Illinois Valley Times

It's been a slow start to the softball season for the Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) Eagles.

The Eagles began the season with a 0-6 road trip to Florida that forced the team to reassess itself, with a determination to improve, setting off a run of eight straight victories that eventually led to the Eagles hoisting both the conference and regional championship trophies at season's end.

"We started off our season a little rocky," IVCC Head Coach Cory Tomasson recently told the Illinois Valley Times. "We went down to Florida for a spring trip like we always do; and when we came back 0-6, I think the players came to see the potential they had, how good they could be. It was kind of a wake-up call."

After that wake-up call, the Eagles went on to win 26 games on the year, finishing the season 26-13, including a sparkling 26-7 record in Region IV. The conference title they won was the fourth such championship during coach Tomasson's 15 years as head coach at IVCC.

They capped it off by sweeping three straight games in the regionals to bring home their first-ever regional title after four prior second-place finishes in the tournament.

"We're really proud of this year's team," Tomasson said. "Overall, it was probably the closest team as far as team chemistry that I've ever had, and I think that lent itself to the success. The players had a central responsibility to the team as a whole, to each other, themselves. The players just really improved throughout the entire year. We had a couple setbacks with injuries, but when one person would get hurt, somebody would step right in and just pick up where the other person left off. It's been a true team effort. I couldn't be more proud of the players."

Those players include All-Conference Player of the Year, Third-Team All-American and All-Region centerfielder Taylor Tjaden, who finished the year with a .508 batting average, scoring 40 runs, knocking in 55 RBIs and ending up fourth in the nation in doubles, with 27, with a .769 slugging percentage. It was such a dominant season for Tjaden that she struck out one single time in her 130 at bats.

"She is one of the most talented all-around softball players I've ever coached," Tomasson said.

In addition to Tjaden, the Eagles had three other players bat at least .400 on the season. Lead-off hitter Brenna Faletti hit .473, and made both the All-Conference and All-Region teams. She also showed versatility by switching positions practically every other game. IVCC's second pitcher, Taylor Naumann, also doubled as shortstop, so Faletti, the usual second baseman, moved across the field to cover short when Naumann was on the mound. 

First baseman Annie Miller and right fielder Allison Korsan rounded out the above-.400 group, both finishing with .402 averages. Miller led the team in triples and home runs, and both players also contributed with their play in the field.

"At the beginning of the year, I wasn't sure where I should be playing Annie because she is so versatile," Tomasson said. "But we needed a first baseman. She's never played there before. By the end of the year, she just looked so natural at it. (Korsan) played right field for us this past year and did tremendous out there. I don't think she had an error this year in the field, so she really did a great job."

It wasn't just hitting that launched the Eagles to such a successful year. They were good on the pitcher's mound as well. Starter Tracey Ellis went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA, while also finishing All-Conference and All-Region. Tomasson said she was also the team's most vocal presence.

"She was a team leader," Tomasson said. "She was the most vocal person on our team and kept everybody positive throughout the year."

Moving forward, IVCC is looking at a lot of new personalities joining the team next season. The Eagles will lose 10 of the 13 players from this year's championship squad, the highest turnover of Tomasson's career. He'll be looking to some talented incoming freshmen to fill the void.

"We have some really talented individuals coming into our program," Tomasson said. "Most of them come from All-Region or All-Conference teams. Every one of them has an opportunity to start on our team. We'll have just a well-rounded team."

With a long history of success -- Tomasson has a 312-180 career record at IVCC -- the coach doesn't expect much, if any, drop-off despite the turnover. Tomasson said the key will be whether the incoming talent meshes as tightly as this season's squad. It all comes down to chemistry. They'll certainly have the talent. 

"With this team that we put together, I think that we'll be competitive at both the conference and the regional level again," Tomasson said. "Everybody each year retools a little bit. Instead of maintaining five or six players this year, we're maintaining three. Each of them brings leadership and experience of being four-year starters at high school, and I don't think we're going to lose too much overall. We may actually have a more athletic team this coming year than we did last year. What I'm really hoping is that they click as personalities. I hope they click that way because I think that can really make or break a season for us this upcoming year with so many freshmen."

That chemistry Tomasson cites was definitely key to this season's success for the Eagles, but despite the multiple championship trophies and various individual accolades, it was something else they achieved that makes the coach the most proud. 

"Out of our 13 players, 11 of them made academic All-Conference and five of them made academic All-American status," he said. "Our team grade-point average overall was a 3.52. So not only did they perform on the field, academically, this is the best-performing team I've ever had. I think I'm more proud of that accomplishment than I am of going to nationals."