Career Highlights:
- 105 career games played
- MVC All-Tournament Team (2023)
- Featured on ESPN Sports Center Top Ten Plays (April 8)
- Walked-off Drake with an 2-RBI double in the bottom of the fifth on April 5, 2022
- Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete (2021, 2022, 2023)
- MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award (2021,2022, 2023)
- MVC Honor Roll (2020, 2021)
- MVC Regular Season Champions (2021)
Senior (2023): Played in 51 games for the ‘Birds making 44 starts while posting 99 at-bats…Featured on ESPN Sports Center Top Ten Plays for a diving catch into the tarp on the right field line (April 8)…MVC All-Tournament Team…NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete…Posted career-highs in runs scored (12), hits (16), doubles (4), home runs (3) and RBIs (14)…Earned a career high in putouts (70), assists (6), while only committing one error on the season to post a .987 fielding percentage…Went 2-for-3 with a home run, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored to help Illinois State defeat UIC 15-6 (April 2)…Went 1-for-3 with 2RBIs and 1 run scored to help defeat Evansville 7-3 (April 30).
Junior (2022): Appeared in 35 games with 21 starts primarily in right field…Held a reached base safely streak of five consecutive games from April 9 to April 19…First hit of the season came in a pinch hit appearance against Delaware where she knocked an RBI single…Went a perfect 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored in the 11-0 victory over Florida Atlantic (March 5)…Had a 2-for-3 showing against UNI prior to conference season (March 11) with a walk and a run scored…Knocked her lone double of the season versus Drake (April 5), driving in two runs in the bottom of the fifth to walk-off the Bulldogs 8-0 in a Redbird run rule victory…Recorded an RBI in the MVC Tournament win over No. 3 Southern Illinois by drawing a bases loaded four-pitch walk to add to the Redbirds’ lead in the fifth inning…Finished the season with 18 putouts, three assists and five errors.
Sophomore (2021): Appeared in 16 games for the Redbirds mainly as a pinch hitter … drew walks against Pittsburgh (March 6), Coastal Carolina (March 7), and Indiana State (March 20) to reach base safely in three consecutive appearances … first hit on the season was an RBI-single in a 7-2 victory over Depaul (April 13) where she went 1-for-2 with a hit, RBI and run scored … hit her lone double of the season in a pinch hit appearance against Southern Illinois (May 14) in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament … ended the season with .471 on base percentage with a total three hits and five walks.
Freshman (2020): Appeared in three games, while making two starts, in her first season as a Redbird … Made first collegiate start in left field against Georgia State (Feb. 8) … Recorded a season-high three at-bats in a 7-3 win over Southern University (March 9) … Shortened season due to COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of events and championships by the NCAA.
United Township HS: Four-year member of United Township High School's softball and swimming and diving teams … Four-year member of her high school's varsity basketball team … Four-time all-conference and all-metro honoree in softball … Named Team MVP her sophomore season … Helped her team win regionals her freshman season, before tying as conference champions her sophomore year … Received second-team All-State honors her junior year ... Earned academic all-conference honors for her success in the classroom … Named a team captain with her softball team in 2019 … Won the Western Big 6 Female Athlete of the Year (Don Morris Multi-Sport Award) her senior year.
Personal: Daughter of Rich LaFountaine and Jennifer Nelson … Born Oct. 6 in Silvis, Illinois … Has three siblings, Sheri Novak, Michael LaFountaine and Brittni LaFountaine … Sister, Brittni, is a current member of the Redbird softball team … Chose ISU because of the softball program and coaching staff, the University itself and the proximity to home.
