Reeley All-Time IWU Softball Wins Leader

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- With her victory over Millikin on April 9, Illinois Wesleyan University junior A.J. Reeley has become the school's all-time leader in softball pitching victories.

Reeley, a Danville High School graduate, improved to 7-0 this season in the 5-2 win at home against Millikin, and boosted her career record to 35-7, which eclipses the career pitching victories record of Jenny Hayes, who was 34-14 from 1996 to 1999.

This season Reeley has an earned run average of 0.40, allowing only two earned runs in 35 innings through games of April 9.

For her career, Reeley ranks fourth in school history with 133 strikeouts and is the school's leader in winning percentage (.833) and earned run average (1.40), but has not yet met the minimum number of innings to etch her name in the record book in those categories.

"A.J. is a competitor, and she's a winner," said IWU head coach Beth Hasheider. "Her mentality and will to win are the biggest keys to her success. She gets people out by being consistent, throwing strikes and placing the ball where she wants to place it. If she wants a ground ball to the right side, she's going to pitch it to that spot."

With a doubleheader sweep of Millikin, the Titans improved to 14-5 overall and 2-0 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

In an interview with The Pantagraph, Reeley credited her success to her teammates. "It's exciting," Reeley said. "I have a great defense behind me, and every time I pitch we score a lot of runs. I'm not going to complain. When you come out in the first or second inning with two or three runs, it's a big pressure reliever.

"I'm not going to overpower anyone. I rely a lot on location and control, hitting my spots and changing speeds. If I get an occasional strikeout or two, that's great."

"It keeps people on their toes because they know A.J. is going to throw strikes," Hasheider said. "She rarely walks people, and she takes advantage of our defense."

Illinois Wesleyan, 39-14 last season, has made two consecutive trips to the NCAA Division III softball tournament and came within one game of advancing to the softball final eight last season. Reeley and her teammates are quietly confident entering the heart of their regular season schedule.

"You always want to do well, but I wouldn't say there's pressure on us," Reeley said. "We've got talent, and we know that. It's a matter of putting it all together and playing together."

CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206