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.

Bulldogs Get Split Against Northwood In Dramatic Fashion

MIDLAND - Needing to salvage a win in some way, shape or form, Ferris State University reached down deep and escaped Northwood University with a much-needed softball split in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball action.

The Bulldogs (24-16 overall, 15-9 GLIAC) dropped a 4-0 decision in game one of the doubleheader, but rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two to take a 7-6 win over the Timberwolves in Midland.

Northwood's game-two heartbreak was a translated into a very important road triumph for the Bulldogs who remain a contender in a tightly-contested battle for the top spot in the GLIAC, for seeding in the league tournament and for NCAA regional rankings.

Game 1: Northwood 4, Ferris State 0

Junior catcher Rachel Mueller had two hits. Senior designated player/pitcher Rhea Flores, junior shortstop Lynsay Weaver and sophomore pinch hitter Lindsey Pettit each had a hit for the Bulldogs in the game-one setback. In spite of five hits, the Bulldogs were not able to push a run across the plate against the Timberwolves. Most of the damage Northwood inflicted came mostly from the top five spots in its lineup. Batting first and second, Rachel Hammer and Jamie Swick each had a hit and an RBI. NU did get some production from other spots in the lineup, but it was the top that did a good deal of the damage. Dana Bowler took the loss for the Bulldogs while Jessica Wojcik picked up the victory for Northwood.

Game 2: Ferris State 7, Northwood 6

Ferris State made created a lot of drama, but it's better to be on the positive side of a dramatic fashion than on the negative side of it. Sophomore third baseman Makenzi Peterson (pictured) tied the score at 6-6 on an RBI single. It's not the most thrilling way to end a game, but a sacrifice fly from Flores scored freshman outfielder Morgan Kramerich to give the Bulldogs a come-from-behind win over the host Timberwolves. Flores had two hits and two RBI, Peterson had two hits and an RBI, senior center fielder Rachel Wade had a hit and an RBI, Mueller had a hit and an RBI and senior second baseman Amanda Harrington had a hit and an RBI.

Ferris Remains 10th In Regional Rankings

BIG RAPIDS - Ferris State University has held steady in the most recent listing (April 19) of the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Rankings for softball.

The Bulldogs of head coach Keri Becker remain

ed 10th in the poll (the top eight at the end of the season will advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament). This poll shows that Ferris remains in striking distance for a bid to the NCAA Tournament with some key doubleheaders and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in Midland in early May.

Ferris is 20-14 overall and 11-7 in the GLIAC following Wednesday's 2-1 home loss at the FSU Softball Field to Northwood University. The Bulldogs hope to get on a roll beginning this weekend with showdowns against two of the better teams in the GLIAC, the region and the nation. Ferris is on the road to face nationally-ranked Saginaw Valley State University (17th) and nationally-ranked Wayne State University (ninth) in a pair of doubleheaders. The Warriors are first in the region while Saginaw Valley is third.

This is a perfect weekend for the Bulldogs to get on a roll as they are at Saginaw Valley on Saturday and at Wayne State on Sunday. If Ferris can come away with wins this weekend it can greatly strengthen its position in the regional tournament at the time of the year when it wants to be playing its best basketball.

Midwest Region	Division II	In-Region
1. Wayne State (Mich.)	37-8	24-5
2. Ashland	26-10	25-8
3. Saginaw Valley State	19-7	15-6
4. Lewis	23-9	20-5
5. Indianapolis	27-12	22-6
6. Quincy	27-10	24-8
7. Northern Kentucky	24-13	23-12
8. Tiffin	22-15	20-12
9. Northwood	16-11	14-8
10. Ferris State	18-13	16-10

PHOTO CAPTION:

Ferris State's Dana Bowler has already paid dividends in her freshman season pitching for the Bulldogs. (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

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

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.