FERRIS STATE SOFTBALL SIGNS THREE PREP STANDOUTS FOR 2006
All Three Diamond Dawgs’ Recruits Earned All-State Recognition
 | Head Coach Keri Becker announced the signing of three talented recruits to play softball at Ferris State starting in 2006. |
The Ferris State University softball team will welcome three high school standouts to its 2006 roster as the trio have all signed a National Letter of Intent to attend and play softball at FSU in an announcement made by eighth-year head coach Keri Becker.
The early-period signees are McKenzie West (Jenison), Krystle Bailey (Wyoming/Rogers), and Mandy Parish (Dowagiac Union), who will enroll this upcoming fall and join the Diamond Dawgs for the 2006 softball season.
“With the graduation of four kids next year, we set out to fill some immediate needs as well as recruit student-athletes for the future,” said Becker. “We’re pleased with our early signees and look forward to all of them making a positive impact on our program. Our intent was to find top notch student-athletes who not only could play the game, but would fit well with our existing team members.
“I believe all three of these kids fit that mold and the coaching staff is anxious to have them become Bulldogs starting with the 2005 fall season,” added Becker, Ferris State’s all-time winningest coach.
West earned Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association (MHSSCA) Division I all-state honorable mention honors at Jenison High School along with all-conference, all-area, all-district and all-region kudos for pitching as a junior last spring. She registered a 14-2 record in the 2004 campaign while posting a 0.52 earned run average in 95.0 innings pitched with 88 strikeouts and 16 walks. At the plate, West batted .342 with 27 base hits in 78 at bats while totaling 18 RBIs, two home runs, four doubles and a .962 fielding percentage. West, who was an all-academic selection, didn’t pitch in 2003 due to a hip injury but did register a .289 batting average with 11 hits in 38 at bats and eight RBI. As a freshman in 2002, she garnered both honorable mention all-conference and all-district kudos by hitting .389 (33-87), which included three doubles, one triple, six RBI and a .922 fielding percentage as the Wildcats reached the state tournament quarterfinals under coach Kari Kossen. In the pitching circle, West turned in a 2-0 mark with 16 strikeouts in 14.0 total innings. The daughter of Greg and Audrey West, McKenzie plans to major in dental hygiene at Ferris State.
“I believe we got one of West Michigan’s best kept secrets. McKenzie pitches for her high school team but she will be asked to fill the shoes of our graduating shortstop (Navreet Gill) next year. We were impressed with McKenzie’s strong arm, smooth footwork and great range at the shortstop position. She’s a natural!” Becker said.
A three-time (2002-04) all-conference, all-region and all-district selection, Bailey attained first-team MHSSCA Division II all-state accolades a season ago at Rogers High School. Last spring, she recorded a .392 batting average with 47 hits in 120 at bats to go with 41 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 15 doubles, one triple and one home run in helping the Golden Hawks capture their third consecutive league championship title (2002-04) while defending their district championship crown. Bailey also notched a .444 on-base percentage and a .950 fielding percentage as RHS won a regional title in 2004 under coach Tom Hudson. She has started every game in her high school career, which includes every contest but one at catcher. Besides softball, Bailey lettered in volleyball two years and was a three-year National Honor Society (NHS) member. Krystle, the daughter of Robert and Becky Bailey, will pursue an education degree at FSU.
“Krystle is an excellent catcher who will bring a lot of athleticism behind the plate. Not only does she bring solid knowledge of the game to the catching position, she also swings an impressive bat. She’s competitive and will step in next season ready to compete for time at many positions as well as behind the plate,” stated Becker.
Parish, a 2004 MHSSCA Division II first-team all-state catcher for Dowagiac Union High School, batted .402 with 45 hits in 112 official plate appearances last spring as a member of coach Mike Behnke’s squad. Along with all-state recognition, Parish was a repeat first-team all-conference, all-district and all-regional honoree during her junior year in which she compiled 29 RBIs, 31 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple and two home runs in 40 contests. In her 2003 sophomore campaign, Parish had a .362 batting average (46-127) while producing eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 32 RBIs and 36 runs scored in 41 games en route to being named the team’s Most Valuable Player. The daughter of Kirk Parish and Laura Chende, Mandy plans to major in criminal justice at Ferris State.
“It was our initial intention not to recruit two catchers. However, we believed Mandy was too good of an athlete to pass up. She has exceptional skills both offensively and defensively along with the ability to play many positions. She too will arrive at Ferris State eager to find a home in our lineup,” said Becker.
The three will join the Diamond Dawgs, who graduate seniors Rachel Chartier, Amy Dollarhite, Melissa Worsley and Navreet Gill this spring.
Ferris State finished the 2004 campaign at 24-21-1 overall, which included a third-place 14-6 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) mark.
2006 Ferris State Softball Recruits
Name, Position, Hometown/High School
McKenzie West, SS -- Jenison, Mich.
Krystle Bailey, C-IF -- Wyoming, Mich./Rogers
Mandy Parrish, C-IF -- Dowagiac, Mich./Union
|
