.png&type=webp)
Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcon Softball Program Signs Two
November 21, 2003 | Softball
Nov. 21, 2003
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University softball program has inked a pair of area student-athletes to National Letters of Intent, head coach Leigh Ross-Shaw has announced. Perrysburg natives Brecken Libbe and Allison Vallas will join the Falcons for the 2004-05 academic year.
"Brecken and Allison are going to be strong additions to this program," said Ross-Shaw. "Both are great athletes and very versatile players. They also are good students and great competitors.
"One of the things I like most about these two players is that I could put either of them at just about any position and feel comfortable."
Libbe and Vallas are teammates at Perrysburg High School, and the two also play on the Suburban Girls Softball Magic U16 fastpitch team in the summer months. The latter team won a USSSA World Series title in Canton, Mich., in August. The Magic qualified for the World Series by winning the USSSA Ohio State championship, then went 8-1 at the World Series, with the only loss coming in pool play to a Colorado team.
Libbe, primarily a catcher for her high-school and summer-ball teams, was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series. For the SGS Magic, she hit .399 last summer, with a .490 on-base percentage. Libbe batted .350 over the second half of the season for PHS last year, and finished with 16 runs scored and eight runs batted in.
"Brecken will work behind the plate with us," said Ross-Shaw. "But, because she is such a well-rounded player, she will also work in the infield and outfield. She also has great hitting mechanics.
"Brecken's biggest attribute is that she is a student of the game. She is constantly thinking the game and knows it very well."
Vallas, a first baseman/pitcher, joined Libbe on the All-World Series team over the summer, hitting third or fourth in the Magic lineup. Last season, she hit .413 with 14 runs scored, 17 RBI and 11 extra-base hits. In the circle, she had a record of 11-6 for the second-straight year, and also had an earned-run average of 1.36 in 123 innings. As a sophomore, Vallas batted .358 for the Yellow Jackets. She is also a starter on the soccer and basketball teams at PHS, and earned All-NLL first-team accolades as a soccer goalkeeper this fall.
"Allison plays first base and pitches for Perrysburg, and also plays the outfield for her summer-ball team," said Ross-Shaw. "Allison is already a solid player, but I am really excited about the potential she has to become stronger. She will become a powerful hitter for us.
"Allison will play some first base and outfield for us, but we may also keep her pitching and see what develops. As I said, she is just so athletic and versatile that she gives us a lot of options.
"The BGSU softball program has become even stronger with the signing of Allison and Brecken. We are very anxious to have them join us.
"This is the first time that I have only signed local kids during the early signing period. It says a lot about how the talent level has grown in Northwest Ohio in the past few years."
The Falcons finished the 2003 season with an overall record of 26-26-1, and BGSU had a Mid-American Conference record of 15-9, good enough to advance to the MAC Tournament for the fifth time in six years. The Falcons had five seniors - McKenna Houle, Kandice Machain, Liz Tuza, Libby Voshell and Crystal Wilson - on the 2003 roster.
BGSU SOFTBALL SIGNEES
Name Ht. Pos. B/T Hometown (High School) Brecken Libbe 5-5 C B/R Perrysburg, Ohio (Perrysburg) Allison Vallas 5-11 P/1B L/L Perrysburg, Ohio (Perrysburg)
