MOUNT PLEASANT – Leigha Strong (Jr.-Muscatine, Iowa) and Ayla Serrano (Fr.-Rock Island, Ill.) were named Honorable Mention All-Midwest Collegiate Conference as the MCC released its softball postseason honors Monday.
Strong and Serrano gave Iowa Wesleyan College two honorable mention picks on the all-conference team for the third straight year. Both received honors in their first year with the Tigers and helped IWC to a 20-33 overall record and a sixth-place finish in the MCC.
Strong only received honorable mention despite ranking near the top in most batting categories in the conference this year. The junior right fielder hit .380 with 68 hits, 46 runs scored, 18 doubles, 13 home runs and 41 runs batted in and also stole nine bases this year. Strong tied for the league lead in runs scored, was second in hits and total bases (133), tied for second in doubles and triples (four), was third in home runs and tied for fifth in RBIs. She also led the Tigers in stolen bases.
Serrano became one of the team’s leaders as a freshman both at the plate and on the mound. She hit .330 with 61 hits, 38 runs scored, 12 doubles, four home runs and 27 RBIs, ranking among the team leaders in all categories. Serrano also was the team’s most effective pitcher, starting 21 games and compiling an 11-10 record with a 4.02 earned run average. She pitched 129 innings, including 13 complete games, and struck out 96 batters, ranking fifth in the MCC in strikeouts.
For more information regarding the IWC softball program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
MCC Softball All-Conference Team
