Bowling Green State University Athletics
Peyton Dolejs (right) is greeted at the plate by Marlie McNulty (left) & Greta L'Esperance after homering in a win at Buffalo
Photo by: Kenneth Smith, University at Buffalo
Softball Season Wrapup: Plenty of Additions to BGSU Record Book
May 17, 2021 | Softball
Falcons finish fifth in MAC in 2021
With the 2021 season recently completed, here are just a few Bowling Green State University softball team and individual notes. The updated individual season and career records lists can be found in the "BGSU Stats & Records Update" PDF...
• BGSU ended the 2021 season with an overall record of 27-27, and the Falcons went 19-20 in Mid-American Conference action. BG, picked to finish eighth in the MAC in the preseason coaches' poll, ended the season in fifth place in the 11-team league. BGSU was one of two conference teams to finish as many as three places higher than predicted.
• The Falcons finished with the program's highest winning percentage in MAC play since 2012, and BGSU's overall total of 27 wins is the highest since the 2013 campaign.
• Redshirt freshman Payton Gottshall shattered the school record for strikeouts in a season, finishing with 282. She also obliterated the BGSU record for strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 9.79 (the old record was 8.46 by BGSU Hall-of-Famer Liz Vrabel). Gottshall became just the fourth pitcher in school history, and the first since 1995, to win 20 games in a season.
• The complete list of Gottshall's rankings on the BGSU single-season lists: strikeouts (282, first), strikeouts per 7 innings (9.79, first), wins (20, T-third), complete games (25, T-third), shutouts (8, T-fifth), innings pitched (201 2/3, ninth), games started (29, T-12th) and win-loss pct. (.625 [20-12], 15th). It should be noted that the Falcon phenom compiled these numbers despite missing nearly a month of the season due to injury.
• Gottshall – again, just a redshirt freshman – already has added her name to seven BGSU career lists, including strikeouts per 7 innings (9.94, first*), win-loss pct. (.646 [31-17], fourth), strikeouts (410, sixth), earned-run average (1.89, eighth), shutouts (10, 10th), complete games (34, 11th) and wins (31, T-12th).
* previous record was 7.12, by Vrabel
• Senior SS Madi McCoy had a stellar 2021 season as well, adding her name to the following BGSU single-season charts: slugging pct. (.696, second), RBI (43, second), batting average (.380, third), homers (11, T-fourth), total bases (110, fifth), doubles (15, T-sixth), hits (60, seventh) and sac flies (3, T-ninth).
• McCoy hit .423 in MAC games, the highest average by a BGSU player since 2006.
• Despite playing the equivalent of roughly two seasons in a BGSU uniform (missed one-third of the 2019 season due to injury, then saw the 2020 season shortened due to COVID-19), McCoy is ranked on several Falcon career lists. In fact, she holds the BG career record for highest slugging pct. (.617). In addition to slugging, McCoy is also ranked on the BGSU career lists for batting average (.348, third), homers (21, T-seventh), sac flies (4, T-12th) and RBI (80, T-14th).
• McCoy set a school record with five hits in a game, going 5-for-5 at Northern Illinois. She became the first player in BGSU history to record three multiple-homer games in a season, and she tied the school record with four multi-HR contests in her career.
• Redshirt freshman Greta L'Esperance added her name to five BGSU single-season lists in 2021. She had 70 hits, the third-highest total in program history, and her .376 batting average ranks fourth on that list. In addition to hits and batting average, L'Esperance is ranked on the single-season lists for stolen bases (25, fifth), at-bats (186, T-seventh) and runs scored (35, T-10th).
• With 29 career stolen bases, L'Esperance ranks 11th on that BGSU list.
• Sophie Weber drew 23 walks and Evelyn Loyola 22 in 2021. They are tied for 14th and 19th, respectively, on that BGSU seasonal chart. Weber amassed her total in fewer than 100 plate appearances.
• Sammy Dees has broken the BGSU records for sacrifice flies in a season (8) and career (10). Dees is also on the BG career charts for slugging pct. (.449, 11th), doubles (28, T-15th) and batting average (.302, 17th).
