Wagner named preseason All-Big Ten team member

Senior Amanda Wagner has been named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Softball Team, according to a list released by CollegeSportsMadness.com.

The infielder from Burbank, Ill., was the only Hoosier to be named on the list as a second team member following a 30-25 season in 2012, when she was named the team’s Most Valuable Player.

As a junior, Wagner started all 55 games and led the team with a .343 hitting average, 49 hits, 37 runs batted in and nine home runs.

Her 57.6 on-base percentage in Big Ten play was the best in the conference, while her .717 slugging average ranked third. At the end of the season, Wagner was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten.

Heading into the 2013 campaign, Wagner will be one of only four seniors on the roster, which includes infielder Breanna Saucedo and outfielders Kelsey Brannon and Samantha Heyman.

She and her Hoosier teammates will open the season when they play against Arizona State on Feb. 8 in Tempe, Ariz.

— Jordan Littman