2005 SOFTBALL NEWS

May 2: Diamond Dawgs Notebag

Ferris State's 26 victories this season represents its most since the 2000 season when the Bulldogs totaled 33 wins (33-18 overall). The school record is 46 (46-18), which was set by the 1999 team that finished sixth place at the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament.

Ferris had its season-high 10-game winning streak snapped after suffering a 5-4 conference setback at Hillsdale last Saturday (4/30) in the opening game of a doubleheader. The Bulldogs have won 12 of their last 14 contests to date after starting out this season at 3-7 overall.

Junior outfielder Emily McLean (Rogers City), who belted her team-leading ninth home run of this season at Hillsdale (4/30), is presently tied with Jody Gifford (1999) and Nicki Merchant (2003) for second place among the school's all-time single-season home run leaders and is one shy of tying Jody Gifford (1998) for top honors. McLean's team and career-high 52 base hits this campaign is one away from moving into a four-way tie for 17th place on FSU's career single-season leaders list. Theresa Luciow (1994), Becky VanderBee (1997) and Nicki Merchant (2004) are all currently tied for 17th place with 53 hits apiece.

The Bulldogs' 28 home runs in this spring's 44 games is a school single-season record, bettering the 24 total roundtrippers hit by the 1998 team in 61 contests.

A total of nine returning players this season have established personal season bests in base hits this season with sophomore catcher-designated player Allison McKibbin (Hemlock) and sophomore first baseman Laura Crower (Midland) leading the way. McKibbin has 36 more base hits this spring (49) than a season ago (13) while Crower has accumulated 33 more this season (47) from last year's total (14).

Senior shortstop Navreet Gill (Brampton, Ontario/Mayfield) smacked her first career home run with a solo shot in the Bulldogs' game two triumph at Wayne State (4/29). Her 177 career games is presently 13th best-ever in the program's annals and is two contests away from tying Dana Conklin's (2001-04) 12th-place 179-career games total.

Laura Crower is batting .545 (12-22) in her last seven games with a current seven-game hitting streak, which includes four multiple-hit game performances.

Ferris' top four hits leaders this spring - Emily McLean (52), Allison McKibbin (49), Laura Crower (47) and senior catcher-designated player Melissa Worsley (45) have combined to produce 53.0% (193-364) of the squad's total production to date.

Sophomore pitcher Jenna Thiede (LaSalle/Airport) had her five-game winning string snapped at Hillsdale (4/30). She posted a 5-0 mark with an 0.82 earned run average (four earned runs) in 34.0 innings during that period while striking out 18 batters.

Senior pitcher Rachel Chartier (Marquette) is 24 strikeouts away from tying Linda Emmons (1981-84; 156 total) for 10th place among Ferris' career leaders. Chartier has currently recorded 132 career strikeouts, which includes a career season-high 73 this season.