2024 Softball Roster
Jersey Number 31
Megan Ward
- Position:
- Infielder
- Height:
- 5-6
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- McDonald, Ohio
- High School:
- McDonald HS
- Prev School:
- Dayton
 University of Illinois Graduate |
Senior - 2024
- Academic All-Big Ten
- Team Captain
- CSC Academic All-District
- Started all 52 games
- Slashed .323/.379/.345
- Amassed 52 hits and 31 runs
- Third on the team in runs scored
- One of four Illini players to tally a triple this year
- Posted 14 multi-hit games
- Scored three runs against Dartmouth (3/16/24), South Dakota (3/15/24) and SIUE (3/27/24)
- Logged a double on seven different occasions
- Recorded a triple against Dartmouth (3/16/24)
- Tallied three RBI against Minnesota (5/8/24)
- Logged a stolen base against McNeese (3/2/24), Michigan (3/17/24) and California (2/23/24)
- Posted a .911 fielding percentage for the year
Junior - 2023
- Academic All-Big Ten
- CSC All-District
- Started all 56 games at shortstop
- Slashed .286/.396/.337
- Logged 44 his and 21 runs
- Tallied 11 extra base hits with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs
- Notched 19 RBI and 10 walks
- Recorded three hits against Ohio State (4/15/23)
- Posted a triple at Wisconsin (4/2/23) and Michigan State (4/22/23)
- Logged a home runs against Sam Houston (2/24/23) and Indiana State (4/18/23)
- Scored three runs against Ohio State (4/15/23)
- Logged two RBI against Maryland (5/5/23)
- Went 6-for-8 in stolen bases on the year
- Tallied two sac flies and three sac bunts
- Posted a .945 fielding percentage with 73 putouts, 100 assists and 10 errors.
Sophomore - 2022
- Appeared in all 56 games for the Illini, starting 55 at shortstop
- Hit .315 with 56 hits, 16 doubles (team best) and 25 RBI in her debut season with the Illini
- Posted a .368 on-base percentage and .404 slugging rate
- Owned a .919 fielding percentage with 57 putouts and 80 assists
- Swiped eight bases
- 11 multi-hit games including six performances with three hits
- Six multi-RBI games including a three-RBI outing against No. 8 Northwestern (4/20/22)
- Season-best 10-game hitting streak and 11-game reached base streak
- Went 3-for-4 in NCAA Regional game vs. Arizona (5/20/22)
- Made Illini debut scoring a run vs. Central Arkansas (2/11/22)
Freshman - 2021 (Dayton)
- NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region Second Team
- A10 Second-Team All-Conference
- A10 All-Tournament Team
- A10 All-Rookie Team
- Led the A10 conference in hits (68) and led the team in batting average (.417), runs (28) and assists (71)
- Started in 47 games as a true freshman
High School
- Holds the OHSAA record for career batting average (.692)
- Two-Time All-MVAC First-team
- 2017 ITCL First-Team
- Played club ball for the Beverly Bandits
Illini Softball | Ava Moore Media Availability 1/29/2025
Wednesday, January 29
Illini Softball | Karley Yergler Media Availability 1/29/2025
Wednesday, January 29
Illini Softball | Head Coach Tyra Perry Availability 1/29/2025
Wednesday, January 29
ILLINI SB | Berkmeyer Catching Runners
Tuesday, June 11
