358 with six doubles and
Stenning had a .364 batting average in 22 at bats.
Stenning can also play first base and will see action as a pitcher
and the versatile Cioni can also play shortstop and pitch. Sophomore Tonya
Poindexter (Tuscola HS) is also a middle infielder candidate.
Seniors Jenny Hayes (Joliet, West HS) and Debbie Duden (Fithian,
Oakwood HS) give IWU a strong one-two starting piching corps. Hayes, last
year's "Most Improved Player," blossomed as a junior, posting a record
of 13-4 with a 1.71 earned run average. In her previous two seasons Hayes
was 3-6 with a 4.28 ERA.
Duden, another three-year letterwinner, was 11-6 with a 2.09
ERA.
Sarah Engelhardt (Yorkville HS) is a freshman who will also bolsters
the pitching staff.
Among the catchers are junior Christie Evitt (Oak Lawn, Community
HS), sophomores Chez Rumpf (New Lenox, Lincoln-Way HS) and Mandy Watson
(Normal, Community HS), and junior Mandy Lenk (Silex, Mo., HS), a transfer
from Culver-Stockton.
Evitt batted .361 and had a team-best 10 doubles while Watson,
who will either catch or be the designated hitter, hit .357. Rumpf batted
.278 in 19 games.
Senior Sara Kummer (Normal (U High), a three-year letterwinner
with a .326 career average, is the certain starter in centerfield. In IWU
all-time records, Kummer is second in doubles (25), fourth in triples (12)
and runs batted in (78), sixth in hits (124) and eighth in runs scored
(78).
Keller, Powers and sophomore Kristi Witherow (Normal, U High),
who batted .440 in 25 at bats last spring, are among those competing to
play the other outfield positions.
Other outfielders are sophomore Tracy Galla (Arlington Heights,
Rolling Meadows HS) and freshmen Amy Gorzynski (Schiller Park, East Leyden
HS), Becky Koehler (Elmhurst, Walther Lutheran HS), Laura Jones (Canton
HS), and Kristen Prather (St. Joseph, St. Joseph-Ogden HS).
March 13
Benedictine* 9 a.m.
13 Wilmington (Ohio)* 12:30 p.m.
14 Bridgewater (Va.)* 12:30 p.m.
14 Wisconsin-Oshkosh* 4 p.m.
16 New Jersey* 10:45 a.m.
16 Lipscomb* 12:30 p.m.
17 Denison (Ohio) * 4 p.m.
17 Wisconsin-Stout* 7:30 p.m.
18 Rowan* 4 p.m.
18 Wisconsin-LaCrosse* 5:45 p.m.
24 KNOX (2) 2:30 p.m.
25 at Monmouth (2) 3 p.m.
27 at Illinois College (2) 1 p.m.
30 # at Millikin (2) 4 p.m.
April 2
BENEDICTINE (2) 3 p.m.
3 at Aurora (2) 1 p.m.
6 # NORTH CENTRAL (2) 3 p.m.
10 # at Carthage (2) 1 p.m.
11 at Chicago (2) 12 p.m.
14 # at North Park (2) 3 p.m.
16-17 IWU TOURNAMENT tba
(Eureka, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Maryville, Chicago, Aurora, Millikin,
Ripon)
20 # ELMHURST (2) 3 p.m.
May
1 # WHEATON (2) 1 p.m.
4 # AUGUSTANA (2) 3:30 p.m.
5 DePAUW (2) 3:30 p.m.
7-8 CCIW Tournament tba
* - denotes Rebel
Springs Games, Orlando, Fla.
# - denotes College
Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin games