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Western Illinois University Athletics

2019 Softball Roster

Sarah Twidwell
Sarah Elsner
WIU Visual Productions Center
WIU Visual Productions Center

17 Emily Ira

  • Position Pitcher
  • Height 5-7
  • Class Senior
  • Highschool Solon
  • Hometown Iowa City, Iowa

Biography

SENIOR (2019): Summit League All-Academic Team... All-Summit League First Team (As P)… Finished the season leading all of NCAA Division-I in strikeout-to-walk ratio, sitting down 9.13 batters per each walk... Struck out a team-high 146 batters... Compiled a 13-7 record and a team-low 2.73 ERA... 63 career complete games and 618.2 career innings pitched both rank fourth all-time in program history.... Struck out a season-high 13 batters on two different occasions (March 9 vs. Bowling Green & May 8 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne)... Struck out 11 batters in a one-hit shutout victory at North Dakota (April 19)... At the dish she turned in a .275 batting average with 14 hits, 11 runs scored, eight RBI and three doubles.

JUNIOR (2018): Summit League Academic Honor Roll... All-Summit League First Team (As P)… Threw a team-high 152.1 innings while also registering a team-high 170 strikeouts... Finished with a team-low 3.49 ERA with a 9-12 record in 28 appearances (23 starts) while limiting her opponents to 38 walks... Registered seven complete games including three complete game shutouts... Struck out a season-high 15 batters in a complete game shutout against Alabama State on February 24... Spun a one-hit complete game shutout with nine strikeouts versus Murray State on March 17... At the dish she turned in a .286 batting average with 12 hits, seven runs scored, four RBI and two triples. 

SOPHOMORE (2017): Summit League Pitcher of the Year… Pitched in 33 games… pitched 206.1 innings while boasting a 2.85 ERA… Walked just 21 batters… Won five-straight starts from March 25 to April 9 including series sweeps against South Dakota and Fort Wayne… Did not give up an earned run in three-straight outings in games against Northern Illinois, Indiana and Oakland…. She pitched 23 innings during the span… Allowed just one hit on April 22 versus North Dakota State and March 11 against Oakland, both in seven innings of work… Gave up just two hits against IUPUI on April 14 in seven frames… Saw 79 at-bats in 30 games at the plate… Logged a .266 batting averaged with 21 hits and two home runs… Had five multi hit games.

FRESHMAN (2016): Summit League Academic Honor Roll... 2016 Summit League Spring Academic Honor Roll... Distinguished Scholar... Second Team All-Summit League... Summit League 'Pitcher of the Week' (Mar. 8)... Recorded Western's first no-hitter since 2010 on Mar. 5 against Canisius... Struck out a career-high 12 batters against South Dakota (April 3)... Pitched seven complete games... Started 13 games and appeared in 27 with a 6-15 record... Picked up one save... Recorded 136 strikeouts in 139.2 innings pitched... Led the team in wins (6), ERA (5.41), opposing batting average (.266) and least amount of walks allowed (35).

HIGH SCHOOL: Ira ended her junior season with 276 strikeouts and just 21 walks over 161 innings of work. She finished with a 23-2 record and was named All-State, All-Tournament and the Iowa City Press CitizenEastern Iowa 'Pitcher of the Year.' Ira has finished the previous two seasons with an ERA under 1.00, ending her junior year with a 0.78 ERA. Also a member of the 2013 sprint medley relay team that holds the Solon High School record, Ira has lettered in track and volleyball along with softball. At the plate, Ira holds state tournament records for most hits in one game (four) and total RBIs (nine). Ira hit .377 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 40 RBIs her junior season in 130 at-bats. Her cousin, David Kutcher, played basketball at Western Illinois from 1993-1996. Ira is a three-time All-Conference selection, a two-time All-District selection and a two-time All-State honoree. In 2016, she was named the Des Moines Register's Softball Athlete of the Year.

PERSONAL: Daughter of Terry and Amy Ira... Played on the Eastern Iowa Barracudas travel team. 

Statistics

Season:
2019

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 17

    2016Freshman

    Pitcher/Outfielder
    5'7"
    17
  • 17

    2017Sophomore

    Pitcher/Outfielder
    5'7"
    17
  • 17

    2018Junior

    Pitcher/Outfielder
    5'7"
    17
  • 17

    2019Senior

    Pitcher
    5'7"
    17