Biography
As a Senior (2018): Earned GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team honors…Saw action in 37 games, making 25 starts in the outfield…Helped GVSU to its eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 16th overall…Hit .220 with 13 hits and five RBI’s while scoring 13 runs…Was 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts…Didn’t make an error in the field and tallied 17 putouts…Tallied four multi-hit games…Knocked in a season best two runs against Tiffin (4/12)…Hit .247 in her career with 57 hits, 44 runs, and 23 RBI’s.
2017: Tabbed as All-GLIAC Honorable Mention selection…Named to GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team…Appeared in 46 games and made 38 starts, all in right field…Owned a .270 batting average with 27 hits, 12 runs, five doubles, a triple, a home run, and nine RBI…In GLIAC games, ranked 15th in the league in slugging percentage (.545) and 16th in batting average (.364)…Recorded five multi-hit games and owned a six-game hitting streak during the year…Committed just one error in 40 total chances and tallied more outfield assists (two) than errors (one)…Went 1-for-3 and scored a run in both of her first two appearances, an 8-0 win over Missouri S&T (Feb. 24) and a loss to Wisconsin-Parkside (Feb. 25)…Scored a run, stole a base, and went 1-for-3 in 13-5 win over Quincy (Mar. 7)…Delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in a 7-0 road win at Purdue Northwest (Mar. 19)…Collected a hit in both ends of road doubleheader at Ashland (Mar. 25)…Recorded a base hit in both games at #18 Wayne State (Apr. 2), including a walk and a double in 4-0 win over Warriors…Tallied consecutive 2-for-3 outings; tripled, drove in a run, and scored twice in 11-3 home win over Tiffin (Apr. 9); added two hits and a run in 7-1 road victory at Saint Joseph’s (Apr. 11)…Combined to go 4-for-6 in road sweep at Northwood (Apr. 14), which featured 3-for-3 performance in game two, with two doubles, two runs, and two ribbies…Totaled a 5-for-7 effort in home sweep over Lake Erie (Apr. 22), with a double and two runs in the game one 5-2 victory, followed by 3-for-4 outing in 12-5 game two win, including first collegiate home run and three RBI…Went 1-for-3 and drove in a run in 7-6 victory at #22 Saginaw Valley State to help Lakers clinch GLIAC regular season championship.
2016: Named to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team…Appeared in 33 games and made 10 starts, all of which came in right field…Hit .156 with 10 runs, five hits, four walks, a double, and a pair of RBI…Stole a base and scored a run in 5-0 victory over Quincy (Mar. 7)…Walked and scored in 6-1 win over Minnesota State Moorhead (Mar. 12)…Recorded a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI in 5-3 victory over Findlay (Apr. 14) in game two of home doubleheader…Again tallied a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI in 9-5 home win over Lake Superior State (Apr. 19)…Went 2-for-2 with a run, a double, and a sacrifice bunt in 6-3 GLIAC Tournament victory over Hillsdale (Apr. 29)…Was 1-for-3 and scored team’s lone run against Ashland (Apr. 30) in GLIAC Tournament…Scored a run in both of GVSU’s first two games at Midwest Region Tournament, a 4-3 win over Southern Indiana (May 5) and a 5-1 loss to Trevecca Nazarene (May 6) for third and fourth straight games with a run…Pinch ran and scored game-tying run in seventh inning of come-from-behind 5-4 victory at #10 Wayne State (May 11), coming around from second base on a fielding error to tie the game at 4-4.
2015: Appeared in 24 games and made 13 starts during first season with the Lakers…Batted .300 with 12 hits, nine runs, and seven RBI…Went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs, and four RBI in 11-3 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan (Feb. 22)…Collected a hit, two walks, and two runs scored in 8-1 win over Upper Iowa (Feb. 21)…Notched 2-for-3 effort with a pair of RBI in 6-1 victory over Saint Rose (Mar. 5).
High School: Prepped at Portage Central High School under head coach Tom Hamilton after playing two years at Edwardsburg…Earned all-conference, all-district, and all-region honors in 2012-13 at Portage Central…Helped Mustangs win Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship the same year…Won a pair of district titles at Edwardsburg, while being named to all-conference, all-district, and all-region teams both years with the Eddies…Earned scholar athlete honors during each of first three high school seasons…Also played one year of volleyball at Edwardsburg…Participated in Student Council, the spring musical, and the fall play.
Personal: Daughter of Larry and Danette Kiessel…English major…Enjoys singing, playing the piano, and mountain biking.
