2004 News

April 12: Diamond Dawgs Softball Notebag

Despite having a present three-game losing streak, Ferris State has won 11 of its last 15 outings to date. The Diamond Dawgs' eight-game winning string, which ended with a 2-1 conference setback to Hillsdale in game two of last Friday's doubleheader, was its longest since the 2000 campaign when FSU finished the season winners of 10 straight.

Junior pitcher Rachel Chartier (Marquette) has recorded a team-leading 0.98 earned run average in 43.0 innings this season in contests won by Ferris State. She's 7-0 in such outings this spring while allowing 27 hits, eight runs (six earned), 11 walks and 15 strikeouts.

Senior designated player Danielle Maxwell (Bay City/Western) went six-for-seven at the plate (.857 batting average) with six RBIs in the two-game conference series at Saginaw Valley State (4/6). All of her six base hits in the two-game set were singles. Maxwell's 26 base hits in 24 contests this campaign already exceeds her last season's 17-hit total in 20 games.

Sophomore outfielder Emily McLean (Rogers City) belted her first home run of the season with a two-run shot in game one against Hillsdale (4/9). McLean has three career roundtrippers to date in 48 contests.

Senior first baseman Nicki Merchant (Wayland) is currently tied with Casey Munger (1996-99) for eighth place on FSU's all-time RBIs leaders list with a 74 career total in 164 outings. She's now eight away from moving into a seventh-place tie with Anne Koltvedt (1998-01). Merchant's 16 RBIs to date this season equals her total in her initial two Bulldog campaigns. She compiled a career-high 26 RBIs a season ago in 48 contests.

Ferris State is averaging a combined 18.3 runs per outing (73 total) in the first four innings of a contest and 14.0 runs (42 total) in the last three frames of a regulation seven-inning encounter.

In its initial 30 games this season, the Bulldogs are batting .292 (252-862) in comparison to .264 (215-815) last campaign. FSU also has registered a 2.54 earned run average (77 earned runs) in 212.0 innings pitched compared to last year's 3.38 team earned run average (100 earned runs) in 207.0 innings.

Junior catcher Melissa Worsley (Midland) is hitting .328 (22-67) in 23 outings this spring and has improved her batting average by 98 points to date after batting .230 (14-61) in her initial 19 games last season over a 30-game comparison chart. Worsley's 16 RBI total this campaign surpasses her nine RBI output from each of her previous two seasons.

Freshman pitcher Jenna Thiede's (LaSalle/Airport) five saves in 18 appearances this spring already ties for the second-highest save total in school history. Thiede is currently tied with Jennifer Colvin (1999-02) with Amy Kilbourn's (1992-95) 16 career saves representing FSU's all-time mark.

FSU is 57-18-0 (.760 winning pct.) in its all-time series against Lake Superior State, 15-2-0 versus Mercyhurst and 14-6-0 against Gannon. Head coach Keri Becker owns a combined 37-5-0 coaching mark (.881) against the three conference opponents.