May 7, 2014
INDIANAPOLIS - Erika Polidori has been recognized as a First Team All-Horizon League performer for her efforts this season and teammate Kaley Waalkes has earned All-Freshman Team honors, announced the league office on Wednesday morning. The awards come after a 16-23 season for the Golden Grizzlies, 5-9 in the conference.
"Erika is an amazing young lady both on the field and off," said head coach Connie Miner. "She has had an outstanding career at Oakland. She was huge for us throughout the year and has helped us move our program forward. She will be greatly missed. Kaley had an outstanding freshman year in the circle and came through with some big hits at the plate for us as well. She beat some post-season teams early on and pitched well in the conference for us. With Kaley's desire and determination, she will only grow and dominate on the field next year. Her future at OU is very bright."
For the season, Polidori recorded a .333 batting average in 39 games played, 38 of them starts. She recorded 41 total hits with 12 doubles and five home runs with a team-leading 22 runs driven in while accumulating a .553 slugging percentage. Altogether, she crossed the plate 27 times for the Golden Grizzlies, accounting for nearly 20 percent of OU's total runs this season. She stole 15 bases on 17 attempts en route to her 68 total bases and earned a .446 on-base percentage.
From the catching position, Polidori gunned down 11 runners out of 36 attempted steals and recorded 198 putouts on 219 chances for a .995 fielding percentage. She committed one single error during the duration of the season.
Waalkes accumulated a 3.22 ERA in the circle for the Grizzlies and an 8-5 record in 91.1 innings pitched. She made 17 appearances with 13 starts. She surrendered 49 runs - 42 of them earned - on 105 hits with 48 strikeouts and 20 walks. She held her batting against average to .284 and earned a complete game shutout against Siena on Feb. 23.
Waalkes recorded 13 at bats for OU as well, amounting to a .231 average with three hits and two RBI. She, too, recorded a single error all season and caught four runners stealing in 14 attempts.
Co-Players of the Year: Kaitlyn Ranieri, Valparaiso & Miranda Castiglione, Youngstown State
Pitcher of the Year: Casey Crozier, Youngstown State
Freshman of the Year: Sarah Dowd, Youngstown State
Coach of the Year: Jean Rivett, Green Bay
First Team:
Erica McNew, Cleveland State
Natalie Hernandez, UIC
Kaitlyn Ranieri, Valparaiso
Miranda Castiglione, Youngstown State
Marissa Michalkiewicz, Green Bay
Miranda Reinke, Green Bay
Cynthia Woodard, Cleveland State
Jacki Fletcher, UIC
Erika Polidori, Oakland
Jess Gorman, Wright State
Casey Crozier, Youngstown State (pitcher)
Briana Cavin, Green Bay (pitcher)
Second Team:
Kayla Kostich, Detroit
Alyson Broschk, Cleveland State
Paige Peterson, UIC
Jenna Marsalli, UIC
Taylor Lawson, Valparaiso
Shannon Butts, Green Bay
Courtney Ewing, Youngstown State
Sarah Ingalls, Youngstown State
Christa McGahuey, Detroit
Sarah Dowd, Youngstown State
Krystian DeWitt, Wright State (pitcher)
Ashley Nannemann, Green Bay (pitcher)
All-Freshman Team:
Taylor Lawson, Valparaiso
Kelly Kennedy, UIC
Kaley Waalkes, Oakland
Jorgi Calombaris, Valparaiso
Heather Sanderson, Green Bay
Katelyn Huemmer, Green Bay
Allie Taylor, Green Bay
Libby Pfeffer, Wright State
Becka Peterson, Wright State
Sarah Dowd, Youngstown State
#FightOakland
