Softball

FSU's Gardner and Bell honored as GLIAC softball player and pitcher of the week

GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced its awards following the fourth week of the 2026 softball season. Ferris State swept the awards, with freshman outfielder Ava Gardner earning GLIAC Player of the Week and junior righthander Cece Bell receiving GLIAC Pitcher of the Week honors. 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Ava Gardner, Ferris State
Ferris State University outfielder Ava Gardner led the Bulldogs at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games in Florida this past week, hitting a team-leading .462 overall in eight games as the Bulldogs compiled a 5-3 mark, including a three-game win streak to close the trip. Gardner produced a squad-best 12 hits and nine RBI’s with a team-high eight runs scored in the eight games over 26 at-bats. She also had three doubles, two triples and two home runs while drawing a walk. The freshman standout posted a .962 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage for FSU. She had three multi-hit games and tallied at least one hit in eight of nine games on the week, including three hits in two different contests. 
PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Cece Bell, Ferris State
Ferris State University junior pitcher Cecelia Bell had a big week as the Bulldogs posted a 5-3 overall mark at the USSSA Space Coast Spring Games in Florida, which included a three-game win streak to close the trip. Bell tossed a team-high 23.1 innings on the week with three complete-game efforts and earned a pair of victories in four appearances while totaling a team-best 0.90 earned run average. She allowed only three earned runs on the week with 11 strikeouts and only a single walk. Bell earned wins over both Gannon and Thomas More in the week of action and did not allow an earned run in six innings of work versus Rockhurst in regional play. Additionally, she also did not allow a run on two hits while pitching 3.1 innings of relief action on Friday in a victory over Northern State to close out the trip.
HONORABLE MENTION
Player: Kylie Dugan (Purdue Northwest), Camryn Hall (Grand Valley State), Emma Helvie (Saginaw Valley State), Mia Johnson (Parkside), Julia Sandles (Wayne State)
Pitcher: Lainey Cannon (Grand Valley State), Hailie Charmat (Purdue Northwest), Aalana Kimble (Saginaw Valley State)