MAC Announces Softball Players of the Week
MAC Softball Co-Players of the Week
Morgan Geno, Ohio
DP, Senior, Chillicothe, Ohio
Senior Morgan Geno led the Bobcats this weekend at the 2019 Hoosier Classic, hosted by Indiana. Overall, Geno hit .615 with eight hits in 13 at bats, scored seven runs, had one double, four homeruns, 12 RBI and registered 21 total bases, while producing a 1.625 slugging percentage. She also recorded a .688 on base percentage, while also drawing three walks. In the first game of the weekend against St. Francis (Pa.), Geno went 2-for-3 with a homerun, five RBI, and two runs scored. Then in Ohio's 4-1 win over No. 19 Indiana, Geno went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. On March 16 against St. Francis, Geno went 3-of-3 with three runs scored, two homers and three RBI. Geno wrapped up the weekend against No. 19 Indiana again, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two homers and three RBI.
Katie Keller, Northern Illinois
1B/C, Freshman, Geneva, Ill./Geneva
Katie Keller was the catalyst for the NIU offense during its spring break trip to Seattle and St. Louis. The Huskie freshman batted a torrid .733, going 11-for-15 from plate, with a team-best eight RBIs and five runs scored. She posted a 1.400 slugging percentage with six extra base hits, including two home runs and four doubles. Keller was a perfect 3-for-3, including a double and her first career home run, driving in three runs and scoring four in an 8-3 victory over St. Louis in opening game of the Billiken Spring Tournament. She followed that performance up with a 3-for-4 showing in a 5-3 victory over Detroit Mercy. She had three RBIs in the win over the Titans, including the game winner. In the top of the seventh with the score tied, 3-3, she hit her third double of the day to drive in the go-ahead run. She was a perfect 3-for-3 in the tournament finale against Southeast Missouri State. Keller drove in two on NIU's four runs in the game and hit her second home run of the week.
MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Meredith Miller, Bowling Green
Pitcher, Senior, Sugar Land, Texas (Clements)
Bowling Green senior Meredith Miller was 4-0 with a 1.17 ERA and combined on BGSU’s first no-hitter in nine years as the Falcons went a perfect 6-0 last week. She had 21 strikeouts in 18 innings and allowed opponents to hit just .203 against her. Miller picked up a win in the Falcons’ home opener vs. Oakland, allowing two earned runs and four hits in six innings. Then, she pitched in two BG wins over St. Bonaventure over the weekend and did not allow a hit in either contest. She started Saturday’s game at the Morehead State Classic, and threw three innings of no-hit shutout ball in a 21-0 annihilation of the Bonnies. Two other pitchers worked an inning apiece as the Falcons no-hit SBU in that contest. On Sunday, Miller pitched two innings of no-hit relief vs. SBU, facing the minimum six hitters and striking out four to pick up the win. Then, she started the day’s second game, and allowed only one earned run in a complete-game victory over host Morehead State. On the year, Miller is now 7-6 with a 3.15 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings.
Other player nomiees
Megan Choate, Toledo
2B, Senior, Montesano, Wash.
Senior Megan Choate went 6-for-10 (.600) this weekend at Indiana’s Hoosier Classic, recording a .750 OBP while slugging .700. Choate worked to six walks, stole one base,, only struck out twice and scored five runs. The senior helped the Rockets shutout Saint Francis (11-0) while almost topping No. 19 Indiana (L, 9-6). With Choate’s contributions (three RBI), UT scored 26 runs over two days of action. After the weekend, Choate now ranks 46th in the country in walks and most in the conference. Choate also has the MAC’s 29th-best batting average (.322) and fifth-best OBP (.506). In fielding, Choate’s .951 ranks 30th in the MAC and second on the UT squad.
Anna Aguon, Buffalo
UTL, Sophomore, Vancouver, WA
Sophomore Anna Aguon had a strong performance for the Bulls at the USF Tournament, finishing with a .471 batting average, recording four RBI on eight hits, including four doubles and three runs scored while recording a .706 slugging percentage and .571 on base percentage.
