| Ferris catcher Rachel Mueller communicates with her pitcher during a home game last week for the Bulldogs (Photo/Sandy Gholston) |
BIG RAPIDS – Rachel Mueller is proof that you always have to be ready for that time when your name is called – and perhaps you don’t quite expect to hear it.
An injury suffered by senior standout catcher Krystle Bailey, during last week’s home two-game set against Northwood, made Ferris head softball coach Keri Becker turn to her next logical option: sophomore Rachel Mueller. While her heartbeat may have picked up a bit, Mueller has proven capable in this role. She has gotten the job done behind the plate, but particularly so last week as Ferris earned a 5-1 record with a split against Northwood and two-game sweeps of Findlay and Hillsdale.
And, yes, Mueller was a big part of that success with her defensive work and timely hits on offense.
“It was something I’ve been ready for and something I’ve been preparing the last three years for,” said Mueller, who sat out the 2007 season as a medical redshirt before finally taking the field in 2008 during which she played in 12 games with four starts and batted .217 with five hits, one double and five runs batted in. “It felt nice for me to be able to get on the field and do something to help our team to be successful. I just wanted to go out on the field and be able to do my part to help our team.”
For three years, it has been a journey to this point for Mueller, the younger sister of Bulldog softball fifth-year senior standout Sarah Mueller.
“I think confidence is the biggest change that has happened for me since I first came to Ferris,” said Rachel Mueller, who is batting .300 this season through 15 games with eight starts. As part of that, she has nine hits, two doubles, one home run and six RBI. “Being able to be around the team and to learn from so many things has helped me become more confident in what I can do.”
Her confident play has been a blessing for the Bulldogs (the eighth-ranked NCAA Division II team in the nation) this season as Mueller begins setting the stage for a strong college softball career.
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