MAC Announces Softball Players and Pitchers of the Week
East Player of the Week
MiKayla Cooper, Ohio, Shortstop
Junior, Delaware, Ohio/Rutherford B. Hayes
Shortstop Mikayla Cooper led the Bobcats at the plate this past weekend, helping the Bobcats go 3-0 and complete their third-straight series sweep while clinching the MAC East Division Title and the second seed in this year’s MAC Tournament. Overall, Copper hit .417 with five hits in 12 at bats. She has one double; two triples and scored five runs. She drew one walk and registered one RBI while slugging .833. Cooper also recorded a .462 on base percentage.
In the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday, Cooper went 1-for-4 with two runs scored. She also drew a walk in the Bobcats’ 9-3 victory over the Bulls. Cooper came back for game two later in the day for a monster game, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. She recorded two triples in back-to-back innings and also recorded a double in Ohio’s 11-9 victory. In the final game of the weekend, Cooper end 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in Ohio’s 6-4 victory that clinched the series sweep.
East Pitcher of the Week
Ronnie Ladines, Kent State, Pitcher
Senior, Arlington, Wash./Arlington
Ronnie Ladines extended her scoreless-innings streak to 24 with a pair of shutouts on the final weekend of the regular season. Coming off a perfect game in her previous outing, Ladines took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Friday before Bowling Green collected its first hit with one out. In her final appearance at the Diamond at Dix, Ladines tossed a two-hitter with eight strikeouts in a five-inning victory.
West Player of the Week
Michelle Kriegshauser, Eastern Michigan, Outfield
Senior, New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central
Senior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central) closed out an incredible career this past week, all while leading the Eagles to a 2-2 mark. She hit a staggering .533 at the plate, going 8-for-15, with two doubles and a home run, and continued her ascent up the EMU and MAC record books. Kriegshauser began the week with a 2-for-3 outing against Oakland, helping the Green and White snap a seven-game losing skid. She followed that up with a 2-for-4 effort in the night cap of the doubleheader, fueling the Eagles to yet another win. From there, Kriegshauser reaked havoc against Central Michigan, May 7, touching up the MAC Regular Season Champion Chippewas. The New Lenox, Ill. native combined to go 4-for-8 with a double and a home run. With the double, the 57th of her career, Kriegshauser continued to solidify herself as the EMU record holder, while also moving into a tie for second all-time in the MAC. Additionally, it marked the 17th two-bagger of the season for Kriegshauser, tying the EMU single season record. She finishes her career with a .361 batting average, the best in EMU laurels, and also is slotted second in home runs.
West Pitcher of the Week
Holly VanTilburg, Western Michigan, P
Junior, Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw
Western Michigan junior pitcher Holly VanTilburg picked up the win in a complete-game effort in game two of this weekend’s three-game series against Ball State and hurled an inning of hitless, scoreless relief in game one. In total, VanTilburg threw 8.0 innings and allowed just four hits while striking out one, maintain a 1.75 ERA. In her game two victory she did not allow a hit after the fifth inning and retired the final seven batters in a row. VanTilburg improved her record 6-3 on the season.
Other Nominees
East Player
Emily Dobbin, Kent State, Outfielder
Junior, Vancouver, Wash./Skyview
Emily Dobbin extended her hitting streak to six games and helped Kent State to a series sweep of Bowling Green. Dobbin hit the game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader and then drew a walk to start the first inning in the second game before scoring on a home run as the Golden Flashes jumped out to an early lead. She jumped on the first pitch Wednesday night at Buckeye Field for a single and Kent State’s only hit in the game.
Michaela Schlattman, Miami, SS
Sophomore, Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield
Miami sophomore shortstop Michaela Schlattman closed out a strong regular season with a terrific weekend against Akron. Schlattman batted .400 with four hits, five RBIs and a .500 slugging percentage. Following a tough opener on Saturday, she rebounded with a two-hit performance in the second game against Akron. After reaching on a fielder’s choice in the third, she advanced to second on a single and later scored on a RBI single. In the next inning, she extended Miami’s lead with a RBI single to right field, followed by another run-scoring single in the sixth that clinched the RedHawks’ 3-0 victory. Schlattman continued her strong play into Sunday’s series finale, leading off the first with a walk and stolen base, eventually scoring from second on a misplayed single. In the bottom of the fourth, she broke open the game with a RBI double to left-center. In the sixth, she finished her weekend with a two-run comeback single at the pitcher that sealed Miami’s 5-1 win.
