Contact: Adam Poklop, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

2019 All-Conference Softball Team

May 7, 2019 – The North Central College softball team has been honored with five selections to the All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Teams and a pair of major individual awards for their efforts during the 2019 season. The selections, voted on by the conference's nine coaches, were announced Wednesday. 

Molly Cann was named the CCIW Newcomer of the Year, becoming the program's first honoree since Amanda Walker '16 in 2013. Starting 39 games in right field, Cann committed just two errors all season to lead North Central's outfielders with a .970 fielding percentage. She also made her presence known at the plate, batting .469 with a .612 slugging percentage in conference competition to become the 2019 Softball Batting Champion—the program's second consecutive recipient, after Emily Miller won the title a season ago—and the conference's first player since 2015 to sweep both awards. Cann's 11 runs, 23 hits, 5 doubles and 8 RBI earned her a First Team All-Conference selection. 

Joining her on the First Team is Emily Miller, her second consecutive selection. Spending the entirety of the season in the leadoff spot, Miller batted .393 while recording 22 hits—including four doubles—and 7 RBI, highlighted by a 14-game hit streak. 

Freshman Breanna Adams was named Second Team All-CCIW as a utility player, after spending time at first and second base and in the circle, where she amassed a 4-3 conference record. She was team's only regular started to not commit a defensive error in conference play. At the plate, Adams hit .327 with 18 hits and tied Rachele Belletini for the most RBI on the team with 12. 

Senior third basemen Rachele Belletini received her second career Second Team All-Conference nod following a season that saw her hit a team-high two home runs for 12 RBI, including a pair of three-run shots in their 7-3 victory over Elmhurst College. 

Taylor Clugston also earned a Second Team with a .347 batting average, the third-highest on the team. The senior shortstop scored 11 runs and recorded three doubles, as well as a team-high three stolen bases. Clugston's selection marks the third of her career. 

North Central (26-14, 10-6 CCIW) wrapped up their season at the CCIW Softball Tournament, where they were eliminated on the first day after suffering losses to Carthage College and Wheaton College.