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Marwede puts together strong season at SAU

Courtesy Photo Jessica Marwede stands on second base during an NAIA softball game this season. Marwede put together an impressive freshman season at Spring Arbor University as she was the Cougars starting first baseman.

Not much changed for Jessica Marwede during her transition to collegiate softball.

As a focal point in the middle of Alpena High’s batting order and holding down first base, Marwede caught the atttention of Spring Arbor University’s softball program and signed with the Cougars.

It didn’t take long for Marwede to make an impact as she showcased her talents early and earned a starting spot she never gave up as she put together a remarkable freshman year.

“Coming in as a freshman on any sports team can be intimidating, but the girls and coaches on Spring Arbor’s softball team were all very welcoming and excited to see what I could do for the team,” Marwede said. “Having such a positive and welcoming environment made for a very promising season for me.”

Heading into the season, Spring Arbor head coach Deb Thompson saw the potential in Marwede and wasted no time giving her an opportunity that would eventually pay off huge for the Cougars.

Despite battling for a starting spot at first base with two upperclassmen, Marwede won a spot in the starting lineup and was the team’s everyday first baseman.

“Heading into the season I was aware that all of the infield positions were seniors and therefore graduated, meaning that there were openings the coaches were looking to fill,” Marwede said. “When coach told me that I would be starting this season it was was a surprise to me and a position that I happily took. Starting wasn’t a guaranteed spot every game, which made me work hard every day in practicing, drive me to do my very best and make that team chemistry with my teammates.”

Marwede played in 48 of the Cougars 51 games this season and started 47 of them. She was third on the team with 143 at-bats. She recorded 34 hits, scored 21 runs, had 15 RBI, hit six doubles, two triples, stole six bases and hit four home runs during her freshman campaign.

Defensively, Marwede led the team with 280 put outs and was second on the team in fielding percentage (.983) while playing a demanding position that sees plenty of action at first base.

“The transition from high school ball to the collegiate level was intimidating at the start, but again, my team was super welcoming. My teammates, I would say are a huge reason that the transition was so smooth,” Marwede said. “The opportunity to play ball with so many other amazing athletes was amazing. Stepping onto the field, I felt confident in myself and each and every one of my teammates because I knew how good of a team we were.”

Spring Arbor finished with a 24-27 overall record this season and was 17-19 in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC). The Cougars saw their season come to a heartbreaking end as they fell to Taylor University 1-0 in a 10 inning thriller in the conference tournament.

“Our team had great talent, on and off the field chemistry and an amazing coaching staff leading us. Those are the reasons we were able to be successful this season,” Marwede said.

Despite a great first season at Spring Arbor, Marwede made a decision to switch majors and study chiropractic. Due to the change in education plans, Marwede will be transferring and attending Alpena Community College in the fall where she plans to play for the Lumberjacks softball program.

“As season came to an end, it was hard to leave my team behind. I made the change because of my switch in majors. I am excited to see SAU only improve in the upcoming seasons, knowing how much talent each girl on the team possesses.” Marwede said. “I plan on practicing and conditioning as much as possible to earn my spot on ACC’s team next year. I have to thank head coach Deb Thompson and assistant coached Craig (Withrow) and Joe (Robertson) for such a successful first season, but most importantly for my teammates for being a second family to me.”

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