NCAA Tournament Pairings Are Announced With No Real Surprises

No real surprises for the NCAA Division II Softball Tournament after the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament was canceled.

You can see the tournament pairings are below for the NCAA Division II Tournament and you can scroll down to see the teams that were selected to compete from the Midwest Region. As expected, Ferris State and Northwood were excluded from the tournament field and thus there seasons officially came to an end on Monday as the announcement was made.

It's not to say that Ferris and Northwood were necessarily more deserving than some other teams that made it, but clearly arguments could be made.

Sadly, weather played a huge role in the inability of teams like Ferris and Northwood to get their one last shot at earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament and at winning a conference championship.

Hopefully the GLIAC can make adjustments to its scheduling to provide a little more flexibility to be able to start and finish the conference tournament.

Perhaps beginning on Thursday and having more fields and officials available (on stand by) are options to strongly consider moving forward with the league tournament (as has been discussed quite often since Saturday).

There were a lot of broken hearts as the painful decision was made. Hopefully wise people can get together and make some necessary adjustments to hopefully make this disappointment less likely in the years to come.

See the pairings, here.

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

Ferris' GLIAC Tourney Hopes End After A Long Saturday of Softball

MIDLAND – After a grueling four-game day, Saturday at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament, Ferris State University’s run in the event finally came to an end.

After topping Mercyhurst 3-1, on Friday, the Bulldogs stumbled out of the gates Saturday in competition at Emerson Park. The Bulldogs, now 30-16 on the season, opened the day with a bitterly-tough 10-4 loss to Saginaw Valley State. Then, facing elimination for the rest of the tournament, Ferris bounced back. The Bulldogs beat Gannon, 3-1, and Ashland, 7-4, to set up a late-afternoon finale against top-seeded Wayne State. In a battle of the two teams that shared the regular-season championship, the Bulldogs’ day, and GLIAC Tournament run ended with a 3-2 loss.

Errors (mental and physical ones) plagued the Bulldogs in their losses. They committed four against Saginaw Valley, in a winner’s bracket game, and six against Wayne, in a loser’s bracket game. The Warriors were coming off a loss to a suddenly-hot Saginaw Valley team that strengthened its regional tournament credentials with its performances in the league tournament in Midland.

The disappointing ending to the tournament, an event in which the Bulldogs never really played their brand and level of softball, spoiled some strong performances by several individual players. Senior third baseman Katie Kraai and junior first baseman Amanda Jager had key hits against Saginaw Valley, redshirt freshman outfielder Rachel Wade showed some of her hitting potential (particularly with power) and sophomore Rhea Flores also had some big hits for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs expect to have more softball yet to be played.

Ferris has proven, over the course of the season, particularly with its run through the regular season of the GLIAC, that it is worthy of an NCAA bid. The only thing left to be settled should be seeding at this point.

Ferris Battles To Win Over Mercyhurst

MIDLAND – It wasn’t pretty, but Ferris State University opened the 2008 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament with a 3-1 victory over Mercyhurst at Currie Stadium in Emerson Park.

Sarah Mueller, a junior who played center field, finished with one hit in three trips to the plate and had two runs driven in. That was at the top of the order, Where the Lakers may have really been hurt was at the bottom of Ferris’ lineup where redshirt freshman Rachel Wade, batting eighth, and junior pitcher Holly Bruntjens, batting ninth, inflicted some of the damage. Wade batted 2-for-3 with a run scored and one driven in while Bruntjens had two hits in three trips with a run scored.

Junior first baseman Amanda Jager had two hits in two trips to the plate with a run scored and a walk.

“I think we had a little too much tension out there on the field and we definitely are going to need to loosen up a little and get back to playing our game,” said Ferris head coach Keri Becker, who was named the 2008 “Michael J. Corbett” GLIAC Coach of the Year. “We know we’re going to need to play better and we’re going to need to score some more runs as we go through this tournament.”

In the circle, Holly Bruntjens was her usual steady self as she tossed seven innings, allowed five hits, one run (earned), walked none and struck out four. The Bulldogs committed a couple of errors, but they were able to overcome those miscues by playing overall steady from start to finish in the contest. It wasn’t the prettiest victory, but a win is a win.

