May 3, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After taking a year off to rebuild the program, the Grand Rapids Community College softball team earned a share of the MCCAA Northern Conference championship.
GRCC shares the title with Alpena Community College, with both teams finishing with 15-10 conference records.
GRCC won the season series against Alpena three games to two, allowing it to claim the No. 1 seed in the upcoming regional tournament, and a first-round bye.
“I am so proud of this team,” Athletic Director Lauren Ferullo said. “The players took a chance on GRCC after not having a team last year. They bought into the vision of former head coach Molly McKinney and continued to buy in with their new coach Chuck White. What an accomplishment!”
The team, which last won a conference title in 1999, finished its conference play on Friday. It needed Delta College to beat Alpena at least two of the three games in their regular season finale. After splitting the first two games, Delta shut out Alpena in the final conference game of the season.
GRCC will play the winner of the East No. 2 seed and South No. 3 seed at 2 p.m. on May 11. The tournament will be played at the LYSBA Fields in Stevensville, Mich.
The winner of the double-elimination tournament advances to the NJCAA national tournament in Spartanburg, S.C.
For GRCC, the conference title marks a solid return to form. White and Assistant Coach Steve Roersma built upon a solid foundation created by McKinney, who recruited players and restored the program after taking a year off.
The team finished with an overall 23-16 record.
Pitcher Izzy Regner leads the nation with 257 strikeouts, was second with 11.84 strikeouts per seven innings, seventh with a 1.29 ERA, and tenth with 19 wins.
Outfielder Jaye Guichelaar also is among the leaders, with her .522 batting average 15th in the nation, and her 72 hits 25th.