Western Illinois University Athletics

Awards & Recognition
Named to The 2010-11 Summit League Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence
2011 Summit League Winter/Spring Academic All-League Team - Distinguished Scholar
2011 All-Summit League First Team Selection
2010 Summit League Winter/Spring Academic All-League Selection
2008 Summit League Tournament Co-MVP
2008 All-Summit League Tournament Team Selection
2008 Metrodome Classic All-Tournament Team Selection

Career Highlights
2011 (Senior): Earned All-Summit League First Team honors after batting .351 with seven homers and 25 RBI on the season... scored a team-leading 38 runs and pounded out six doubles... set new career-highs in batting average, home runs, runs scored and RBI... finished third in The Summit League in runs, second in on-base percentage (.464), third in slugging (.595)... ranked 60th in the nation in runs per game (0.88)... had nine game with two or more RBI and posted 11 multi-hit games... was 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored in back-to-back games against IUPUI (3/25 and 3/26)... batted .513 during a season-high nine-game hitting streak from 3/15-4/2 (20-for-39, 19 R, 15 RBI, 2 2B, 4 HR, 6 BB)...finished her career ranked sixth in program history with 63 career-walks...  Game-By-Game Stats

2010 (Junior): Played and started in 53 contests for the Purple and Gold... batted .257 on the year with 35 hits, 10 runs, seven doubles and nine RBI... batted .308 during conference action... posted a five-game hit streak from April 23 - May 1... had seven multi-hit games... only committed one error from behind the plate for a .997 fielding percentage... caught 17 runners stealing.
Game-By-Game Stats

2009 (Sophomore): Appeared in 51 games and made 50 starts... collected 28 hits and drove in 18 base runners for a .222 batting average... scored 20 runs and was walked 19 times... posted a three-game hit streak from May 8-9... recorded a season-high four hits against Southern Utah on April 10... drove in a season-high three RBI against Saint Louis on April 1 and against Southern Utah on April 10...  registered two doubles against South Dakota State on April 24... recorded 238 putouts and 30 assists while only committing six errors... posted a .978 fielding percentage, second-best on the team... caught 14 opposing base runners... helped her team set the school record for most runs scored in a season (270) and most RBI in a season (243)... named to The Summit League Winter-Spring Academic All-Conference Team... selected to The Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence.
Game-by-Game Stats

2008 (Freshman): Named Summit League Tournament co-MVP with teammate Samantha Valentine... one of two Western Illinois players named to the Metrodome Classic All-Tournament Team... appeared in 40 games with 39 starts at catcher... recorded a .279 batting average, the third-best average on the team... registered 31 hits and 21 RBI... recorded two RBI and one hit in her debut for the Purple and Gold against Northern Iowa on February 14... hit her first career home run against Augustana College on April 2... recorded a season-high three hits in three different games... had a season-high four RBI in a 7-2 win over Southern Utah on May 9... scored a season-high four runs in the 17-2 victory over IPFW on May 10 in the conference tournament championship game... had a five-game hit streak from May 4-15 where she recorded a total nine hits... posted a .981 fielding percentage behind the plate with 180 putouts, 23 assists and only four errors.... received academic all-league honors and NFCA academic recognition for earning a 3.7 GPA... received Summit League Winter/Spring Academic All-League Team honors.
Game-by-Game Stats

High School
Was a part of three Redhawks conference championship teams... was a 2005 all-East Suburban Catholic Conference selection... was a three-year member of Marist’s honor roll... came to Western alongside Beverly Bandits travel teammate Colleen Biebel.

Personal
Born Sept. 6, 1988... daughter of Christian and Patricia Marinec... majoring in mathematics education... younger sister Jessie Marinec plays softball at Valparaiso.

In Van Vlymen’s Words
“Nikki has proven to be a rock behind the plate, she calls a great game and is a true student of the game. She works tirelessly to make herself better and is an inspiration to our team.”