Bowling Green State University Athletics
Wiemer Named Team MVP at Annual Softball Banquet
May 08, 2007 | Softball
May 8, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Sophomore standout Hayley Wiemer has been named Softball's 2007 Most Valuable Player while sharing Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors with junior Allison Vallas as announced by the Bowling Green coaching staff. Junior Dawnjene DeLong was also named the Defensive Player of the Year while third-year classmate Emily Gouge earned the Most Improved Player mention. Seniors Jeanine Baca, Ashley Zirkle and Lauren Hoffman also earned special recognition for their efforts throughout the season.
The seven award winners were recognized at a picnic style gathering after Sunday's final home contest against the Western Michigan Broncos in conjunction with Senior Day activities.
"Even though we took the time to acknowledge the individuals, every award is truly backed by the team effort," said head coach Shannon Salsburg. "It was very special for the team to have the opportunity to be presented these awards in front of our family and friends and to share time with them before the MAC Tournament."
The Falcons finished the season at 31-10 overall and 14-6 in Mid-American Conference play. BGSU, the higher seed, will take on Western Michigan for the third time in five days on Wednesday morning in the first game of the conference tournament at Currie Field in Midland, Mich.
Hayley Wiemer, Most Valuable Player and Co-Offensive Player of the Year
Allison Vallas, Co-Offensive Player of the Year
Wiemer, a Sylvania native and the youngest of three team captains, has batted over .400 since the Falcons home opening weekend (Mar. 30) and has posted batting averages over .340 since March 3, 2007. From the plate her highlights include turning 49 hits into 34 runs for a total of a team-high 88 total bases. Through the conclusion of the regular season she was slugging .739 and was walked 22 times. `Ms. Versatile' also leads BGSU from the circle with a low 1.39 ERA in 141.0 innings pitched. As a pitcher, Wiemer has walked 11 batters but has struck out 135 in 30 appearances.
Vallas, another local power hitter hailing from Perrysburg, Ohio, has continuously batted over .300 since Mar. 17 and has hovered at or above .350 since the Mar. 28 victory at Michigan State. She has converted 43 hits into 29 runs and is slugging .661. She and Wiemer are currently battling for the single season homerun title. Wiemer leads the race with 10 while Vallas has hit eight; prior to the season the two combined for a total of four long distance hits.
As if the two are not impressive enough by their own accord, together they have combined for 70 of the Orange and Brown's 176 RBI's and are batting a combined .388 while slugging .700. The duo has an on base percentage of .481 and has been walked 40 times as the third and fourth batters in the line-up.
The underclassmen have been named to a weekly conference award six times this season including three Scholar-Athlete of the Week mentions. During the week of April 16 the tandem swept the Eastern Division Player and Pitcher of the Week prizes.
Dawnjene DeLong, Defensive Player of the Year
At shortstop, DeLong has become a valuable defensive component by decreasing her 21 errors in the infield in 2006 to a career low five in 2007. After recording a misplay in the first game of the season, the Hamilton native had a streak of 25 perfect fielding games in which she played every inning. In 41 games, she has 60 putouts while assisting on an additional 61. She has a .960 fielding percentage at the six spot.
Emily Gouge, Most Improved Player
In her third year with the squad, Gouge has increased her statistical numbers as well as her playing time. As an underclassman, the Vero Beach, Fla. native threw 138 strikeouts in 176.1 IP whereas she has amassed 135 strikeouts this season alone in 122.2 innings. She has also picked up 13 wins this season compared to the 15 wins she carried into the season. The dominate handed pitcher has also matched her previous two year mark of four shutouts with an additional four this season.
Gouge was named to the Charleston Southern University all-tournament team as well as the USF Speedline Most Valuable Pitcher. She also was recognized by the MAC as the East's Pitcher of the Week on March 22, 2007.
Jeanine Baca, Sparkplug Award
Baca, a senior co-captain, has reached base 36 times in 71 leadoff opportunities - meaning she has jump started the BGSU offense in more than half her chances as the first batter in the lineup. She is batting .380 with the bases empty and has been nationally ranked throughout the season as one of the toughest batters to strikeout. Currently, she is the seventh hardest batter to retire in all of Division I and is the hardest batter to strikeout in the MAC. In 134 attempts she had picked up four strikeouts with just one of those K's coming in conference play. The La Habra, Calif, native leads the Falcons with 39 runs. Additionally, BGSU is 17-1 when scoring in the first inning and has out scored their opponents 35-12 in the opening plate appearance.
As a four-year starter, Baca has the chance to break both the career games played and games started records here at Bowling Green as well as the career run record. She set the career at bat record late in the season.
Lauren Hoffman, Orange and Brown Award
Hoffman, a senior, was presented the Orange and Brown award as the player who most exemplifies what it means to represent the colors as the living definition of a Falcon.
"Lauren is a very special player who takes care of every small detail and consistently does all the small things for the team," said Salsburg. "She is the `Team Mom' who goes above and beyond what anyone could ask of her."
Since becoming a Falcon in 2004 Hoffman has steadily increased her playing time and has played in 21 games during her final campaign, mostly as a pinch hitter. The Archbold native has hit two doubles and a homerun as a Falcon and has batted in three runs on three hits in the current season. In March she was named the BGSU Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year as an Integrated Mathematics major.
Ashley Zirkle, Falcon Award
Zirkle, also in her final year with the team, was presented with the Falcon award as the player who betters her peers and can push their efforts to the maximum on a daily basis.
"Without a full-time pitching coach in the dugout Ashley took the catcher's job even more seriously and has produced beyond our expectations," said Salsburg. "Her presence has made all the difference."
The senior plays multiple roles for the Falcons as a co-captain, starting catcher and general field commander behind the plate. She has played in every inning but one this season opposite the pitching staff and is second on the team with 266 putouts. Under her direction, BGSU is ranked 13th nationally for their 1.59 staff ERA. Both Wiemer and Gouge have also gained national attention amongst the top 100 lowest individual ERA. The three have a combined for a 270-40 strikeout to walk ratio.
