Three members of the Wayne State University softball team were recognized with All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) honors on May 6.
The awards highlight the achievements of student-athletes in collegiate sports and reflect their performance during the recent season. The recognition is notable as Wayne State Warriors Women’s Softball participates at the NCAA Division II level, according to the official website.
Sophomore Elly Koopman was named First Team All-GLIAC at the utility position. Koopman batted .323 in league play, led her team with a .452 on-base percentage, and tied for the team lead with nine runs batted in during conference contests. She also led Wayne State in batting average (.350), doubles (11), RBI (23), walks (25), and on-base percentage (.459) over the entire regular season while starting 42 out of 49 games. Koopman tied Hunter Near for most multiple-hit games and had a streak of reaching base safely in 21 consecutive games from March 29 to April 26.
Freshman Ellery Garver received Honorable Mention All-GLIAC after starting the final 21 games and recording five multiple-hit contests, including two three-hit performances. Garver posted a seven-game hitting streak and went three-for-five as a pinch-hitter before earning a regular starting role. She struck out only three times in 79 plate appearances this season.
Sophomore Hunter Near was also named Honorable Mention All-GLIAC after leading her team with eleven extra-base hits during league competition and achieving a .964 fielding percentage at shortstop across all conference contests. During regular-season play, Near started every game at shortstop, hit leadoff each time, finished with thirteen multiple-hit games—including one four-hit game—and ended with a .979 fielding percentage overall.
Wayne State will graduate three seniors but expects to return fifteen letterwinners next fall. Head coach Nicole Tines has signed five incoming freshmen—Abby Curtis, Reese Dunny, Mary Gugala, Ally Turkowski, and Madi Treat—for next year’s roster.
Wayne State Warriors Women’s Softball holds membership in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and competes as a collegiate athletic program operating in Detroit, Michigan, according to the official website.
