As the conference season picks up, Illinois softball may have found the line between youth and skill.

With eight freshmen and one transfer player on the roster, the Illini have the largest first-year class in the Big Ten conference. And they may have one of the best.

This year’s freshman class is highlighted by the play of Remeny Perez and Kylie Johnson. Perez’s bat has been one of the few bright spots in a quiet Illinois offense, as she leads the team in doubles (5), home runs (2) and slugging percentage (.520%). The utility infielder also ranks third in batting average (.300) and has the second most RBIs on the team (8).

Johnson is not far behind. Known for her speed, the 2012 Chicago Tribune Softball Player of the Year ranks second in stolen bases in the Big Ten, already swiping 14 bags this season.

“She should be one of the biggest base stealers in the Big Ten and eventually in the country too,” head coach Terri Sullivan said.

The outfielder from Kankakee, Ill., has also made an impact at the plate. She’s batting .282 with 20 hits on the year, good for third most on the team. Sullivan said Johnson instantly becomes a threat to an opposing defense when she reaches base and can score every time she gets on. Johnson has already crossed the plate 12 times this season, second most of any Illini behind junior outfielder Alex Booker, Johnson’s mentor on and off the field.

When Booker isn’t helping Johnson with schoolwork, the two are working together on their short-game — practicing their slides and working to be on the same page when they are defending the outfield.

“We’re like two peas in a pod,” Booker said. “On defense, we work well together and literally know what the other is thinking. We kind of give each other a little wink and we know what we’re doing.”

Senior pitcher Pepper Gay said she is proud of the way the two freshmen have stepped up to boost the team’s offense.

“Remeny and Kylie’s bats are huge,” Gay said. “The speed Kylie brings to the team is really big because we needed to get some speed, while Remeny’s bat and her defense have been really great. It’s really good to see those two step up to the plate.”

Though players can be unpredictable in their transition from high school to the collegiate level, Sullivan did not merely get lucky with this year’s freshman class. The head coach said she had been following players through different travel leagues and heard about players from her relationships with high school coaches, even tracking some players since their freshman year of high school. 

“There are great players everywhere, you just have to find them,” she said. Sullivan recruited players from across the country in places such as Texas, California, Minnesota and Illinois.

The productive newcomers have the staff and upperclassmen on the roster excited for the team’s future. “They still have three years after this year,” Gay said. “So I think they can do really big things.”

While a struggling Illinois team (10-15) still has a long road ahead this season, their young talent offers hope on the program’s horizon.

“Everyone has a different story of how they got here,” Sullivan said. 

But for this Illinois freshman class, the more interesting story may be the one they leave behind.

Sean can be reached at [email protected] and @neumannthehuman.