UIS Prairie Stars play a fun brand of softball
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Danielle Dennis, a Williamsville HS graduate, returns to the UIS Prairie Stars this season after earning all-conference and all-region honors last year.
The UIS softball team got off to a slow season in 2021, but eventually they were off and running. Literally. The Prairie Stars finished fourth in the country in stolen bases. But this isn’t a team that simply manufactures runs. The lineup also features some big bats and finished third in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in slugging percentage last year. Which is to say, you’ll be in for some exciting softball when you head out for a game this spring.
“We have a very fun group of athletes on our team. Our games are fast paced, we steal a lot of bases, and we’re going to have a tough pitching staff this season,” says Head Coach Shannon Guthrie.
The GLVC is one of the top softball conferences in the country, featuring talented players and highly competitive teams squaring off throughout the spring. UIS hit their stride late in the season last year, winning ten of their final 14 games, and they are ready to carry that momentum into 2022.
“During that stretch our team figured out how to battle, and every weekend is a battle in the GLVC conference,” Shannon says. “We have seven players on this year’s roster that have been playing now for four years at the collegiate level, and this experience is going to be key in guiding us toward our goal of getting back to the NCAA Tournament.”
Shannon is entering her eighth season as head coach of the Prairie Stars. She has built this current team using in-state talent, with 17 of the rostered players hailing from Illinois. Those from the area include Carolyn Franke from Chatham, Reagan Miles from Rochester, Payton Long from Williamsville and newcomer Addy McClure who played high school ball for the A.C. Central/Porta co-op program.
“We have really worked hard to get the best softball players from the Springfield area and we have some really great area players this year to watch,” adds Shannon.
Leading the Prairie Stars this season will be another Williamsville alum, Danielle Dennis. An infielder who plays multiple positions, Danielle was named both all-GLVC and all-region last year and has high expectations for herself and her teammates for 2022.
“I’m very excited for this upcoming season and to get things started. I feel we have put a lot of time and effort into developing a strong team bond, which will help us throughout the season,” Danielle says. “We all know what is required from each of us and sticking together will help us accomplish those goals together.”
If you want to see some exciting softball and support the Prairie Stars, check out their schedule at: uisprairiestars.com/sports/softball/schedule/2022. You’ll be in for a great time.
“It will be a great season, and we can’t wait to watch our team play hard and have a lot of fun throughout the process,” Shannon says.
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