2005 SOFTBALL NEWS

April 4: Diamond Dawgs Notebag

Sophomore first baseman Laura Crower (Midland) batted a team-leading .636 (7-11) in the Bulldogs' six outings this week to go with four RBI's. She is presently midst a seven-game hitting streak and is hitting .524 (11-21) during that period which includes three multiple-hit game performances. Crower has also recorded a career-high 14 RBI's in 18 contests this spring after registering five in 27 outings a season ago.

Junior outfielder Emily McLean (Rogers City), who belted two home runs against Saginaw Valley State (4/3), has compiled a team and career-best five roundtrippers this season in 20 contests. In her previous two seasons (2003-04), she combined for three homers. McLean's five homers in 2005 ties her with four others for fifth place on Ferris' all-time single-season leaders list.

Emily McLean's team-high 19 RBIs on 22 base hits this spring matches her season best of a campaign ago when she knocked in 19 runs on 36 hits in 38 encounters. The Bulldogs have won seven of their last 10 contests to date and are averaging 5.4 runs per game during that span (54 total runs).

Ferris State's 12 home runs this season in 20 contests represents the sixth-highest single-season output in the program's history. The 1998 squad smacked a school-record 24 roundtrippers. The Bulldogs are within five home runs of tying both the 1997 and 1999 teams for fourth place on the all-time charts.

The team's top three hits leaders - McLean, sophomore catcher-designated player Allison McKibbin (Hemlock) and senior catcher-designated player Melissa Worsley (Midland) have combined for 40.9% (66-161) of the squad's hits this campaign. All have a team-high 22 base hits apiece in 20 contests.

With the Bulldogs' conference doubleheader sweep of Lake Superior State (4/2), eighth-year head coach Keri Becker is now 19-1-0 in her coaching career versus the Lakers. Ferris improved to 61-18-0 (.772) in its all-time series against Lake Superior State with the pair of victories last Saturday.