IWC's Strong receives NAIA softball honorable mention All-American

Iowa Wesleyan College senior Leigha Strong has been named to the NAIA Softball All-American Honorable Mention Team, as announced late last week.

Strong is just the second Tiger softball player in school history to receive All-American mention. She joins Kate Ward as IWC players to receive the distinction, as Ward was an honorable mention selection in 2007.

Strong received the honor after a terrific senior season in which she ranked among the Midwest Collegiate Conference leaders in a number of categories for the second straight year. Strong batted .429 with 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in, also tallying 70 hits, 12 doubles, four triples and 33 runs scored.

She led the MCC in batting average, hits, on-base percentage (.486) and total bases (123), tied for the league lead in triples, and also ranked in the top five in doubles, home runs and slugging percentage (.755). Strong also helped carry to the Tigers to a surprising MCC Tournament championship and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament after Wesleyan finished seventh in the MCC in the regular season.

Strong finished her distinguished two-year career at Iowa Wesleyan with a .404 batting average, 24 home runs and 80 RBIs. She had 138 hits including 30 doubles and eight triples and an on-base percentage of .458. She was a First Team All-MCC selection this year as a senior after being named honorable mention all-conference and First Team All-Midwest Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.