Eastern Illinois University Athletics

2012:  Saw action as the starter at first base in 12 contests, as well as designated hitter... nailed her third career double... tallied a career-best 14 putouts vs. Louisiana Tech... finished her Panther career with a .170 bat off 24 hits, eight runs and five homers... OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll, including Medalist honors.

2011:  Nailed 12 total hits on the year, playing mostly as a designated hitter, while also seeing time at first base... nailed two doubles and four homers on the year to notch 17 RBI and 26 total bases... blasted a grand slam as EIU routed Manhattan at the Rebel Games in Florida... finished with a fine .605 slug %... finished with a pair of multi-hit games and four multi-RBI contests... bested her single-game career statistical numbers seven times over the course of the year... OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll ... First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District V ... Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-America.

2010: Seeing limited action, Amanda started in five of the 14 total contests that she participated in as a sophomore... played evenly at third base and as designed hitter... had only one hit on the year, but it did bring home a Panther run... also walked five times.

2009: Saw action in 30 games, starting 12 as the designated hitter and the other nine games at first base... hit in the eighth spot of the lineup 19 times... finished with six RBIs off seven hits, scoring three runs in her freshman season... at first base, she earned 48 put-outs, two assists and just three miscues, for a .943 fielding average... was able to advance an EIU runner 40% of the time... went 2-for-8 when pinch-hitting... nailed her lone homer in the Panthers’ win over New Mexico State, which helped EIU win the season-opening tournament... had a season-high nine put-outs versus Drake in the middle of March... recorded a four-game hitting streak at one point in the season, while also tallying a couple of two-RBI games

HIGH SCHOOL: Amanda was a three-year varsity letter-winner for coach Jim Holba… also lettered in basketball and volleyball… NFCA Second Team All-State honoree in 2008… two-time all-conference and Daily Southtown All-Area selection as an upperclassman… team MVP in softball as a senior… senior year team captain in both basketball and softball… 2008 coach’s award winner in basketball… 2007 most-improved player in basketball… helped lead Andrew to conference and regional championships in 2006 and 2007… Southtown Star Best and Brightest list… eight-time Scholar-Athlete award winner… four-year high honor roll student… Illinois State Scholar… also played for the Orland Park Sparks summer team.

PERSONAL:  No. 1 sports highlight was “hitting a pinch-hit, walk-off homerun against New Mexico State” my freshman year at EIU”… her father has been a major influence on her sports career “because he has always believed in me and is my biggest fan”… most admires Mr. Buksa, her eighth grade volleyball coach, because “he not only taught me skills of the game, but related sports to my life. He was always teaching and is a mentor to me today”… her father was selected to tryout for the Chicago White Sox. 

OFF THE FIELD WITH AMANDA:  A kinesiology & sports studies... with a minor in health studies... daughter of Bob & Faith Bilina... chose EIU “because it’s a home away from home... a nice family atmosphere”... her favorite food dish is her dad’s kugulis... going to Riviera Maya, Mexico was one of her most unique travel destinations... her hobbies include scrapbooking and  photography... enjoys watching Degrassi and Bride Wars on tv, plus anything with Gerard Butler... her favorite pro squad is the Chicago Cubs... currently driving a 2010 Hyundai Accent... recently enjoyed taking a class taught by Dr. Ronspies in elementary Phys. Ed.... her advice for a younger athlete would be “if it was easy, everyone would do it”... her favorite quote comes via Marilyn Monroe -- “everything happens for a reason... people change so you can learn to let go... things go wrong so you can appreciate them when they are right... good things fall apart so better things can fall together."