Bowling Green State University Athletics
Photo by: Kenneth Smith, University at Buffalo
Willis, Falcons Add Trio of Transfers
August 03, 2021 | Softball
Bezjak, Cooper and Hurley join BGSU program
Bowling Green State University softball coach Sarah Willis has announced the addition of three NCAA Division-I transfers to the program. Ally Bezjak, Bre Cooper and Kiara Hurley will join the Falcons in time for the 2021-22 academic year.
Bezjak, a first baseman, played three years at Saint Francis University and helped the Red Flash capture the Northeast Conference title in both 2019 and '21.
Cooper, a utility player, comes to BGSU from USC Upstate, where she was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year in 2021. She made the bulk of her 2021 starts in left field.
Hurley, a pitcher, was a two-time All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference First-Team selection at North Carolina Central University.
Both Cooper (Massillon) and Hurley (Maumee) are Ohio natives.
ÂGallery: (8-3-2021) Softball transfers - Aug 3 2021
Bezjak, who hails from Uniontown, Pa. (Albert Gallatin), was named to the NEC All-Tournament Team in 2021 as the Red Flash captured the title. She hit .294 in her junior year, setting career bests in runs (21), hits (32), doubles (three), home runs (three), RBI (27), walks (14) and on-base percentage (.403) as well as batting average.
Bezjak played in 43 games, making 37 starts, in 2021. In her three years with the Red Flash, she saw action in 105 games, starting 72. Bezjak hit .268 with a .414 slugging percentage, totaling 59 hits, five doubles, three triples, seven homers and 50 RBI. She has a career fielding percentage of .988 in 423 total chances.
A four-year all-conference and all-county performer at Albert Gallatin H.S., she was named to the Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association All-State Team.
"Ally will make a great addition to our infield group," said Willis. "Her knowledge, expertise, and voice at first base will help to anchor the infield and provide consistency. Â She has great focus and energy and I am excited to start working with her this fall."
Cooper, a native of Massillon, Ohio (Tuslaw), was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year in her lone season at USC Upstate. She also was named to the All-BSC Second Team. Cooper played in 44 of the Spartans' 46 games in 2021, making 42 starts.
Cooper was second on the club with a .307 batting average, and she also finished second on the team in runs (26), hits (43) and doubles (seven - tied for second). She had a .436 slugging percentage, with a triple and three homers in addition to those seven doubles.
At Tuslaw, Cooper was named the Principals Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a junior in 2019, and also was named to the All-PAC First Team.
"Breanna is an exciting ball player to add to our roster," said Willis. "She transfers to our program with a wealth of experience at multiple positions. She is one of the grittiest and hardworking athletes I have ever watched. She plays with a joy and passion that is beyond most athletes playing the game and she will undoubtedly make immediate contributions to our lineup."
Hurley, a native of Maumee, Ohio (Maumee), was named to the All-MEAC First Team in 2021, becoming the first player in NCCU history to be named to the All-MEAC Team twice. The league's Preseason Pitcher of the Year in '21, she appeared in 36 of the team's 44 games, making 25 starts. Hurley had a deceptive win-loss record of 9-18 and a 3.51 ERA, and she threw a complete game in every one of those 25 starts.
In league regular-season action, Hurley had a record of 7-3 along with two saves in 15 appearances. She allowed opponents to hit just .216 against her in conference action, with a WHIP of only 0.97. She picked up a pair of complete-game wins on the game day to lead the Eagles to the championship game of the MEAC Tournament for the first time in program history. Hurley was named MEAC Pitcher of the Week three times on the season and five times during her three years at NCCU.
She appeared in 10 games in the shortened 2020 season, after being named to both the All-MEAC Second Team and the MEAC All-Tournament Team in 2019. That season, Hurley posted 18 wins to tie the school's single-season record in the Division-I era, and she was second in the league with 133 strikeouts. She led the MEAC with a 3.80 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and was second in the conference with 1.27 Â walks allowed per seven innings.
Hurley began her career at Eastern Michigan University, appearing in 25 games as a freshman in 2018 and picking up wins over Miami and Central Michigan and a save vs. Toledo. A four-year letterwinner at Maumee, she had 200 strikeouts during her senior season.
"I am excited to announce Kiara as the newest addition to our bullpen," said Willis. "She is an intelligent pitcher and extremely effective with her spin and deception. Â Kiara is a student of the game and extremely hard working. Â She brings a wealth of talent to our pitching staff and will be a great mentor to our younger pitchers."
BGSU ended the 2021 season with an overall record of 27-27, and the Falcons went 19-20 in MAC 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.
A total of 14 of the 23 players on the 2021 roster were true freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
For more information on BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
THE NEWEST FALCONS
Ally Bezjak  5-5  1B   R/R  Uniontown, Pa. (Albert Gallatin) (Saint Francis Univ.)
