Softball | May 08, 2018

CLEVELAND- Western Michigan freshmen Samantha Coffel and Sydney Stefanick were named First Team All Mid-American Conference. Junior Jordan Kurth picked up Second Team All-MAC honors. Coffel was also named to the All-MAC Freshmen Team. 

Coffel and Stefanick are the first Bronco freshmen to earn First Team All-MAC honors since pitcher Meredith Whitney was the MAC Freshman of the Year and a First Team selection in 2009.

The Broncos' left fielder, Coffel leads Western Michigan batting .364 overall and .420 in conference play, which ranks among the leaders of the MAC. She has 60 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 38 RBIs overall. Five of the six home runs came against MAC opponents. Her 38 RBIs ranks third most in WMU single-season history.

In conference play, Coffel ranks first in the MAC in hits (34), first in total bases (59), second in doubles (8), fourth for batting average (.420), fourth for RBIs (22) and 10th for home runs (5). Coffel was named MAC West Player of the Week after the Northern Illinois series, in which she batted .500 with a home run, a triple and three RBIs against the Huskies. She delivered the game-winning hit with a two-out, two-run single in WMU's 2-1 upset over #19 ranked BYU on Feb. 8. Coffel has also routinely come up with impressive defensive plays in the outfield.

Stefanick has been a pitcher / utility player for the Broncos. In the pitcher's circle, she has a 6-6 record with two saves and a 3.49 ERA. She has made nine starts and the most relief appearances for WMU this season with 14. She has hurled one shutout, four complete games and has 42 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched.

As a hitter, Stefanick has a .313 batting average over 48 at bats with 15 hits, five doubles, one home run and five RBIs. She came up with the game-winning, walk off hit with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 14th in WMU's 2-1 victory over Toledo on April 20.

Kurth has been the Broncos No. 1 pitcher this spring and has a 12-6 record with a 2.84 ERA and one save. She has logged a team-high 110 strikeouts in 130.2 innings pitched and has thrown 10 complete games. During conference play, she maintained a 7-3 record and lowered her ERA to 2.45. Opponents in conference hit .212 off Kurth which is the third lowest among pitchers in the MAC, her seven wins are sixth most in the conference.

Kurth has twice been named MAC Pitcher of the Week this season, and has put together several memorable performances. She threw complete games in both of Western Michigan's wins over Top 25 opponents this season. In a 2-1 victory over #19 BYU, she struck out 10 in a 2-1 victory. In an 8-2 victory at #14 Michigan, Kurth only allowed one earned run, struck out two and held the Wolverines to just five hits. Kurth struck out a career-high 12 batters, throwing every inning of a 14-inning, 2-1 win over Toledo.