University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

Casey Leisgang, a shortstop-second baseman, was a second-team NFCA All-American who hit a school-record .477 in leading the Blugolds to an NCAA national championship in 2008. A four-year letterwinner and four-time All-Conference first-team selection, Leisgang finds her name sprinkled throughout the WIAC and UWEC single season and career record books. At the time of her induction, she shared the school and conference career records for home runs with 38. As a senior, she set the school single season batting average (.477), slugging percentage (.824) and on base percentage (.559) marks. She ranked second in the conference in runs scored (184) and walks (88). A career .395 hitter with 687 plate appearances, Leisgang struck out just 51 times while drawing 88 bases on balls. Among her honors, Leisgang was selected to the WIAC’s All-Centennial team in 2012 after being named a second-team NFCA All-American in 2008 and the conference’s position co-Player of the Year in 2006. In each of her four seasons, she was named to either the first or second Great Lakes All-Region team. When the Blugolds swept through the 2008 national tournament unbeaten, Leisgang earned a spot on the All-Tournament team. 

During her career, the Blugolds won two regular season conference titles and two conference tournament crowns. Ironically, the Blugolds’ national championship came in a season in which they placed third in both the conference regular season and conference tournament. But they powered through the regional and national tournaments unbeaten in eight games, topping conference champion UW-Whitewater for the national title. The Blugolds won 144 games during Leisgang’s career against just 42 losses. They were 18-4 in NCAA tournament play, reaching the regional final in 2006 and taking third in 2007 before bringing home the first-place trophy in 2008.

Leisgang competed against the U.S. National Softball Team in a pre-Olympic exhibition game in 2008 and recorded the Midwest All-Star’s only hit of the game. Leisgang’s illustrious Blugold career followed on the heels of a stellar prep career at Seymour High School where she was All-State in softball, the Bay Conference Player of the Year in volleyball and a three-time All-Conference player in basketball. A 2009 graduate of UWEC with a journalism major and history minor, Leisgang has been employed by Plexus Corp. , which is headquartered in Neenah, since 2010. At the time of her induction, she was the Manager of ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) Market Analysis and Strategic Communications, supporting environmentally sustainable and responsible operations and customer products, diversity and inclusion and ethical business practices.

In addition to a successful career with Plexus, Leisgang has been involved in giving back to various communities in a number of ways. She served on the coaching staff at East Ridge High School in Woodbury, Minnesota in the first year of its softball program. She was the varsity girls basketball coach at Seymour HS for three seasons, taking one team to the regional final and served as assistant softball coach at St. Norbert College for five seasons, making one NCAA regional tournament appearance and coaching the school home run record holder. She also served as a WIAA basketball official for seven seasons and was selected to officiate three WIAA Girls State Tournaments. Leisgang resides in the Denver, Colorado metro area and is a fervent supporter of anti-gun violence/common sense gun law organizations. She fundraises for Movember, a global organization focused on mental health, suicide prevention and cancer prevention among men. She has volunteered time and donated resources to various organizations in the Denver Metro, including Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, The Delores Project, an organization providing a safe shelter and services to unaccompanied women and transgender individuals experiencing homelessness, and the Denver Rescue Mission, serving the needs of the homeless and needy in the Denver Metro.