Bre Cooper   5-6 Util. R/R  Massillon, Ohio (Tuslaw) (USC Upstate)
Kiara Hurley 5-5  P   R/L  Maumee, Ohio (Maumee) (North Carolina Central Univ.)
Bezjak, a first baseman, played three years at Saint Francis University and helped the Red Flash capture the Northeast Conference title in both 2019 and '21.
Cooper, a utility player, comes to BGSU from USC Upstate, where she was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year in 2021. She made the bulk of her 2021 starts in left field.
Hurley, a pitcher, was a two-time All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference First-Team selection at North Carolina Central University.
Both Cooper (Massillon) and Hurley (Maumee) are Ohio natives.
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Bezjak, who hails from Uniontown, Pa. (Albert Gallatin), was named to the NEC All-Tournament Team in 2021 as the Red Flash captured the title. She hit .294 in her junior year, setting career bests in runs (21), hits (32), doubles (three), home runs (three), RBI (27), walks (14) and on-base percentage (.403) as well as batting average.
Bezjak played in 43 games, making 37 starts, in 2021. In her three years with the Red Flash, she saw action in 105 games, starting 72. Bezjak hit .268 with a .414 slugging percentage, totaling 59 hits, five doubles, three triples, seven homers and 50 RBI. She has a career fielding percentage of .988 in 423 total chances.
A four-year all-conference and all-county performer at Albert Gallatin H.S., she was named to the Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association All-State Team.
"Ally will make a great addition to our infield group," said Willis. "Her knowledge, expertise, and voice at first base will help to anchor the infield and provide consistency. Â She has great focus and energy and I am excited to start working with her this fall."
Cooper, a native of Massillon, Ohio (Tuslaw), was named the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year in her lone season at USC Upstate. She also was named to the All-BSC Second Team. Cooper played in 44 of the Spartans' 46 games in 2021, making 42 starts.
Cooper was second on the club with a .307 batting average, and she also finished second on the team in runs (26), hits (43) and doubles (seven - tied for second). She had a .436 slugging percentage, with a triple and three homers in addition to those seven doubles.
At Tuslaw, Cooper was named the Principals Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a junior in 2019, and also was named to the All-PAC First Team.
"Breanna is an exciting ball player to add to our roster," said Willis. "She transfers to our program with a wealth of experience at multiple positions. She is one of the grittiest and hardworking athletes I have ever watched. She plays with a joy and passion that is beyond most athletes playing the game and she will undoubtedly make immediate contributions to our lineup."
Hurley, a native of Maumee, Ohio (Maumee), was named to the All-MEAC First Team in 2021, becoming the first player in NCCU history to be named to the All-MEAC Team twice. The league's Preseason Pitcher of the Year in '21, she appeared in 36 of the team's 44 games, making 25 starts. Hurley had a deceptive win-loss record of 9-18 and a 3.51 ERA, and she threw a complete game in every one of those 25 starts.
In league regular-season action, Hurley had a record of 7-3 along with two saves in 15 appearances. She allowed opponents to hit just .216 against her in conference action, with a WHIP of only 0.97. She picked up a pair of complete-game wins on the game day to lead the Eagles to the championship game of the MEAC Tournament for the first time in program history. Hurley was named MEAC Pitcher of the Week three times on the season and five times during her three years at NCCU.
She appeared in 10 games in the shortened 2020 season, after being named to both the All-MEAC Second Team and the MEAC All-Tournament Team in 2019. That season, Hurley posted 18 wins to tie the school's single-season record in the Division-I era, and she was second in the league with 133 strikeouts. She led the MEAC with a 3.80 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and was second in the conference with 1.27 Â walks allowed per seven innings.
Hurley began her career at Eastern Michigan University, appearing in 25 games as a freshman in 2018 and picking up wins over Miami and Central Michigan and a save vs. Toledo. A four-year letterwinner at Maumee, she had 200 strikeouts during her senior season.
"I am excited to announce Kiara as the newest addition to our bullpen," said Willis. "She is an intelligent pitcher and extremely effective with her spin and deception. Â Kiara is a student of the game and extremely hard working. Â She brings a wealth of talent to our pitching staff and will be a great mentor to our younger pitchers."
BGSU ended the 2021 season with an overall record of 27-27, and the Falcons went 19-20 in MAC 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.
A total of 14 of the 23 players on the 2021 roster were true freshmen or redshirt freshmen.
For more information on BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.
THE NEWEST FALCONS
Ally Bezjak  5-5  1B   R/R  Uniontown, Pa. (Albert Gallatin) (Saint Francis Univ.)
Bre Cooper   5-6 Util. R/R  Massillon, Ohio (Tuslaw) (USC Upstate)
Kiara Hurley 5-5  P   R/L  Maumee, Ohio (Maumee) (North Carolina Central Univ.)
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