• Sarah Gonzalez is on the BGSU career lists for sac flies (6, T-eighth), walks (54, T-16th) and homers (12, T-18th). Gonzalez had an additional homer erased from the records, as it came in a game that was halted due to inclement weather and never completed.
• A total of 14 of the 23 players on the 2021 roster were true freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
• BGSU ended the 2021 season with an overall record of 27-27, and the Falcons went 19-20 in Mid-American Conference action. BG, picked to finish eighth in the MAC in the preseason coaches' poll, ended the season in fifth place in the 11-team league. BGSU was one of two conference teams to finish as many as three places higher than predicted.
• The Falcons finished with the program's highest winning percentage in MAC play since 2012, and BGSU's overall total of 27 wins is the highest since the 2013 campaign.
• Redshirt freshman Payton Gottshall shattered the school record for strikeouts in a season, finishing with 282. She also obliterated the BGSU record for strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 9.79 (the old record was 8.46 by BGSU Hall-of-Famer Liz Vrabel). Gottshall became just the fourth pitcher in school history, and the first since 1995, to win 20 games in a season.
• The complete list of Gottshall's rankings on the BGSU single-season lists: strikeouts (282, first), strikeouts per 7 innings (9.79, first), wins (20, T-third), complete games (25, T-third), shutouts (8, T-fifth), innings pitched (201 2/3, ninth), games started (29, T-12th) and win-loss pct. (.625 [20-12], 15th). It should be noted that the Falcon phenom compiled these numbers despite missing nearly a month of the season due to injury.
• Gottshall – again, just a redshirt freshman – already has added her name to seven BGSU career lists, including strikeouts per 7 innings (9.94, first*), win-loss pct. (.646 [31-17], fourth), strikeouts (410, sixth), earned-run average (1.89, eighth), shutouts (10, 10th), complete games (34, 11th) and wins (31, T-12th).
* previous record was 7.12, by Vrabel
• Senior SS Madi McCoy had a stellar 2021 season as well, adding her name to the following BGSU single-season charts: slugging pct. (.696, second), RBI (43, second), batting average (.380, third), homers (11, T-fourth), total bases (110, fifth), doubles (15, T-sixth), hits (60, seventh) and sac flies (3, T-ninth).
• McCoy hit .423 in MAC games, the highest average by a BGSU player since 2006.
• Despite playing the equivalent of roughly two seasons in a BGSU uniform (missed one-third of the 2019 season due to injury, then saw the 2020 season shortened due to COVID-19), McCoy is ranked on several Falcon career lists. In fact, she holds the BG career record for highest slugging pct. (.617). In addition to slugging, McCoy is also ranked on the BGSU career lists for batting average (.348, third), homers (21, T-seventh), sac flies (4, T-12th) and RBI (80, T-14th).
• McCoy set a school record with five hits in a game, going 5-for-5 at Northern Illinois. She became the first player in BGSU history to record three multiple-homer games in a season, and she tied the school record with four multi-HR contests in her career.
• Redshirt freshman Greta L'Esperance added her name to five BGSU single-season lists in 2021. She had 70 hits, the third-highest total in program history, and her .376 batting average ranks fourth on that list. In addition to hits and batting average, L'Esperance is ranked on the single-season lists for stolen bases (25, fifth), at-bats (186, T-seventh) and runs scored (35, T-10th).
• With 29 career stolen bases, L'Esperance ranks 11th on that BGSU list.
• Sophie Weber drew 23 walks and Evelyn Loyola 22 in 2021. They are tied for 14th and 19th, respectively, on that BGSU seasonal chart. Weber amassed her total in fewer than 100 plate appearances.
• Sammy Dees has broken the BGSU records for sacrifice flies in a season (8) and career (10). Dees is also on the BG career charts for slugging pct. (.449, 11th), doubles (28, T-15th) and batting average (.302, 17th).
• Sarah Gonzalez is on the BGSU career lists for sac flies (6, T-eighth), walks (54, T-16th) and homers (12, T-18th). Gonzalez had an additional homer erased from the records, as it came in a game that was halted due to inclement weather and never completed.
• A total of 14 of the 23 players on the 2021 roster were true freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
Players Mentioned
SS/2B
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
IF
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