Flores, Stevenson, Wade And Peterson All Honored By GLIAC

MIDLAND - Ferris State University had two players earn second-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball team honors while two others earned honorable mention recognition.

Designated player Rhea Flores and pitcher Kayle Stevenson, both seniors, were named to the GLIAC Softball All-Conference Second Team in an announcement made over the weekend by the officials of the league. On the honorable mention listing, senior outfielder Rachel Wade was honored as was sophomore third baseman Makenzi Peterson.

Flores, a 2009 second-team All-GLIAC selection, has enjoyed a solid senior season batting .299 while leading being tied for team-best honors with 38 hits. The Dearborn Heights native who prepped at Southgate Anderson High School also pitched for head coach Keri Becker's squad and had some solid outings in the circle as both a reliever and as a starter during the 2010 campaign. Flores was 6-0 as a pitcher with two saves to her credit.

Stevenson, a left-handed pitcher, is 12-6 this season with a 1.98 earned run average in 20 appearances in the circle for the Bulldogs. The native of Holland, who prepped at West Ottawa High School, was a steady force as a pitcher for the Bulldogs with an unflappable demeanor with the ball in her hands.

Peterson, in just her second year, had a banner campaign as she posted career single-season bests in batting average (.343), hits (36), doubles (nine), RBI (20), slugging percentage (.505), and on-base percentage (.395) for the Big Rapids native while playing steady defense at third base.

2010 All-GLIAC Softball Teams and Postseason Awards
Player of the Year: Alison Allen - WSU / Pitcher of the Year: Casey Hanes - WSU
Freshman of the Year: Katie Martin - GVSU
“Michael J. Corbett” GLIAC Coach of the Year: Sheilah Gulas – AU
GLIAC Softball All-Conference First Team
Pos.	Name	School	Year	Hometown/Previous School
1B	Becca Ryan	Wayne State	So.	Westland, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child
2B	Carrie Hosier	Ashland	Sr.	Decatur, Ala.
SS	Jaci Banton	Wayne State	Sr.	Richmond Hill, Ontario/Cardinal Carter
3B	Michelle Boscola	Northwood	Sr.	Broomfield, Colo./Legacy
C	Brittany Omelanchuk	Wayne State	Fr.	Brooklin, Ont./Wilson S.S.
OF	Alison Allen	Wayne State	So.	Redford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy
OF	Erica Miller	Ashland	Jr.	Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central
OF	Devon Trimmer	Hillsdale	Sr.	Baltimore, Ohio
DP	Jessica McKeith	Saginaw Valley State	Jr.	River Rouge, Mich.
UT	Megan Eddy	Northwood	Jr.	Merrill, Mich.
UT	Logan Hursey	Ashland	Jr.	Zanesville, Ohio/John Glenn
P	Emlyn Knerem	Ashland	So.	Brunswick, Ohio
P	Casey Hanes	Wayne State	Sr.	Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman
GLIAC Softball All-Conference Second Team
Pos.	Name	School	Year	Hometown/Previous School
1B	Breanne Kronberg	Grand Valley State	Sr.	Orland Park, Ill.
2B	Kayleigh Bertram	Grand Valley State	Fr.	Lockport, Ill.
SS	Megan Baird	Tiffin	So.	Ajax, Ont./J. Clarke Richardson
3B	Amanda Temple	Tiffin	So.	Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer
C	Tawna Garver	Ashland	Fr.	Mansfield, Ohio/Hillsdale
OF	Katie Ammons	Findlay	Sr.	Findlay, Ohio
OF	Angela Kaiser	Saginaw Valley State	Sr.	Waterford, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes
OF	Nellie Kosola	Grand Valley State	Fr.	Frankfort, Ill.
DP	Rhea Flores	Ferris State	Sr.	Dearborn Heights, Mich./Southgate Anderson
UT	Lauren Memmer	Saginaw Valley State	So.	White Lake, Mich./Lakeland
UT	Delaney Talmage	Tiffin	Jr.	Millbury, Ohio
P	Alexa Gehrls	Saginaw Valley State	Fr.	Caledonia, Mich.
P	Kayle Stevenson	Ferris State	Sr.	Holland, Mich./West Ottawa
GLIAC Softball All-Conference Honorable Mention Team
Pos.	Name	School	Year	Hometown/Previous School
DP	Samantha Hendrix	Ashland	Sr.	Rogersvlle, Ala./Madison Academy
3B	Alyssa Kelley	Ashland	So.	Mentor, Ohio
1B	Calli Coppus	Findlay	Jr.	Tififin, Ohio/Mohawk
OF	Jaci Messmer	Findlay	Jr.	Forest, Ohio/Hardin Northern
3B	Makenzi Peterson	Ferris State	So.	Big Rapids, Mich.
OF	Rachel Wade	Ferris State	Sr.	Canton, Mich.
3B	Katie Martin	Grand Valley State	Fr.	Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer
C	Carli Raisutis	Grand Valley State	So.	Palos Heights, Ill./Stagg
3B	Jessica Guertin	Hillsdale	So.	Lancaster, Calif./Desert Christian
1B	Jennifer Berlet	Hillsdale	So.	Walton, Ind./Lewis Cass
1B	Lorrie Chaperon	Lake Superior State	Sr.	Howell, Mich.
OF	Nicole Carstensen	Lake Superior State	Jr.	Maple Grove, Minn.
C	Marissa Borkowski	Northwood	Fr.	Sterling Heights, Mich./Stevenson
P/1B	Jessica Wojcik	Northwood	Sr.	Highland, Mich./Milford
OF	Billi Hoeppner	Saginaw Valley State	Sr.	Hemlock, Mich.
P	Kari Bowlby	Saginaw Valley State	Sr.	Elkhart, Ind./Central
UTL	Tiffany Smith	Tiffin	Jr.	Newark, Ohio
2B	Lauren Mazzuca	Tiffin	So.	Hamilton, Ontario
OF	Stephanie LeClair	Wayne State	Sr.	Kitchener, Ont./Forest Heights C.I.
3B	Rebecca Stanley	Wayne State	So.	Waterloo, Ont.

