Junior - 2016

• NFCA First-Team All-Midwest Region
• Second-Team All-Big Ten
• University of Illinois Dike Eddleman Female Athlete of the Year Finalist
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Started all 59 games in right field
• Led the team in almost every offensive category, including batting average (.337), hits (62), doubles (18), home runs (12), RBI (53), total bases (122) and slugging percentage (.663)
• Recorded a .971 fielding percentage with 60 putouts, six assists and only two errors
• Helped lead the Fighting Illini to their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2010
• Ranked in the top 10 in program history in a total of six single-season offensive records, highlighted by the second-most doubles and fifth-most RBIs
• Finished the season ranked among Big Ten leaders in multiple categories, including third in doubles and total bases, sixth in triples and home runs, seventh in RBI and eighth in slugging percentage
• In Big Ten play, ranked in a tie for seventh in home runs (six), seventh in total bases (50) and tied for 13th in RBIs (20)
• Ranked 53rd in doubles per game (0.31) in NCAA, as well as 107th in RBIs per game (0.9) and 112th in slugging percentage (0.663)
• Led the Illini with 15 multiple RBI games, including knocking her first two career grand slams in games against San Jose State (March 19) and Nebraska (March 26)
• Went 5-for-10 at the NCAA Lexington Regional, including two doubles, three RBI and a run in three games
• Knocked a season-high four hits with two runs and two RBI at Illinois State (April 5)

Sophomore - 2015

• Academic All-Big Ten
• Started all 53 games in left field.
• Led the team in slugging percentage (.740), home runs (19), RBIs (52) and total bases (128), hitting .329 wtih 14 doubles, 37 hits, 12 walks and two sac flies.
• Ranked 22nd in the nation in home runs per game (0.36), and in the top 100 in slugging percentage and RBIs per game.
• Top 10 in the Big Ten in four offensive categories, ranking fourth in home runs, eighth in slugging percentage and total bases, and ninth in doubles.
• One of the most dangerous hitters in Illini history, she slugged the second-most single-season home runs all time and the second-most total bases, ranked fifth in slugging percentage and RBIs and ninth in doubles.
• Evans put together one of the best conference performances in program history as well, tying the home run record (9), recording the third-best slugging percentage (.821), breaking the doubles and total bases records, finishing fifth in hits and sixth in RBIs.
• Registered a team-season-best 11-game hitting streak from April 3-18, and extended it to 17 straight games reaching safely through April 28.
• Had two run-saving outfield assists against No. 12 Georgia on Feb. 6.
• Reached base in all three plate appearances against Coppin State, walking twice and launching a two-run home run.
• Went 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two runs and two RBIs in the first game against Mississippi State (2/13).
• Hit safely in all five games at the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic, including going 2-for-4 with a career-high five RBIs in the first game against Houston (2/20).
• Homered twice to lead the Illini past UC Davis on March 6, tying the Illini single-game record for home runs and ranking sixth in total bases (9).
• Homered to give the Illini the first lead against No. 15 Minnesota (3/20).
• Went 5-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, three runs and three RBIs over the final two games of the Indiana series.
• Collected two hits in every game at Iowa, totaling two doubles, two home runs, five runs and five RBIs over the three-game series.
• Went 3-for-5 with two home runs and the game-winning RBI in game two against Maryland (4/11).
• Hit three doubles, including two in the series finale, against Purdue.
• Was a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs against Western Illinois.

Freshman - 2014

• NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete
• Appeared in 41 games, making 32 starts primarily in right field.
• Hit .232 with a .305 on base percentage and a .400 slugging percentage.
• Totaled 22 hits, 16 runs, four doubles, four home runs, seven walks and 13 RBI in 95 at bats.
• Hit safely and scored in all five games at the Rosemont Rumble, with four of her six hits going for extra bases. Walked, doubled and scored twice in the season opener against UIC, then went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and three runs scored against Loyola.
• Hit her first career home run against IUPUI, going back-to-back with Alex Booker with two outs, then drilled a two-run homer the following morning against Central Michigan.
• Singled and scored a key run in the Illini's 2-0 victory over Pittsburgh.
• Went 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and two RBI against Binghamton.
• Participated in a key double play from right field against Iowa in the second game of the series.
• Picked up Illinois' only hit in the Minnesota series finale.
• Went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI to help lead Illinois past No. 20 Nebraska in the series opener.
• Went 1-for-2 with her first career stolen base in game one, then doubled and scored in the nightcap against Wisconsin.
• Hit the game-ending RBI double to complete the run-rule victory over No. 4 Michigan.
• Went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run in the final game against Penn State.
• Broke the scoreless tie in the seventh inning by hitting a leadoff home run to lead the Illini to victory over Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament.

High School

• 2013 all-state first team; two-time second team (2011, 2012).
• Four-time GCAC All-Conference.
• 2011 Chicago Sun-Times Top 35 Players to Watch.
• 2011 Chicago Sun-Times Top 100 Softball Players.
• 2010 Chicago Tribune all-state honorable mention.
• Helped lead Trinity High to a second place state 3A finish in 2010, to regional championships in 2011 and 2013, and to a section championship in 2012.
• Finished high school with 47 career home runs.
• Played travel ball for Illinois Chill, who finished second in Chicago Metro in 2012, first at the 2013 Queen of Diamonds Tournament and second at the 2013 Chicagoland PGF qualifier.

Personal

• Born Nicole Priscilla Evans.
• Daughter of Penny and Dave Weinstein, and Kevin and Nancy Evans.
• Has two younger siblings, Merrick and Jared.
• Father, Kevin Evans, played basketball at Marycrest College, and step-father Dave Weinstein played Tennis at Illinois in 1978.
• Trinity High School Salutatorian.
• Illinois State Scholar.
• President's Award for Academic Excellence.
• 2013 Spanish Award.
• 2012 Trinity High Third in Class Scholarship.
• 2012 English Award.
• 2011 Trinity High Second in Class Scholarship.
• 2011 Chemistry Award.
• 2010 Trinity High Blazer Award.
• Three-time First Full Honors (2010, 2011, 2012).
• Two-time Student of the Year (2010, 2011).
• Majoring in Kinesiology.

Getting to Know Nicole

Career Plans: Sports medicine doctor or physical therapist
Fun Fact: My mom's name is Penny so my team calls me Nickel
Restaurant you have to get to when going back home: Rigatoni's
Favorite Midnight Snack: Mango
Three things on your "bucket list": Surf, volunteer in another country, meet the President
What are you most proud of and why? Being second in my class, because it took a lot to balance softball with school.
Favorite Quote: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is we are powerful beyond measure."
Weirdest Quirk: I am a neat freak
If I could visit any place in the world, where would you choose and why? Paris; it has always been my dream.
Secret talent: I've been told I am a decent singer.