In spite of the win, Becker knows her team has to play better in its next game on Friday, scheduled to be against a Saginaw Valley State team that has been near the top of the conference standings all season.

Five Bulldogs Named To GLIAC All-Conference Softball Teams

MIDLAND – Ferris State University had five of its players named to the 2008 All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Softball Teams and two others who were honorable mention selections.

Earning first-team All-GLIAC honors were junior first baseman Amanda Jager, and junior utility player Sarah Mueller. Named to the second-team all-league were junior pitcher Holly Bruntjens and sophomore second baseman Amanda Harrington. The honorable mention picks for Ferris were junior catcher Krystle Bailey and freshman outfielder Lynsay Weaver, who also has played at shortstop for the Bulldogs.

“You don’t have the success we’ve had without good players and the players who were recognized have played a big role in the success of our team this season,” said Ferris State head coach Keri Becker, who was named the “Michael J. Corbett” GLIAC Coach of the Year. “For me, winning an individual award, like Coach of the Year, can only happen if you have players who perform well on the field.”

Jager’s honor is well deserved with her consistency hitting the ball and, in general, getting on base for teammates to drive her in. Through Friday morning’s game against Mercyhurst, to start the GLIAC Tournament, Jager was batting .389. Mueller, with her pitching and her hitting near the top of the Bulldogs’ order, has been doubly important for the team throughout the spring. Harrington and Bruntjens bring a steady component for Ferris that avoids peaks and valleys. Bailey has been a rock of stability behind the plate and Weaver is just scratching the surface of her great potential.

In other awards news, “Player of the Year” was Saginaw Valley State’s Stacy Kraatz, “Pitcher of the Year” was Wayne State’s Molly Yetman and the “Freshman of the Year” was Ashland’s Erica Miller.

Ferris State Takes Aim At Wide-Open League Tournament

BIG RAPIDS – In a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament that appears up for grabs, considering at least five teams are confident about their chances, Ferris State University enters with optimism and hunger.

Friday, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Championship Tournament begins at Emerson Park in Midland. The No. 2-seeded Bulldogs’ first-round foe is Mercyhurst, the No. 7 seed in the event. The first pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. (EDT) in that contest. In other first-round competition, top-seeded Wayne State, the 22nd-ranked team in the nation, faces No. 8 Gannon, at noon; No. 4 seed Ashland goes up against No. 5 Grand Valley State, at noon; and No. 3 Saginaw Valley State faces archrival Northwood, the No. 6 seed, at 10 a.m.

Are there any favorites in this tournament field?

Yes, there are at least four to five teams talented enough and confident enough to believe they can walk away with the league championship and a bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

“The thing about this tournament is we know it’s going to be a wide-open one,” Ferris head coach Keri Becker said as her team ended the regular season with a 27-14 record overall as the Bulldogs tied for first-place in the GLIAC at 16-4 with Wayne State. “When you’re coming into a tournament like this you know it’s going to be an event where anybody can win and there is not going to really be an upset.”

Ferris hopes to continue its red-hot hitting led by junior first baseman Amanda Jager, who is the fourth-leading hitter in the league batting .378. Jager is leading the GLIAC in slugging percentage at .658, walks with 21 and on-base percentage at .496. Also batting above the .300 level this spring, for Ferris, are Rhea Flores (.375), a pitcher; Amanda Harrington (.359), who starts regularly at second base; Sarah Mueller (.339), a pitcher and utility player; Katie Kraai (.311), the Bulldogs’ starting third baseman; and Brooke Lewis (.300), who has had limited at bats, but has been effective at times when she has had her chances.

Defensively, it starts with the pitching. Ferris has relied heavily on the dependable combination of Mueller and Holly Bruntjens to handle the duties in the circle throughout the season. Mueller boasts a record of 13-5 this spring with a 1.60 earned run average to complement 52 strikeouts. Bruntjens owns a 10-7 record with a 2.32 ERA and has fanned 56 batters.

Beginning Friday, Ferris faces its first big exam. This weekend will be a test to see if the Bulldogs can be consistent with hitting and put together the total package it will take to get hot during the course of the three-day tournament to win the league’s championship. To make that happen, however, Ferris will need to smooth out its roller-coaster ride for a smoother and more consistent journey toward what it hopes is a tournament championship and the GLIAC’s bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

SPRING 2008 BLOG 15: Grand Valley or not … any win is a big win nowadays

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – Sure, Ferris State was eager to host a doubleheader against long-time archrival Grand Valley State and, yes, the Lakers entered the twinbill ranked 15th nationally.

