STARKVILLE, Miss. - The strong play of the Saginaw Valley State University softball team this season has garnered five first team, and one second team member to the All Midwest Region from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), the organization announced today (May 14).

Seniors Marsha Beaubien (Alpena, Mich.), Stacy Kraatz (Howell, Mich./Hartland HS), Nichole Fick (Columbiaville, Mich./Lapeer West HS), Jessica Anhel (Oxford, Mich./Oxford HS) and junior Angela Kaiser (Waterford, Mich./Our Lady of the Lakes HS) were named to the First Team for their efforts on the diamond this season.

Beaubien has been a force on the diamond this season, where she leads the GLIAC with her .384 batting average, runs scored (44), slugging percentage (.651), on base percentage (.467), is tied for third with nine homeruns and is fourth in RBI with 36. She is also the league leader with 37 stolen bases, a number that out-ranks eight of the other nine GLIAC teams, and has stolen second and third on consecutive plays five times this season. Earlier this week Beaubien was named Daktronics Midwest Player of the Year to go along with her GLIAC Player of the Year honor she recieved at the conference tournament.

Kaiser has 41 runs on the season (2nd in the GLIAC), is ranked 3rd in the conference with a .363 batting average, is tied for 3rd with 57 hits and is atop the list with seven triples, is tied for 3rd with seven homeruns and is tied for 2nd with 10 stolen bases. She leads the Cardinals with 10 multi-RBI games, and is tied with Beaubien for 1st with 17 multi-hit games. She has also been named Daktronics All Midwest Region First Team and GLIAC First Team All-Conference.

Kraatz added two homeruns in the GLIAC Tournament to push her season total to nine, and move her career total to 28. She has taken over the #1 spot in SVSU’s history books with the most homeruns in a career, moving past the previous benchmark that was set from 2000-2003 seasons. Her 37 RBI ranks her 4th in the GLIAC. She as also named to the All GLIAC First Team and Daktronics All-Midwest Region Second Team.

Fick is batting .336 on the season with 41 hits, including 10 doubles, four homeruns and one triple, and has batted in 32 RBI. She has a .533 slugging percentage, and a .938 fielding percentage this season. She was named First Team All-GLIAC earlier this spring as well.

Anhel is batting .368 with 39 hits including 12 doubles and two homeruns and has batted in 23 RBI. She has a .538 slugging percentage, and a .993 fielding percentage with a .444 on base precentage. She was named First Team All-GLIAC earlier this spring as well.

Sophomore Jade Fulton (Byron, Mich./Byron HS) was named to the second team for her stellar efforts on the mound this season for the Cardinals.

Fulton has been dominate in the circle all season for the Cardinals as she has recorded 219 strikeouts to only 15 walks on her way to 18 wins this season. Fulton has 19 complete games with eight shutouts to her credit. On March 14, she recorded a no-hitter against Southwest Minnesota State on the final day of the Rebel Spring Game, and was named NFCA National Pitcher of the Week ending March 14 for her efforts in Florida. Her 1.11 ERA is good enough for 4th in the GLIAC. She was named Second Team All-GLIAC earlier this spring as well as Daktronics Second Team All-Midwest Region.

The #13 ranked Cardinals (38-9 overall this season) will face Indianapolis Greyhounds this weekend at the Saginaw Valley State University Athletic Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday (May 15), with Game 2 scheduled for noon Saturday (May 16) with the if necessary game slated for 2:30 p.m. Saturday.