East Pitcher
Carly Mortensen, Miami, P
Senior, Valencia, Calif./Valencia/Pacific
Miami senior Carly Mortensen turned in an outstanding performance this weekend, powering the RedHawks to a series victory over Akron to close conference play. For the weekend, she went 2-0 and did not allow a run, striking out eight and only giving up four hits over 12 innings of work. On Saturday, Mortensen tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout, leading Miami to a 3-0 victory. She struck out four Zips and only walked two, retiring eight of the final nine batters she faced. On Sunday, she entered a tied game in the third and proceeded to dominate, allowing the RedHawks’ offense to pull away for a 5-1 victory. After surrendering a single to her first batter, Mortensen sat down the next 12 Akron batters before yielding a two-out single in the top of the seventh. For the second consecutive day, she threw a two-hitter and struck out four, but did not walk a batter in her five innings on the mound.
Danielle Stiene, Ohio, Pitcher
Junior, Loveland Ohio/ Ursuline Academy
Junior pitcher Danielle Stiene led Ohio in the circle this weekend, going 2-0 and picking up a save and helping Ohio to a 3-0 weekend and complete their third-straight series sweep. With the wins, Ohio clinched the MAC East Division title and the second seed in this year’s MAC Tournament. Overall, Stiene pitched 16.0 innings, allowing four earned runs on 21 hits. She struck out 21 batters and only walked five while opponents hit .318 off of her. Stiene started the first game for the Bobcats on Saturday. In the constant rain, Stiene pitched all seven innings, allowing 1 earned run in Ohio’s 9-3 victory. In those seven innings, Stiene allowed 12 hits and walked two while striking out eight Bulls batters. Stiene would return to the circle in game two of the doubleheader, this time in relief. In the sixth inning, Stiene entered the game and did not allow a run on one hit while striking out three to earn the save in Ohio’s 11-9 victory. Stiene got the start in the final game of the regular season, pitching all seven innings of Ohio’s 6-4 victory. Stiene allowed three earned runs on eight hits while striking out 10 and only walking three batters.
West Player
Taylor Lewallen, Central Michigan, Third base
Senior, Surprise, Ariz./New Mexico State
Central Michigan clinched the Mid-American Conference regular-season title for the first time since 2004 with a 6-4 first game victory over Eastern Michigan on Sunday. The Chippewas went 2-0 versus the Eagles. Senior Taylor Lewallen led Central Michigan at the plate, finishing with a .500 batting average (3-of-6), three RBI and one run. She posted an RBI single in the top of the fourth in the first game at EMU. Lewallen singled twice to left field, scoring two runs to push the Chippewas to a 5-4 second game win over the Eagles. The senior is batting .302 and has 19 RBI.
Jenny Van Geertry, NIU, Outfielder
So., Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East
Jenny Van Geertry helped NIU to a 2-1 sereis win over Toledo in the 2017 regular season finale. The Huskie outfielder batted .625 on the weekend with five hits, including two extra base hits, in eight at bats. She drove in five runs on the weekend, including threeon a three run homer in NIU’s 9-6 win over the Rockets in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Huskies were trailing 4-2 when her three-run shot put NIU up for good. In the second game of the day, Van Geertry’s two-run double in the third put NIU up, 9-1.
Brooke Wyman, Western Michigan, SS
Sophomore, Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Central
Western Michigan sophomore shortstop Brooke Wyman batted .500 (4-for-8) with two home runs, two RBIs, two runs scored, a walk, 10 total bases and a 1.250 slugging percentage, helping the Broncos take two games of a three-game set against Ball State this past weekend. In game one, Wyman went 1-for-3. In game two, Wyman helped the Broncos turn a 2-2 tie game into an 8-2 win. Wyman homered twice in the game, hitting solo home runs in the third and fifth innings. With the weekend’s performance, Wyman improved her season batting average from .273 to .288.
