Biography
2026 (Junior): Irby appeared in 44 games and made 29 starts during her first season with the Hawks. She hit .216 with a .255 on-base percentage and a .289 slugging percentage, recording four doubles, one home run, 11 RBIs, and surpassed 100 career RBIs by the end of the season. She made her Quincy debut against Kentucky Wesleyan (2/6/26), going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk.
Irby hit her first home run in a Hawk uniform in game one against Missouri-St. Louis (4/26/26), finishing 3-for-3 with three RBIs in the same game she surpassed 100 career RBIs. Defensively, she was steady at first base, posting a .984 fielding percentage while committing just two errors in 126 chances.
She also returned to the circle late in the season for the first time since her freshman year at Black Hawk, making five relief appearances. Irby went 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, four strikeouts, and a .229 opponent batting average across 9.1 innings. She made her first pitching appearance for the Hawks against Lincoln (4/25/26), throwing three innings with two strikeouts, before earning her first collegiate win in game two against Missouri-St. Louis (4/26/26) after tossing two perfect innings in Quincy's walk-off Senior Day victory.
-Â Â GLVC Academic All-Conference
2025 (Sophomore at Black Hawk): Irby continued to produce at a high level in her second season at Black Hawk College, appearing in 65 games and hitting .365 with a .424 on-base percentage and a .542 slugging percentage. She recorded 22 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 53 RBIs, 31 runs scored, and 17 walks.
Defensively, Irby posted a .987 fielding percentage, committing just four errors in 299 chances. She finished the season with 21 multi-hit games, including seven three-hit performances, and put together two separate seven-game hitting streaks.
2024 (Freshman at Black Hawk): Irby put together a standout freshman season at Black Hawk College, appearing in 55 games and posting a .413 batting average, .490 on-base percentage, and .698 slugging percentage across 172 at-bats. She recorded 19 doubles, 10 home runs, 39 RBIs, 39 runs scored, and 22 walks.
Defensively, Irby finished with a .954 fielding percentage, committing nine errors in 194 chances. She made her collegiate debut against North Iowa Area (2/16/24), recording her first career hit. Irby hit her first collegiate home run in a win over Carl Sandburg College (4/4/24), then followed with her first career multi-home run game in game two of the doubleheader. She finished the season with 20 multi-hit games, including a stretch of five consecutive games with two or more hits.
Irby also saw time in the circle, making four appearances with one start. She threw 13.2 innings, struck out six batters, and made her collegiate pitching debut against Indian Hills Community College (2/18/24).
Personal: Hailee Irby is a native of Pekin, Illinois, and a graduate of Pekin Community High School. She is the daughter of Tim and Amber Irby and has one sibling, Landon. During her high school career, Irby competed for the Dragons and earned Second Team All-Conference honors as a senior.
Before transferring to Quincy, Irby spent two seasons at Black Hawk College. As a sophomore, she earned Infield All-Conference honors and helped lead the Braves to an AAC Softball Championship, Region 4 title, and NJCAA World Series berth.
Outside of softball, Irby enjoys spending time with family and friends, boating, and going on walks. Her favorite athlete is Anthony Rizzo, and she is a fan of the Chicago Bears.