Graphic: Ferris State University Athletics Communications

Friday's GLIAC Tournament Games Postponed

MIDLAND - Ferris State University will have to wait to hopefully begin competition in the 2010 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament at Emerson Park (May 7).

The first two games have not been completed as Ashland University and Grand Valley State University are tied 3-3 in one contest frozen in the fifth inning while Saginaw Valley State University is leading Northwood University 4-0 in a game that is still in the fourth inning.

The games were called for the day at about 3 p.m. as tournament officials decided the rain was not cooperative enough to restart the event.

The tournament will be in a holding pattern until Saturday morning when officials of the GLIAC, coaches and the staff of Emerson Park will see if they can get things started (with cooperation from the weather that is not looking particularly promising right now).

These games are important to teams like Ferris State University, Northwood and even Tiffin University that are NCAA Tournament bubble teams right now hoping to solidify their positions before selections are made.

There is a lot at stake for a good number of teams and for seniors who hope to keep their careers going a little longer.

Tournament In The Midst Of Rain Delay

MIDLAND - The 2010 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament is in the midst of a rain delay at Emerson Park on Friday (May 7).

The first two games have not been completed as Ashland and Grand Valley State are tied 3-3 in one contest frozen in the fifth inning while Saginaw Valley State is leading Northwood 4-0 in a game that is still in the fourth inning.

The tournament is in a holding pattern until 3 p.m. when officials and coaches will meet to discuss the direction the tournament will move.

