Lakers vs. WMU
Warriors, Eagles and Cards are the GLIAC's top three softball picks
BAY CITY - Wayne State was picked by league coaches to win the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball title, while Ashland was ranked second and Saginaw Valley State third.
WSU (11-2), which is ranked fifth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association national poll, received six first-place votes in the GLIAC Pre-Season Poll. Ashland (5-1) and SVSU (9-2) both received two first-place votes. The Cardinals are ranked 13th nationally.
Ferris State (9-5) was ranked fourth, followed by Grand Valley State (5-4), Tiffin (7-3), Hillsdale (0-0), Northwood (7-8), Findlay (2-8) and Lake Superior State (4-14).
Senior shortstop Lacey Knoop batted .390 with 23 hits, and junior infielder Nicole Carstensen batted .386 with 22 hits to lead the Lakers during their spring break trip to Orlando, Fla. Senior Lorrie Chaperon was third in hitting at .357.
Knoop and Carstensen both totaled seven RBIs. Knoop had eight extra-base hits including one home run.
Sophomore pitcher Jillian Willette was 1-5 with a 4.41 earned run average. Freshman Nikki Stein was 2-5 and also posted a 4.41 ERA. Rookie Christine Larkin was 1-4 with a 4.50 ERA and a team-leading 29 strikeouts.
