MAC Announces Softball Players and Pitchers of the Week

Updated 3/5/2013

MAC East Player of the Week

Abbey Ledford, Kent State, IF

Junior, West Liberty, Ohio/West Liberty-Salem

Junior Abbey Ledford accomplished a rare feat on Saturday as she hit safely in all seven of her at-bats on the day at the USF Under Armour Invitational. Ledford finished the weekend with a team-best nine base hits and hit .563 in five games. She also had two RBI, scored two runs, and had one stolen base. She also drew three walks and had a .632 on-base percentage.

MAC East Pitcher of the Week

Emma Johnson, Kent State, P

Sophomore, Groveport, Ohio/Groveport Madison

Sophomore ace Emma Johnson earned the victory in all 3 of Kent State’s wins at the USF Under Armour Invitational this past weekend. Johnson went 3-0 with 22 strikeouts and a 0.79 ERA in 17.2 innings of work. Opposing batters were kept off-balance throughout the weekend, hitting just .167 when facing Johnson. She turned in one of the best performances of her career in a 3-1 victory over a Florida Gulf Coast team that was receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Johnson recorded 10 strikeouts in a two-hit complete game victory that would have been a one-hitter had it not been for a bad hop on a routine grounder in the 7th inning. She also add eight strikeouts in a complete victory over Eastern Kentucky and got out of a jam upon entering the game in the 4th inning to pick up a victory against Quinnipiac.

MAC West Player of the Week

Summer Knoop, Central Michigan, RF

Senior, Reed City, Mich./Reed City

Summer Knoop led Central Michigan at the plate this weekend, hitting .467 over the last five games. She had four RBIs at the USF Under Armour Tournament, including a walk-off single on Saturday, March 2, to defeat Loyola Chicago, 3-2. Knoop was 2-3 at the plate against the Ramblers, and was walked once. She had a team-high seven hits over the weekend, including a double against Providence on March 1. She is batting .364 for the whole season, and has twelve hits and seven RBIs.

MAC West Co-Pitchers of the Week

Kelsey Schifferdecker, Ball State, P

Freshman, Belton, Mo./Belton

Freshman Kelsey Schifferdecker turned in her second consecutive strong weekend, posting a 1-0 record at the FAU Classic … Her victory came courtesy of a 9-1, 6-inning decision over league rival Eastern Michigan as she limited the Eagles to just four hits and one earned run over six innings of work … In her first outing of the week against Harvard, she helped the Cardinals try to rally from down seven runs as she limited the Crimson to just five hits and no runs over 3.1 innings of work.

Kristen Kuhlman, Central Michigan, P

Junior, Portage, Mich./Vicksburg

Kristen Kuhlman led Central Michigan to a 4-1 record over the weekend, making three appearances for the Chippewas at the USF under Armour Tournament. She went 2-0 with a save over the weekend. She gave up only one run this weekend and struck out five batters in 8.1 innings of work. Her ERA for the weekend was 1.08, and surrendered three hits. She has a team-best 2.57 ERA on the season, and has given up 11 hits in five appearances. In 14.0 innings, Kuhlman has struck out seven batters and given up four earned runs.

Other Nominees:

Taylor Cox, Ball State, 2B

Sophomore, Garden Grove, Calif./Pacifica

Led the Cardinals with a .500 (7-for-14) batting average at the FAU Classic, including at least one hit in all five games, which helped her move up from ninth in the batting order to the leadoff spot. As BSU’s leadoff hitter versus Jacksonville, Cox went 1-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases and a run scored … She recorded a RBI triple in BSU’s win over Florida Atlantic, while going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored against league foe Eastern Michigan.

Nellie Coquillard, Eastern Michigan, IF

Senior, Niles, Mich./Niles

Senior infielder Nellie Coquillard led EMU to a 2-3 record this week, while hitting at a .400 clip and driving in six runs. The Niles, Mich. native had four extra base hits including one long ball and three doubles. She slugged at an .800 clip, including her best day against Jacksonville, March 1, when she went 2-for-3 with a homer, a double and three RBI.

Jenna Ignowski, Eastern Michigan, P

Senior, Niles, Mich./Niles

Senior pitcher Jenna Ignowski made three appearances this weekend during the Eagles trip to the Sunshine State, including two starts. In her first start, the Niles, Mich. native tossed a complete game, without allowing a run. She tossed another complete game against Harvard, March 2, without allowing an earned run. Overall for the week she tossed 14.1 innings with an ERA of 1.95, while going 2-0 and tossing a pair of complete games.

Shelby Miller, Northern Illinois, IF

Junior, Ottawa, Kan./Ottawa

Shelby Miller turned in a solid performance at the Coach B Classic hosted by Southern Illinois, batting .444, well above her season average of .231. Miller went 4-for-9 from the plate with two home runs, five RBIs and two runs scored. She led the Huskie offense in NIU’s 3-2 victory over Butler, batting .667 while slugging 1.667 going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored. In NIU’s setback to Southern Illinois, Miller went 1-for-3 including her team-leading second home run of the season and drove in two runs.

Alli Beery, Toledo, P

Sophomore, Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth

Earned first win of season in complete-game effort vs. Maine on March 1. Pitched third career shutout and allowed just one hit against Illinois on March 2. Struck out season-best four batters vs. Illinois on March 2. Recorded zero walks in a game for the first time all season on March 1 vs. Maine Lowered ERA from 10.61 to 6.95 over the weekend.

Lani Ernst, Toledo, IF

Junior, Milan, Mich./Milan

Hit her sixth career home run (first of season) vs. LUC on March 3. Major role in 6-0 win over Illinois on March 2 with RBI double, two walks and a run scored. Tied for team lead with three hits over the weekend with team-best .273 batting average.