Although the Illini softball team only managed a 2-3 record at the Chicagoland Classic last weekend, two of their freshmen showed they were for real.

Freshman third baseman Shanna Diller and freshman pitcher Claire DeVresse stood out, said Illinois head coach Terri Sullivan.

“It’s very exciting,” Sullivan said. “These are very talented freshmen. They got beyond the nerves and settled in and it was good to see.”

Diller showed her prowess with her bat and her glove.

“She did it all last weekend,” Sullivan said. “She was the most consistent player over the weekend both defensively and offensively. She batted behind (junior first baseman) Jenna Hall and really produced. That was a good thing to see.”

DeVresse proved she could contribute to the team come February, taking the circle against Northern Iowa and DePaul over the weekend and finishing with a record of 1-1.

“She pitched well this weekend,” Sullivan said. “Even though she lost to DePaul, I felt like she threw well against them too.”

The highlight of the tournament came against Western Illinois, when sophomore pitcher Mary Miller threw a no-hitter in a 9-0 Illini win.

“It was a great game,” said senior catcher Julie Balicki. “I was calling the pitches and she was throwing them. She was just throwing phenomenally. She got ahead and just dominated them.”

The heartbreaker of the tournament came in last Saturday’s game against Notre Dame, when the Illini lost in the bottom of the seventh inning on a pinch hit single, 3-2.

Even though the Illini did not come away with first place, which was their goal going into the tournament, they were happy with the overall performance.

“Our coaching staff is pleased with our pitching and catching,” Sullivan said. “We accomplished all our goals besides winning the tournament.”

Sullivan said the fall practice allowed the team to see how they worked as a group.

“In the fall, we come together for three weeks of practice and see what we can improve upon for February,” she said.

If there is anything the Illini could improve upon, it would be the defense, Sullivan said.

“Our fielding was bad,” she said. “These are things we can work on and things we can fix. We will be working on our defense from now until the spring.”

In the tournament, the Illini played some top-notch programs in the country and saw how they ranked among the nation’s best.

“It’s encouraging,” Balicki said. “They played their best to beat us, but we did not play our best and still hung in there. We’ve shown we can play with some of the best teams in the country. When we are at the top of our game, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be able to get ourselves into the (Women’s College World Series).”

Alumni game

The team is scheduled to play its first ever Alumni Game at noon Sunday at Eichelberger Field. Last year’s seniors are the only class of alumni; the program is in its fifth year.