Illinois (9-9) concluded a month-long stretch of away games with many things to take away and learn from. Here are some stat leaders through 18 games.

Each batter listed has competed in a minimum of 75% of the games played, with at least two plate appearances per game. The pitchers mentioned have thrown a minimum of one inning per game.

Batting average: Ava Moore (.333)

Illinois is filled with young talent throughout the roster. One of these skilled players, freshman shortstop Ava Moore, is on all the watch lists. Moore has not only made plays on the field, but she has also been great with the bat. Her talent was displayed in a 3-1 defeat by Iowa (13-5).

“ She hit the home run and got another hit for us and made some great plays on defense,” said head coach Tyra Perry. “It’s great to have a shortstop that’s young, like (Moore), that’s producing on both sides of the plate.”

Being one of the youngest teams in the country, opportunities for youth to contribute at Illinois are there for the taking. Moore seized that opportunity, and now, her sky-high potential is showing on the diamond.

Home runs: Adisyn Caryl (5)

Sophomore infielder Adisyn Caryl has gotten a hold of the ball frequently in the first month. She leads the team with five home runs and shares a leading 16 overall hits with sophomore infielder Eileen Donahue. Donahue also has sent a few balls over this year and is second on the team in home runs with three.

Being a younger player, Caryl has looked up to seniors on the team to help her through the last few years. One player she sees as a mentor is senior catcher Paige Berkmeyer.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about hitting or about just communicating on defense,” Caryl said. “She’s really kind of helped me through the ups and the downs of the early part of the season.”

Caryl also has the highest slugging percentage on the team, with a mark of .647, further showing how great she has been at the plate. She has hit home 13 runs and is on top of the team’s leaderboard.

On base percentage: Paige Berkmeyer (.424)

Speaking of Berkmeyer, Illinois’ catcher is also its leader in on-base percentage. She reaches base about 42.4% of the time. Berkmeyer has tallied 14 hits and has walked 10 times, leading the latter category.

It was clear from the get-go that Berkmeyer would be a leader and an asset for the team this spring. She finished last season with a .423 average, and the Big Ten recognized her potential. She earned a place on the conference’s Players to Watch list with Caryl and Moore.

Berkmeyer has already caught three baserunners stealing. She stood at fourth all-time in the Illini record books in the preseason and is inching her way to the top.

Earned run average: Lauren Wiles (2.90)

Senior right-handed pitcher Lauren Wiles has emerged as the team leader in earned run average. She has allowed just under three runs for every seven innings pitched. Wiles has thrown three complete games already, displaying endurance and desire to go all the way early on.

With the graduation of former pitcher Tori McQueen, Wiles stepped into the number one slot in the rotation. Her ERA was above six last spring as a junior, but she has become the team’s ace as a senior.

Walks and hits per inning pitched: Karley Yergler (1.22)

While Wiles ranks high in this category as well, it’s junior right-hander and utility player Karley Yergler who leads the bunch. Yergler allows just 1.22 walks and hits for every inning she throws and owns a 3.59 ERA, which is good for second.

Other than a game against Mercer (11-10), where she allowed eight runs, Yergler has done well. Most of the time, she pitches a few innings and doesn’t give up many runs, let alone walks and hits.

Assistant coach Kirsten Verdun has worked closely with the pitching staff. Yergler is a player who has grown in the circle. As she gains more experience at the Division I level, that mark could continue to drop.

Home opener awaits

Illinois will host Saint Louis (7-8) in a single game Friday at Eichelberger Field. The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m., weather permitting.

The Illini are off of a 2-3 weekend at the Wooo Pig Classic. However, with home-field advantage and consistent improvement each week, Illinois is looking to rebound to begin a six-game homestand.

@ShaperoZach

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