2005 SOFTBALL NEWS

May 9: Diamond Dawgs Notebag

Ferris State captured its first GLIAC Tournament title since 2000 when the Bulldogs won their last 10 contests and finished the campaign at 33-18-0 overall. This season, FSU has currently won 14 of its last 16 outings and is midst a four-game winning streak. Ferris has outscored its opponents 77 to 37 during the 16-game span, including 37-11 in the first three innings and 17-1 in the third inning alone.

Senior shortstop Navreet Gill (Brampton, Ontario/Mayfield Secondary) batted .500 in the Bulldogs' four games at the GLIAC Tourney, recording seven hits in 14 at bats. Gill, who also scored three runs and had a RBI in the league post-season event, has competed in 181 career contests which is 11th-best on FSU's all-time charts and one away from tying Shawn Martinez (1995-98; 182 career games) for 10th place.

Senior pitcher Rachel Chartier (Marquette) is 8-1 with a 1.12 earned run average in her last 11 appearances this season. She has thrown seven complete games in 62.2 innings pitched while allowing 17 runs (10 earned) to go with 13 walks and 28 strikeouts. She presently is ninth on FSU's all-time wins leaders with 27 victories (27-21 career mark) and is three away from tying Mary Gnatkowski (1982-85), Brandy Coe (1999-00) and Amanda Opbroek (2000-03) for sixth place.

Rachel Chartier's 348.1 innings pitched in 64 career appearances presently ranks sixth best among Ferris' all-time pitching leaders, surpassing Sharon Stickney's (1979-81) 343.1 career innings. Chartier trails Mary Gnatkowski (1982-85) for fifth place by 52 innings.

Junior outfielder Emily McLean (Rogers City) is midst a team-leading eight-game hitting streak and is batting .533 (16-30) during that stretch. She has six multiple-hit game efforts in those eight contests, highlighted by three-hit games at Hillsdale (Apr. 30) and versus Wayne State (May 6) at the GLIAC Tournament. The 2005 GLIAC Player of the Year had two home runs, three RBIs, seven runs scored and a .733 slugging percentage in the eight-game span.

Emily McLean has posted a team-best 60 base hits in 48 contests this campaign, which ranks 10th among the school's all-time single-season leaders. She is two hits shy of tying Casey Munger's ninth-place 62 hit season total (1998) and four away from moving into a three-way tie for seventh place with Theresa Luciow (1996; 64) and Nadine Crowl (1998; 64).

Ferris State is 17-5 this season when scoring the game's first run and 13-12 when the opposition tallies the initial run in an encounter.

Sophomore first baseman Laura Crower (Midland) is hitting 95 points higher this season (.350) than a year ago (.255). She has produced 35 more hits this campaign (49) and 26 more RBIs (31) than in the 2004 season. Crower's 13 doubles this season is currently sixth highest on Ferris' all-time single-season leaders list and is one shy of tying for fourth-place honors with Theresa Luciow (1996; 14) and Amanda Opbroek (2001; 14). In 27 outings a season ago, Crower didn't record a double.