WAYNE – Although the season ended with a tough pair of one-run losses in last week’s league tournament, the Wayne State College softball team had two individuals earn All-Conference and two more recognized with a gold glove.
According to a release from Wayne State Athletics, senior catcher Kim Vidlak and junior outfielder Riley Holmberg were voted to the 2022 NSIC All-Conference Softball Team announced by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota.
Both players received Second Team honors while sophomore second baseman Jenna Etmans and freshman pitcher Samantha Felt were named to the NSIC Gold Glove Team.
The Wayne State College softball team finished 10th in the NSIC this season with a 12-18 league mark. #10 WSC suffered losses of 3-2 to #7 Upper Iowa and 4-3 to #5 Minnesota Duluth on May 5 to end their season at 15-38 overall. It marked the first time WSC qualified for the NSIC Softball Tournament since the 2016 season.
*Below stats are from regular season.
Kim Vidlak, a 5-4 senior catcher from Bennington (Millard North HS), earned All-NSIC Second Team honors for a second straight season after hitting .453 in NSIC games and .388 overall – both team highs. She ranked second in NSIC games this season in stolen bases (17), fifth or tied for fifth in hits (43), RBI (31), doubles (11) and triples (2) while ranking seventh in batting average and 10th in on-base percentage (.490). She has reached base safely in 25 straight games and had a season-high 19 game-hitting streak. Overall this season, Vidlak posted a .388 batting average with 57 hits and 36 runs scored that included 15 doubles, two triples, four homers and 40 RBI while recordings 23 stolen bases.
Riley Holmberg, a 5-10 junior outfielder from Surprise, Arizona (Shadow Ridge HS), posted a .404 average in 30 NSIC games this season and tied for eighth in the league with 28 runs scored to earn All-NSIC Second Team honors. She currently has an 11-game hitting streak and ranked second on the Wildcats this season with 16 multi-hit games. Overall, she hit .375 this season and was one of only three Wildcats to start all 51 games recording 57 hits and a team-high 38 runs scored with five doubles, one triple and 17 RBI. She was also a perfect 13 for 13 on stolen bases.
Jenna Etmans, a 5-5 sophomore second baseman from Murrieta, California (Vista Murrieta HS), earned All-NSIC Gold Glove honors with just three errors on 69 chances for a .957 fielding percentage (37 assists and 29 putouts. Etmans carried a .326 average in NSIC games and tied for eighth in conference play with 29 RBI. Overall this season, Etmans had a .317 average in 49 games while leading the team with six home runs and 41 RBI. She had a 17-game hit streak this season that ranked second on the team and was second in multi-RBI games with 10.
Samantha Felt, a 5-8 freshman from Waukee, Iowa (Waukee HS), earned All-NSIC Gold Glove honors with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 21 assists and three putouts in 24 fielding chances. In the circle she led the Wildcat staff with an 8-6 record and five complete games with three saves in 69.2 innings pitched during league play. Overall, Felt had an 8-10 record this season with five complete games in 12 starts and a team-high 35 appearances with five complete games.
