2003 News
May 5: Softball Notebag
 | Senior Amanda Opbroek closed out her career with a season-ending team-best 12-game hitting streak. |
Senior pitcher-designated player Amanda Opbroek (Sanford/Sanford-Meridian) concluded her four-year career ranked second among FSU's all-time pitching leaders in strikeouts (316), tied for sixth in victories (30) and finished 10th in earned run average (1.93). In batting, she placed fourth in doubles (29), tied for seventh in home runs (seven), tied for 13th in triples (five), 16th in runs batted in (51) and 17th in base hits (115).
Amanda Opbroek finished the 2003 season with a team-leading 12-game hitting streak. She hit .419 (18-43) with five doubles and two home runs along with seven RBIs during that stretch. Opbroek also registered a .674 slugging percentage to go with 29 total bases and scored 10 runs.
Junior first baseman Nicki Merchant (Wayland) belted nine home runs in 48 contests this season, which was just one shy of tying the FSU single-season record held by Jody Gifford (10 in 1998). Merchant's home run output this campaign tied for second place with Gifford, who totaled nine roundtrippers in 1999. Merchant is presently tied with Anne Bentley (1997-00) for second place on the school's all-time home runs leader list with 11 total and is 20 away from tying Jody Gifford (1996-99) for top honors.
Junior first baseman-designated player Danielle Maxwell (Bay City/Western) registered a team-best .583 batting average in the Bulldogs' final 12 contests with seven base hits in 12 at bats. Maxwell notched four extra base hits in that span with a pair of doubles and home runs apiece. She drove in seven runs and compiled a 1.250 slugging percentage as well. In the team's three GLIAC Tourney contests, Maxwell combined to hit a team-high .571 (4-7) with a home run and four RBIs.
 | Stefanie Keenan was among nine returning players from a season ago who registered a higher batting average on the ball diamond this spring. |
Amanda Opbroek raised her batting average 76 points this season as a result of hitting a personal career best .311 (41-132) in 44 games. Last spring, Opbroek batted a career low .235 (27-115) in 41 outings.
Freshman outfielder Adrienne Jager (Kalamazoo/Comstock) concluded the season with a seven-game hitting streak. Jager, who had four two-hit game efforts in that period, hit .550 (11-20) with three doubles and a triple.
Amanda Opbroek compiled a 5-1 mark with a 0.99 earned run average in her last nine appearances of this season. She pitched six complete games and recorded 41 strikeouts in 49.1 innings pitched during that period.
Ferris State had nine returning hitters from a season ago improve their season batting average this campaign. Besides Amanda Opbroek, sophomore outfielder-pitcher Stefanie Keenan (Alameda, Calif.) batted .324 (11-34) in 29 games this spring in comparison to .250 (8-32) in 42 outings the previous season.
Nicki Merchant's team-high 26 RBIs in 48 games this season was the most since the 2000 when Kris St. Andre and Nadine Crowl each totaled 29 RBIs in 51 and 47 contests, respectively. Among FSU's career leaders, Merchant currently ranks tied for second in home runs (11), ninth in doubles (24), 13th in hits (122) and 14th in RBIs (58).
The Bulldogs' 21 home runs this season represented the second highest single-season total in the program's history. The 1998 team belted a school-record 24 homers in 61 outings. In the previous two seasons (2001-02) combined, Ferris compiled 18 home runs (11 in 2001) in 90 total outings.
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