MAC Softball Player of the Week
Carley Goetschius, Northern Illinois
C/INF, Junior, Souix Falls, S.D./Washington
Carley Goetschius led the way for NIU during their 3-2 performance at the FGCU Invitational to open the 2021 season. The Huskie junior batted .429 and slugged .714, pounding out six hits in 14 at bats, including a double and a home run. She went 2-for-3 in a 4-1 win over the host Eagles for NIU's first win of the season and was 1-for-2 with a double in a 1-0 victory over FIU in the first game of day two of the tournament. She wrapped her weekend up with a 1-for-3 day in the Huskies' 3-0 triumph over the Panthers in the event finale. Her lone hit on the day was a solo homer to left field to put NIU up 1-0 in the second inning.
MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week
Payton Gottshall, Bowling Green
Pitcher, Redshirt Freshman, Massillon, Ohio / Perry
Bowling Green’s Payton Gottshall had an ERA of just 0.64 last weekend, to continue her tremendous start to the season. On Friday, Gottshall recorded her third complete-game shutout in as many starts, allowing just two hits in eight innings as BGSU beat Winthrop, 2-0, at the host school’s tournament. She walked three batters and struck out 16. The next day, Gottshall allowed just four hits, but gave up her first two earned runs (and to this point, her only two earned runs) of the season as Stony Brook scored twice in the seventh inning for a 2-0 win over the Falcons. She walked one and struck out 13. On Sunday, Gottshall fired a three-hit shutout, striking out 14 without allowing a walk, as BG downed Radford, 1-0. Gottshall now has four shutouts in five starts this season, and had taken a shutout into the seventh inning of each of those five starts. She has had at least 13 strikeouts in each of her six appearances – including one relief appearance – this year. On the season, she has struck out 94 batters in 43 1/3 innings, walking just four and allowing opponents to bat just .099 against her. She has an ERA of 0.32 this spring.
Other Nominees
Kennadie Goth, Kent State
Outfield, Senior, Shelby, Ohio / Shelby
Kennadie Goth recorded a hit in all four games and led Kent State with a .455 batting average on opening weekend at the Georgia Classic. Goth bunted for a single on the first pitch of the season against #16 Georgia and came around to score as part of a 3-run opening frame on Saturday. Goth reached safely in all 4 of her plate appearances against the Bulldogs, collecting two hits and drawing two walks. The Golden Flashes' leadoff hitter started another 3-run first inning against Longwood on Sunday with a single to left-center.
Greta L'Esperance, Bowling Green
CF, Redshirt Freshman, Byron, Mich. / Byron
?Bowling Green’s Greta L’Esperance hit .444 in five games at the Winthrop Kickoff Tournament last weekend. L’Esperance led the Falcons in at-bats (18), runs (three), hits (eight), total bases (nine) and stolen bases (4-4) on the weekend. She had at least one hit in every game, including a career-high four hits in the weekend opener as she went 4-for-4 with a double against host Winthrop and scored the winning run. L’Esperance is batting a team-leading .400 on the season, and she has hit safely in all nine games this year and in 11-straight games dating to last season. L’Esperance also has stolen a base in four consecutive games. She has already topped her 2020 totals in hits, extra-base hits and stolen bases.
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Emily Dato, Northern Illinois University
Pitcher, Freshman, Munster, Ind./Munster
Emily Dato was stellar in two appearances at the Florida Gulf Coast Invitational. A native of Munster, Ind., Dato allowed five hits and two walks on the weekend. The Huskie freshman threw four-plus innings of shutout softball, allowing one run on four hits and a walk in a 4-1 victory over the Eagles to give NIU its first win of the season. She was just as effective against FGCU the second time she faced the Eagles in a rematch the next day. She pitched three innings of shutout softball, allowing just one hit in a 5-3 setback to the host Eagles.
Jessica LeBeau, Kent State
Pitcher, Freshman, Hartville, Ohio / Lake
Jessica LeBeau's impressive first weekend of her collegiate debut included a stretch of 14.1 scoreless innings against tough opponents in #16 Georgia and Longwood. LeBeau earned her first victory on Saturday, striking out 9 batters in a 2-1 win over Longwood. She was called on to face the Lancers again Sunday morning and had 5 strikeouts in 2.0 innings of relief duty for her first save. The freshman returned to the circle to face the 16th-ranked Bulldogs and threw a 1-hitter through 5.2 innings and had Kent State in position for its first top-25 win of the season before allowing 4 runs in the frame. LeBeau posted a 2.33 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 15.0 innings while limiting opposing batters to a .204 batting average.
Courtney Vierstra, Miami University
Pitcher, Senior, Thornville, Ohio/Lakewood
Miami senior Courtney Vierstra kept the #23/24 Lady Vols of Tennessee guessing at the plate and off of the scoreboard in a 2-0 shutout victory on Sunday. Vierstra carried a perfect game through 4.1 innings before Tennessee would record the first of only three hits against the RedHawk senior. On the day, Vierstra recorded nine strikeouts en route to the complete game, shutout victory. The win was the first of the season for Miami and first as a head coach for Miami head coach Kirin Kumar.
