BIG RAPIDS – Kayle Stevenson has worked hard to prepare herself to be ready when opportunities present themselves.
This season, with standout pitcher Sarah Mueller being sidelined for a large chunk of this season, Stevenson knew she was in a position where she had to produce for Ferris to continue to play at a high level on the softball diamond. Stevenson’s Bulldogs, ranked among the top 10 NCAA Division II teams in the nation all season, needed her at her best in the circle.
Stevenson, a junior, has more than delivered as she improved to 10-0 this spring with a 0.62 earned run average and 56 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched.
“I think the biggest difference for me is just knowing there was going to be a spot open and I was going to have to step into help our team since we were without Sarah,” said Stevenson, a native of Holland who started her college career at Hillsdale before transferring to Ferris where she is now flourishing as a pitcher. “Those are some big shoes to fill and I just wanted to come in and do what I could to help our team. I do feel like I’ve been pitching with a lot more confidence and my teammates have really helped me.”
Stevenson also credits the coaching staff (head coach Keri Becker and assistant coaches Lesa Bickley, Dawn Thompson and Jeannine Soncini) for helping her development.
“The coaches have done a lot of work with me and I think that has definitely helped me improve and has helped my confidence a lot,” said Stevenson, who was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week (April 20) representing the Bulldogs (ranked sixth in the nation in Division II).
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