Two Wayne State College athletes received Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Player of the Week honors for their play on their respective diamonds.
Chase Douglas was named the NSIC’s baseball Player of the Week, and Kennadi Borngrebe was named the conference’s softball Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. Both achievements recognized the performances from both players for the week spanning from Monday, March 10 to Sunday, March 16.
Douglas had a monster week in helping to start turning the tide on the Wildcats’ season. The Wildcat second baseman hit .579, or 11 for 19, in six games last week, which led his batting average to jump from .268 to .349. In five of those games, Douglas recorded two hits or more. He added eight RBIs and 10 runs scored, drawing four walks and stealing six bases. Douglas now has 13 steals on the season which places him second in the NSIC.
“Receiving the award means a lot to me,” Douglas said. “It all comes down to the support from my teammates, coaches and the training staff. I know they have my back every time I step on the field which allows me to play free.”
Led by Douglas, the Wildcats baseball team was undefeated over the last week of action and currently is riding a six-game win streak. After opening the season 2-6, the team went 3-1 at the Russ Matt Invitational with wins over Gannon 8-2, Wayne State (Mich.) 11-1 and a thrilling 12-11 victory over Ohio Dominican. They followed that by sweeping the Bemidji State Beavers in convincing fashion and currently sit 9-8 as they prepare to dive fully into NSIC play.
Borngrebe earned her second Pitcher of the Week honor after earning her first almost a month before on Feb. 17. After dealing with an elbow injury last season, the redshirt-freshman has exploded as a heavily reliable option for the Wildcat pitching staff. Last week, Borngrebe earned a 2-0 record in two starts. In 13.1 innings pitched, she allowed only one run on a solo homer and eight hits while striking out 14 batters across the two games.
“Receiving this honor not only once, but twice, is the most fulfilling feeling in the world,” Borngrebe said. “This honor to me is a reminder of how hard I worked not only my whole softball career to get where I am now, but a reward for the work I put into bouncing back from my injury.”
Borngrebe helped lead the Wildcat softball team to an 8-2 record at the National Training Center Spring Games in Clermont, Florida where they earned half of their wins by shutting out their opponent. The two losses only came by one run apiece. The team now sits at 15-9 on the season and has already more than doubled their win total from last season.
“The biggest difference in our team this year compared to last year would be our depth and culture,” Borngrebe said. “Our team has also been more driven and tight-knit than most WSC softball teams in the past.”
WSC baseball and softball are both in action this weekend. The Wildcat baseball team is slated to host the Minot State Beavers at home for a four-game series with a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23. The Wildcat softball team travels for their own set of doubleheaders, first to Minot, North Dakota on Saturday to take on the Minot State Beavers and then to Bismarck, North Dakota on Sunday to battle the Mary Marauders.
Check wscwildcats.com for any schedule updates because of the possibility of inclement weather.
