Bowling Green State University Athletics
Two Falcon Freshmen Earn All-MAC Honors
May 07, 2003 | Softball
May 7, 2003
AKRON, Ohio - Two Bowling Green State University softball freshmen were named to the All-Mid-American Conference Team, the league office announced Wednesday evening (May 7). The announcement was made at the MAC Tournament banquet at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
Gina Rango was the Falcons' lone selection to the All-MAC First Team, while Liz Vrabel represented BG on the league's second team.
Rango, a native of North Lima, Ohio (Boardman HS), was one of just two league frosh to make the first team. She earned the honor after leading the Falcons with a .374 batting average in the regular season. She was one of three BGSU players to start all 50 games, and made 49 starts at third base. Rango leads the Brown and Orange in runs scored (33), hits (58) and total bases (83), in addition to hitting. She is tied for the team lead with 13 doubles and is second with four homers and 25 runs batted in.
Vrabel, from Allison Park, Pa. (North Allegheny HS), has had one of the finest seasons of any pitcher in BGSU history. She has a 16-9 record and an earned-run average of just 1.13, and has 17 complete games among her 21 starts. Included in those 17 complete games are three one-hitters in MAC play. She was named the MAC Pitcher of the Week in three consecutive weeks, the first Falcon to be so honored.
Regular-season champion Marshall led the way with seven All-MAC picks, including four first-team selections. West Division winner Western Michigan was the only other team with more than one first-team pick, with two first-teamers among four total selections.
Rango, Vrabel and the Falcons will open MAC Tournament play with a Thursday (May 8) game vs. Northern Illinois. The winner of that contest will advance to face top-seeded Marshall in a Thursday evening game. All games in the six-team, double-elimination MAC Tournament will be held at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
The complete All-MAC Team follows:
First Team All-MAC Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown 1B Angie Gerber # Miami Sr. LaSalle, MI 2B Lisa Mattke Northern Ill. Sr. Plymouth, IN SS Katie Shea@ Ball State Sr. Royal Oak, MI 3B Gina Rango Bowling Green Fr. North Lima, OH C Carrie Eneix Kent State Jr. Pickerington, OH OF Breanne Nasti@ Buffalo Jr. Baldwin, NY OF Amanda Williams Marshall Fr. Powder Springs, GA OF Jaymie Voss Western Mich. Jr. Kalamazoo, MI P Randi Nielson Marshall So. Tucson, AZ P Laura Stewart Western Mich. Jr. Plymouth, MI DP Allison Webb Marshall So. Wayne, WV UT Michelle Brander# Central Mich. Sr. Jenison, MI AL Lea Dorto Kent State Sr. North Canton, OH AL Tracee McCoy @ Akron Sr. Akron, OH AL De'Shaun Drake Marshall Sr. Spring Valley, CASecond Team All-MAC Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown 1B Toni DelToro Northern Ill. So. Las Vegas. NV 2B Courtney Kacenga Marshall Fr. Sierra Vista, AZ SS Jessica Williams Marshall Fr. Powder Springs, GA 3B Aimee Smith Central Mich. Jr. Romeo, MI C Becca Garcia Miami Fr. Martinez, CA OF Kris Burdine# Ball State Jr. New Palestine, IN OF Jamie Carey Miami Jr. Pendleton, IN OF Erin Chapman Ohio Jr. Beavercreek, OH P Liz Vrabel Bowling Green Fr. Allison Park, PA P Courtney Salmon Miami Fr. Auburn, WA DP Gina Dobbs Western Mich. Sr. Oak Park, IL UT Jackie Poggendorf Miami So. Phoenix, AZ AL Angie Fiero# Western Mich. Sr. Rives Junction, MI AL Paige Shemoski Northern Ill. Sr. Palos Park, IL AL Sierra Davenport# Marshall Jr. Tucson, AZ
@ First Team All-MAC in 2002 # Second Team All-MAC in 2002
Coach of the Year Shonda Stanton, Marshall
Player of the Year Michelle Brander, Central Michigan
Freshman of the Year Amanda Williams, Marshall
Pitcher of the Year Randi Nieslon, Marshall
