NAPERVILLE, Ill. – North Park Softball tied an all-time second best with four selections to the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) all-conference team, announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon. Senior left fielder Eden Baker and freshman Miabella Collazo were first-teamers and each picked up specialty awards while senior shortstop Kayla Lorenz and senior catcher Katie Patton garnered second-team recognition.
A strong junior campaign took and even bigger leap in 2026 as Baker surged in power production at the plate. Coupled with her speed, Baker became a true five-tool player in her senior year. In conference play, the outfielder from Lafayette, Indiana ranked top 10 in six different offensive categories: Hits (23, t-3rd), Triples (3, t-1st), Runs (16, 6th), Batting Average (.442, 7th), Slugging Percentage (.692, 8th), and OPS (1.174, 8th). Baker drove six extra-base hits in conference play and swiped five bases, adding 10 RBI. Additionally, she made just one error in conference play while roaming around left field to constantly take hits away from her opponents. She fielded .968 with a pair of assists and 28 putouts, leading to CCIW Defensive Player of the Year recognition. Baker capped the regular season by becoming the program's all-time leader in triples (16) and stolen bases (45).
Collazo was one of just two freshmen to land on the first team this year, joining Augustana's Madi Bickell. The second baseman from Chicago, Illinois tied for sixth with 21 conference hits and her six doubles tied for the conference lead with Millikin's Summer Wynn. She hit a blistering .412 against CCIW pitching with 11 runs scored, a .569 SLG%, a .446 OBP. She enjoyed seven multi-hit games, including finishing the regular season 5-for-9 at Millikin. Collazo played a smooth second base for Coach Katie Anderson, picking it at a .984 rate with just one error, adding 23 assists and 39 putouts to. Her standout freshman year led to First-Year Player of the Year honors by the CCIW coaches. Collazo becomes the first Viking freshman to secure first-team all-conference honors since Kaity Olson in 2014.
Lorenz becomes the first player in program history to earn all-conference honors in each of her four seasons. The everyday shortstop from Vernon Hills, Illinois is North Park's all-time RBI leader (119) and ended conference play slugging .436 with four extra-base hits and 8 RBI. She logged six games with multiple hits against conference pitching, including a 4-for-5 game one at Millikin that led the Vikings to a win over the Big Blue. In the field, Lorenz fielded at a .944 rate with 42 assists and 26 putouts.
Patton was a stalwart defender for the Vikings behind the plate, catching four runners stealing while not allowing a passed ball in conference play. The backstop from Evanston, Illinois carried a slash line of .348/.388/.457 with 10 RBI, four extra-base hits, and three runs scored. She fielded .957 with five assists, 40 putouts, and the aforementioned four caught-stealing's. Patton ended the regular season with hits in eight hits in her past six games played. She becomes just the second catcher in program history to earn all-conference recognition, joining Heather Fitzgerald's recognition after the 2000 season.
Additionally, Kayla Sapolu was the North Park representative for the CCIW's RESPECT Award.
RESPECT Award
At the conclusion of every sports season, each varsity program will recognize one student-athlete as their RESPECT Award honoree. RESPECT Award recipients have distinguished themselves as an integral member of the team, their institution and community by upholding the values of Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration and Trust. The RESPECT Award recognizes the intangible traits a student-athlete possesses that exemplify great character and encourages inclusiveness and a positive culture.