Still, Wednesday’s 2-1 and 1-0 wins against the Lakers were important for those reasons and more. Races for the regular-season Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and spots in the regional rankings are highly-competitive right now. Ferris, however, took two major steps by sweeping nationally-ranked Grand Valley in a pair of hard-fought battles where defense and pitching ruled the day while the offense was just good enough to get the job done at the FSU Softball Field.

With the conference standings as tightly-compacted at the top as they have been, no one needed to remind Ferris head coach Keri Becker of the importance of Wednesday’s games.

“This was a much-needed sweep for us,” admitted Becker, whose Bulldogs improved to 20-11 overall and 11-3 in the GLIAC to reclaim sole possession of second place behind league leader Wayne State. “It’s always good when you can get wins over Grand Valley, with the rivalry and everything, but at this stage of the season every win is a big one in this conference and we needed to get these wins to keep pace.”

The Bulldogs used to strong pitching performances from juniors Sarah Mueller and Holly Bruntjens. Mueller earned the victory in game one as she threw all seven innings, allowed seven hits, one run (earned), walked none and struck out a pair. Perhaps most impressive of all, for Mueller, was to only surrender one run with the bases loaded in the top of the first inning with no outs. From there, the California native shut the door shut on the Lakers – with the help of a tough defense in support of her. In the nightcap, Bruntjens was on her game. She allowed just three hits with two strikeouts in seven innings against a potent Laker lineup.

The offense wasn’t as strong as it has been this spring, but it got the job done when it counted.

In the opener, Mueller batted 2-for-3 with a run driven in while Krystle Bailey, a junior catcher, was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Both runs were scored in the bottom of the third as Ferris took the lead for good. In game two, Ferris busted up a scoreless tie in the fifth as Bruntjens was credited with an RBI on a groundout to second that plated junior shortstop McKenzie West for the game’s only run.

When it was all over, after Bruntjens and the defense held strong in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs finally were able to exhale.

“It feels good for us coming off a tough weekend (GLIAC splits at Findlay and Ashland) we had in Ohio to be able to get two wins like this … especially against Grand Valley,” said Ferris senior third baseman Katie Kraai, who had two strong defensive games at third base. “Our defense stepped up and our pitching was really good. We didn’t score as many runs as we would have liked to, but we got what we needed to get the wins and that is what was most important.”

SPRING 2008 BLOG 14: It’s early, but regional rankings are intriguing

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The recent set of NCAA Division II regional rankings were revealed April 9, and Ferris State University is one of several Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference squads battling for one of those precious top eight spots.

However, the April 9 rankings show the Bulldogs – just barely – on the outside looking in at ninth in the poll. Ferris is one spot behind West Virginia Wesleyan for eighth in the Great Lakes region. Those rankings, though, were prior to Ferris sweeping Cornerstone (last Tuesday) and later splitting a pair of doubleheaders in Ohio, against Findlay and Ashland, to take its record to 18-11 overall and 8-3 in the GLIAC.

The other teams ranked above the Bulldogs are as follows: No. 1 Lewis, No. 2 Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, No. 3 Saginaw Valley State, No. 4 Southern Indiana, No. 5 Grand Valley State, No. 6 Wayne State, No. 7 Indianapolis and No. 8 West Virginia Wesleyan. While it’s always interesting to take a look at the regional rankings, it also is still fairly early in the process – a process now complicated in the GLIAC by troublesome inclement weather that has wiped out or postponed a number league and non-league games.

Teams around the Bulldogs, like ninth-ranked Grand Valley, No. 23 Wayne, Saginaw Valley and some others still have many games to make up prior to the start of the annual GLIAC Tournament (May 2-4) at Emerson Park in Midland.

Weather-permitting, the Bulldogs could have some big games ahead this week as Grand Valley is scheduled to come to Big Rapids Wednesday for a league doubleheader scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. All in all, it’s a relatively light week as the Bulldogs have a scheduled doubleheader in Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula against Lake Superior State. Considering recent weather in the eastern U.P., however, those games could be in jeopardy.