FERRIS STATE SOFTBALL SIGNS THREE MORE PLAYERS TO NLIs

Three In-State Players Will Be Joining The Bulldogs For The 2007 Season

The trio join catcher-utility player Rachel Mueller (Valencia, Calif.) and outfielder Rachel Wade (Canton) as members of the 2006 Ferris State recruiting class.

"This group will continue to raise the competitive bar on our team," said Becker. "Flores and Widman bring both speed, movement and a great deal of future potential to the pitcher's circle. They will compliment what I believe is already a solid core of pitchers who are returning to our squad this upcoming season.

"Nieman will also raise the bar for the position players as she has the ability to fill any of the holes left in the outfield or the infield," Becker added.

A three-sport team captain at Southgate (Mich.) Anderson High School, Flores is a three-time (2004-06) varsity letterwinner in softball, basketball, and volleyball. As a senior in softball this season, Flores has compiled a 3-4 pitching mark with a 0.29 earned run average in 49 innings for head coach Rick Kruger's squad. She has registered 63 strikeouts and three shutouts in seven appearances this spring. At the plate, Flores is batting .333 with 11 base hits in 33 at bats to go with four runs scored, three doubles, one home run, eight RBIs, and .486 on-base percentage. In her junior season, she played an integral part in SAHS win the Division I Mega Red District Championship and then participated in the 18 Under ASA Nationals in Columbus, Ga., during the summmer of 2005. The 5-8 Flores garnered all-region and team Most Valuable Player honors in volleyball while receiving honorable mention all-conference laurels in basketball for the second straight season. She competed for the Michigan Elite National Volleyball Club and also for the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Klash softball team. Flores has also been involved in the Big Sisters Club and the Class Congress for three years.

The daughter of Ruben Flores and Helem Porath, Rhea is undecided about her major field of study at Ferris State.

"We're excited to sign Rhea during last November's early-signing period and thought she had a lot of upside then," said Becker. "We now see how much she has continued to improve throughout her senior year and we are now certain we have another gem addition to our pitching staff. She's a hard thrower with a lot of movement on her pitches and we look for her to make an immediate imppact in the circle."

Nieman has turned in a productive softball career at Freeland (Mich.) High School to date in which she earned all-state, all-regional, and All-Tri Valley West Conference First-Team plaudits as a junior in the 2005 season. Nieman, who was also recognized as a first-team all-area honoree by both the Saginaw News and Midland Daily News, batted .457 with 59 hits in 129 at bats while totaling 47 runs, six doubles, nine triples, seven home runs, 41 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, and a .806 slugging percentage as a member of head coach Dan Behmlander's team. The second baseman received the team's Hustle Award during her junior year. The 5-5 Nieman hit for a .396 average with 38 hits in 96 at bats over a 34-game period as a sophomore in the 2004 campaign. She also scored 36 runs to go with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs, 24 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and a .604 slugging percentage en route to picking up all-league first-team, all-district and Midland Daily News First-Team accolades. As a freshman in 2003, Nieman posted a .346 batting average with 28 hits in 81 official plate appearances while scoring 25 runs. The 2003 first-team all-conference performer compiled five doubles, four triples, one roundtripper, 27 RBIs and a .543 slugging percentage. In her three-year prep career, the Falcons have amassed a combined 103-9 overall record while capturing two state championship titles and three conference championship crowns.

The daughter of Scott Nieman and Melody Becker, Ashley also participated four years in basketball at FHS and is a two-year Honor Society Member. Her aunt, Jamie Nieman, was a national gymnastics champion and her sister, Jessica Nieman, was an all-around high school state champion in gymnastics as a sophomore.

"Ashley is an outstanding athlete who possesses a great deal of speed and natural talent," said Becker. "While she is currently an infielder, we (the coaching staff) believe she has the ability to play just about anywhere. This is what we love about her and I look for her to provide a lot of options for this Bulldog team."

Widman, a two-time (2004-05) All-Capital Area Activities Conference (CAAC) and two-time (2004-05) all-district honoree at Jackson (Mich.) Lumen Christi High School under head coach Marti Jenkins, was batting .333 with 12 hits in 39 at bats this spring through 14 contests. She has registered two doubles and seven RBIs while posting a .389 slugging percentage and a .385 on-base percentage. In the pitching circle, Widman is 6-2 with a 0.27 earned run average and 56 strikeouts in 52 innings. As a junior in 2005, she achieved both all-region and team Most Valuable Player honors as a result of registering a 17-6 pitching record with a 1.34 earned run average and 171 strikeouts in 167 innings of work as the Titans placed second in the final CAAC Division II standings. The 5-1 Widman hit for .293 average with 16 hits in 83 at bats to go along with 11 runs scored, 14 RBIs, three stolen bases, and a .329 slugging percentage in 35 games.

The daughter of Steve and Denise Widman of Jackson, Mich., Cathy also competed two seasons (2005-06) on the school's varsity bowling team. She was also active in the Drama Club, Pep Club, French Club, and yearbook staff at LCCHS. Widman plans to study business administration at FSU.

"Cathy is another pitcher who we feel very fortunate to have as a Bulldog," Becker stated. "She also throws the ball with quite a bit of movement and will keep batters guessing as she outsmarts them from the circle. She's an enthusiastic and motivated young lady who has a promising career ahead of her and we are anxious to see her in a Ferris State uniform starting this fall."