May. 7	Ferris St.		TBA		4:00 PM	Live stats
	"GLIAC Tournament" @ Midland, Mich.
	Tiffin		Ferris St.		12:00 PM	Live stats Live stats
	"GLIAC Tournament" @ Emerson Park, Midland, Mich.
	Hillsdale		Wayne St. (Mich.)		12:00 PM	Live stats
	"GLIAC Tournament" @ Emerson Park, Midland, Mich.
	Grand Valley St.	3	Ashland	3	Top of 5	Live stats
	"GLIAC Tournament" @ Emerson Park, Midland, Mich.
	Saginaw Valley	4	Northwood (Mich.)	0	Bottom of 4	Live stats
	"GLIAC Tournament" @ Emerson Park, Midland, Mich.

It's Still Early In The Race, But Ferris Needs To Be Road Warriors

Ferris State third baseman Makenzi Peterson puts the squeeze on a ball as she attempts to get an out against a sliding Saginaw Valley State runner. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS - It's still early in the race for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but not too early to begin to track initial trends.

The early returns are somewhat interesting. Saginaw Valley State is the GLIAC leader at 6-0 entering the week (April 5). That is no surprise. Grand Valley State is 5-1. That is not a huge surprise. Ashland already has played 10 games and is 8-2. That also is no big surprise as the Eagles were expected to contend for the GLIAC championships and NCAA post-season action. Right now, the upper division of the league includes Northwood at 4-1. Wayne State is the fifth team with a winning conference record so far at 4-2.

Ferris State is 2-3 in league play with two of its three losses coming against Saginaw Valley and one coming against Northwood (game two of Saturday's series was made out and likely will be rescheduled at some point). Head coach Keri Becker's Bulldogs know this race will be an especially tight one from start to finish.

The early results this spring appear indicative of a conference race that will be hard fought from start to finish.

Having lost three games at home already, the Bulldogs need to go on the road and steal some victories while protecting their home diamond from here on out.

Ferris is scheduled to play in Midland at Northwood on Tuesday and that is as good a place as any to get started with some road success.

GLIAC Softball Standings (entering April 5)

Team	GLIAC	ALL
Saginaw Valley	6-0	19-2
Grand Valley St.	5-1	17-9
Ashland	8-2	18-6
Northwood	4-1	12-10
Wayne St.	4-2	26-7
Ferris St.	2-3	11-10
Tiffin	2-4	14-10
Findlay	1-5	11-17
Hillsdale	1-7	6-14
Lake Superior St.	0-8	5-25

Northwood 5, Ferris State 0

BIG RAPIDS - Before the first pitch was thrown, on Saturday, the weather forecast and the sky both looked ominous.

Ferris State University and Northwood University started their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball doubleheader a little early, but still was unable to squeeze in a full doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the FSU Softball Field in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs and the Timberwolves battled the rain and finished the first contest, won 5-0 by Northwood. In spite of valiant efforts to rehabilitate the field, the teams were unable to even start the second game (which eventually was called off due to rain).

The Bulldogs again struggled to hit the ball as they managed just three hits against Northwood pitching. Megan Eddy got the win for the Timberwolves as she threw all seven innings, allowed the three hits, walked two and struck out five on Saturday. First baseman Chelsea Morris, third baseman Makenzi Peterson and right fielder Colleen Roney each had a hit for the Bulldogs, who struggled to solve Eddy.

In many ways, the game resembled what happened to the Bulldogs against Saginaw Valley State University. Against Northwood, several players hit the ball very hard, but right at people (to be recorded as outs). Saturday's loss dropped Ferris to 11-10 overall and 2-3 in GLIAC competition as it prepared to go on the road early next week.

For the Bulldogs, Kayle Stevenson took the loss as she dropped to 4-5 on the season. Stevenson pitched seven innings, allowed four hits, five runs (four earned), issued five walks and struck out seven. Northwood got off to a good start in the first inning by drawing two walks, playing good small ball and then getting a big hit (a three-RBI double from third baseman Michelle Boscola) when it was needed to post three runs in the top of the first inning.

Ferris will not have to wait long to face Northwood again. The teams play in a doubleheader on Tuesday in Midland at NU's Fisher Stadium. Game one begins at 3:30 p.m. while the second contest will begin at about 5:30 p.m.

Photo by Sandy Gholston