Madi McCoy, Bowling Green
Shortstop, Junior, Washington, Ill. / Washington
Bowling Green junior SS Madi McCoy hit .522 last week, as the Falcons went a perfect 6-0. She had an on-base percentage of .542 and a slugging pct. of .739 as BGSU racked up a total of 64 runs in the six wins. McCoy was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the Falcons’ 8-4 win over Oakland at Meserve Field on Wednesday. Then, in BGSU’s first game at the Morehead State Classic over the weekend, she was 4-for-5 with another double, two runs scored and three RBI in the Falcons’ 21-0 dismantling of St. Bonaventure. Later that day, McCoy went 2-for-4 with a run and two more RBI in a win over host Morehead State. The following day, she was 1-for-3 in another run-rule win over SBU, then capped her weekend by going 3-for-5 with two runs and four RBI in another victory over MSU. Her three hits included a three-run homer. McCoy and the Falcons scored 50 runs in the four games in Morehead. On the season, she is hitting a team-high .409, and she is tied for the BG lead with 13 RBI. McCoy is second on the Falcons in on-base pct. (.447) and slugging pct. (.659) and, despite missing several early-season games due to injury, she is tied for second in hits (18), homers (three), RBI (13) and total bases (29).
Jenny Vasquez, Miami
Infielder, Senior, Norwalk, Calif. (Norwalk/Cypress College)
Senior Jenny Vasquez led the Miami offense as the RedHawks played at home for the first time of the season this weekend at the Miami Invitational after a mid-week game at No. 18 Kentucky. At the Miami Invitational, Vasquez led Miami in power-hitting with three home runs, eight RBI and 14 total bases as she slugged 1.273 on the weekend. She was on base half of the time as she hit the ball five times and was hit by a pitch. Vasquez batted .455 at the Miami Invitational and scored three runs. She also had the most assists, helping on 12 outs in the field in addition to her seven put-outs. Vasquez is the team leader in doubles (6), HR (6), RBI (18), total bases (41) and slugging percentage (.788) so far this season.
Haley Dominique, Ball State
Left Field, Junior, Oregon, Ohio / Clay
It was another big weekend for Ball State junior outfielder Haley Dominique, who helped guide the Cardinals to a 4-1 record at the Mercer Bears Classic by posting a .444 (8-for-18) batting average over the team’s five games in the tournament. Overall, she led the Ball State offense with eight hits, eight RBI, seven runs scored and a 1.000 slugging percentage. She blasted home runs in three of the five game, while also adding a double, two walks and being hit by a pitch once for a .524 on base percentage. Her first home run of the weekend was a two-run blast in the 10-4 victory over South Dakota, which was one of her three hits in the game. She opened the 10-3 win over Cleveland State with a double and added a three-run home run in the top of the fourth to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run. In the come-from-behind win at Mercer, Dominique scored the first of five unanswered runs as the Cardinals rallied from down 5-1 to win 6-5. She closed the weekend with a 3-for-4 effort in the victory over Fordham, scoring in the first inning after opening the game with a single. She also collected an RBI single in the second inning, before adding a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning. Dominique enters the start of MAC play leading the Ball State offense with a .343 batting average, a .646 slugging percentage, a .458 on base percentage, 23 RBI, 22 runs scored and 34 total hits. Of her 34 hits, eight are doubles, two are triples and six are home runs.
Other pitcher nominees
Sarah Venker, Ball State
Pitcher, Freshman, Houston, Texas / Episcopal
Freshman pitcher Sarah Venker continued to shine in the circle for the Cardinals last week, posting a 3-0 record and limiting opposing batters to a .218 batting average over her 14.0 innings of work at the Mercer Bears Classic. Venker also struck out 18 batters over her four appearance while surrendering just five walks and recording a 3.0 ERA. In picking up the three wins, Venker became the first MAC pitcher to reach 10 victories this season. Venker was credited with the win in her first start of the weekend, throwing 4.0 innings versus South Dakota and limiting the Coyotes to just four hits and four runs, only three of which were earned. She also struck out four batters in the game. She followed by pitching 2.0 innings of one-hit softball in relief of Ball State’s 10-3 victory over Cleveland State, striking out three more batters in the process. She was credited with the victory in the come-from-behind win over Mercer, throwing the fifth and sixth innings and limiting the Bears to three hits as Ball State rallied from down 5-1 to win 6-5. She also provided a key play on offense, bringing the Cardinals within one run with her first career home run, a two-run blast in the top of the sixth inning. She closed the weekend earning the complete game victory over Fordham, surrendering just five hits and three runs over 6.0 innings in the 11-3 (6) victory. She also struck out eight batters in the game.Venker enters the start of MAC play with a 10-2 record, a 2.22 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 66.1 innings of work. She has three complete game shutouts on the year, and has combined with closer Alyssa Rothwell for three more shutouts.
