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University of Illinois Athletics

2019 Softball Roster

Libby Knight / Illinois Athletics
Libby Knight / Illinois Athletics

77 Stephanie Abello

  • Position Catcher
  • Height 5-4
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Batavia, Ill.
  • High School Benet Academy

Biography

The student-athlete referred to here as Stephanie Abello now goes by Stephyn and uses he/him pronouns.

Senior - 2019

  • Played in 44 games this season, starting 28 of them
  • Hit .237 with 10 R, 22 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 41 TB, 16 BB, 1 HBP
  • Paced the team with a 3-for-3 effort with a home run in a win over Illinois State (4/3).
  • Went 2-for-2 with four RBI, a double and a run in a win over UCSB (3/15).
  • Posted a 3-for-3 effort at the plate in a win over Tulsa (3/1).
  • Went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and a run against No. 22 Oklahoma State (2/9).
  • Knocked a two-run double against Sam Houston State (2/10).

Junior - 2018

  • NFCA All-Midwest Region First-Team
  • All-Big Ten Second Team
  • CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-District First-Team 
  • Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete
  • Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
  • Academic All-Big Ten
  • Chi Alpha Sigma Inductee
  • Fighting Illini Scholar Athlete Award (Junior class)
  • Started 50 of the 51 games she played in
  • Ranked fourth on the team with a .353 batting average, with 19 R, 53 H, 10 2B, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 75 TB, 29 BB, 7 HBP
  • Recorded a .977 fielding percentage with 147 putouts and 20 assists
  • Paced the Illini with 29 walks and a .476 on-base percentage, and ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, in the Big Ten, while also sitting 12th with 42 RBI and 13th with seven hit-by-pitches. 
  • Registered the longest reached base streak - 12 games - on the team.
  • Notched five hits - including two doubles - and five RBI in the Penn State series.
  • Totaled five hits and four RBI in sweeps of Green Bay and Iowa.
  • Posted a .556 batting average with five hits (1 2B), five RBI and four runs in the Maryland series.
  • Led the Illini in a doubleheader vs. Northwestern (3/28/18) with a .800 average on the day, including four hits, three runs and five RBI.
  • Registered a .400 batting average in a series win at Purdue with 4 hits (1 2B, 1 HR), with four RBI and two runs scored.
  • Co-leader with eight hits with a pair of doubles and a .471 batting average at the Coach B Classic, while also posting six RBI and two runs.
  • Notched a 3-for-4 with three RBI vs. Northern Illinois (3/2).
  • Posted a .444 batting average with four hits, one double, one RBI and one run at the B1G/ ACC Challenge.
  • Went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double vs. Louisville (2/11).

Sophomore - 2017

  • NFCA All-Region First-Team
  • Big Ten All-Tournament Team
  • CoSIDA Academic All-District First-Team
  • Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
  • Academic All-Big Ten
  • Fighting Illini Scholar Athlete Award (Sophomore class)
  • Saw action in 58 games, starting all but two contests and mainly playing behind the plate
  • .307 BA, 27 R, 51 H, 11 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 41 RBI, 103 TB, 19 BB, .620 slugging percentage, .388 OBP
  • .973 fielding percentage, 158 PO, 24 A
  • .259 BA in Big Ten action, 9 R, 15 H, 5 2B, 5 HR, 16 RBI, 35 TB, 9 BB, .603 slugging percentage, .386 OBP
  • Threw out 18 of 47 runners trying to steal, ranking second in the Big Ten in caught stolen base attempts
  • Ranked sixth in the conference and second on the team with 13 home runs, ranked 12th in the league with a .620 slugging percentage and was second on the team with 41 RBI
  • Held a team high 11-game hitting streak during the season
  • Led Illini with a .333 batting average with two hits (2B, HR), three RBI and a run in the Big Ten Tournament
  • Registered a .400 batting average with two hits - both doubles - three RBI and a run in the series against Wisconsin
  • Knocked three hits - including a triple and a home run - at the LSU Invitational

Freshman - 2016

  • Appeared in 28 games, starting 23, mainly seeing action behind the plate
  • Registered a .238 batting average with 8 R, 15 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 12 RBI, 22 TB
  • .979 fielding percentage with 86 putouts, 9 assists, 2 errors
  • Hit first-career triple vs. Nebraska (March 25)
  • Knocked two hits against Long Beach State (March 18) and Seattle (March 20)
  • Recorded two runs against Weber State (March 7)
  • Had three double-digit RBI games

High School

  • A four-year starter for Benet Academy under head coach Jerry Schilf.
  • A talented slugger, she collected 60 career home runs and 211 RBIs, slugging over .800 all four years including 1.176 as a junior.
  • Broke the Illinois state home run record on April 15, 2015, going on to post six more career home runs than the previous record holder.
  • Hit a personal-best 22 home runs as a junior in 2014, which ties for third-best in IHSA history.
  • Burst onto the scene as a freshman, hitting .415 wtih 13 home runs and 53 RBIs, then hit .550 with a 1.112 slugging percentage as a sophomore.
  • 2013 NFCA All-American First Team. 
  • 2014 NFCA All-American Second Team. 
  • Two-time All-Region First Team (2013, 2014).
  • Two-time Illinois Coaches Association All-State First Team (2013, 2014).
  • 2013 Naperville Sun Player of the Year.
  • Two-time Naperville Sun All-Area First Team (2013, 2015).
  • Three-time Chicago Sun Times All-Area First Team (2012, 2013, 2014). 
  • Three-time Daily Herald All-Area (2013, 2014, 2015).
  • 2012 Chicago Tribune All-State Special Mention.
  • Three-time East Suburban Catholic Conference All-Conference (2013, 2014, 2015).
  • Three-time Benet Academy Offensive Player of the Year (2013, 2014, 2015).
  • Led the Benet Academy Redwings to a regional championship in 2013.
  • A member of the Wasco Diamonds for nearly 10 years.
  • Led the Diamonds to the 2011 USSA National Championship and was named MVP of the USSA National Tournament.
  • Helped Wasco to the Oklahoma City Hall of Fame Tournament title in 2015 following a third-place finish in 2014.
  • Claimed Chicago Metro Championships in 2008, 2011 and 2013.

Personal

  • Born Stephanie Abello on July 7, 1997.
  • Daughter of Kim and Oscar Abello.
  • Has three siblings, Michelle, Michael and Kerry.
  • Graduated from Benet Academy with High Honors.
  • An ESCC Scholar Athlete.
  • A National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar.

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 77

    2016Freshman

    C/1B
    5'4"
    77
  • 77

    2017Sophomore

    C/1B
    5'4"
    77
  • 77

    2018Junior

    Catcher
    5'4"
    77
  • 77

    2019Senior

    Catcher
    5'4"
    77