By Tara Sowle
UWRF Sports Information

Senior Leah Vanderploeg (Cable, Wis.) has been with the Falcons all four years of her college career. Coaches and teammates elected her to be this year's co-captain. She started pitching during her freshman year and has helped out her team by being a strong and enduring force.

"Sine Leah started at UWRF, she has been a major contributor on the mound," said Falon Coach Faye Perkins. In 2004 Vanderploeg set a Falcon record for most strikeouts in a season with 113. She has the second highest career strikeouts with 250.
She can do more then just pitch, however.

"Defensively Leah was an outstanding fielding pitcher. She committed only six errors in all four years of play," said Perkins. In 2004 she earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team. "Offensively, particularly this season, she contributed with a solid batting average of .293."

In 2005 she was twice named the team's Player of the Week - once as a pitcher and once for her hitting skills. She finished the year with a six doubles and a triple and she had 12 RBIs. She scored nine runs and had a .317 on base percentage. She appeared in 20 games on the mound and pitched 79.1 innings. She had a 3.35 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 32 walks. She finished with a 5-8 record.

Vanderploeg hit .279 in her career with eight doubles and a triple. She scored 16 runs and knocked in 22 runs. On the mound she finished with a 23-24 record with one save. She pitched 327 innings and had a 2.82 ERA. She appeared in 84 games, fifth all time for the Falcons.

Vanderploeg got her first taste of playing ball when she was in the first grade. She started playing baseball as a second baseman. "As I got older, the boys that I played with didn't like me too well. Each summer I would end up playing All-Star games with the guys and I was the only girl. It was after fifth or sixth grade in the summer that I began softball and I played shortstop until 8th grade."

She joined the Falcons in 2001 and her experience around the infield has allowed her to be a versatile player. She doesn't plan to stop playing now that she has used her eligibility. She plans to go to Australia this July for two weeks with the USA International Athletes to play softball.

"After that, I would like to play with some of the girls from the team this summer, but I live so far away that it's hard. Hopefully, when I move to closer permanently I will be able to play on a fast pitch team."

Vanderploeg, a biology (biomedical) major with a chemistry minor, said that the biggest thing she learned so far with all her experience is, "that being a pitcher, I can't always control the game and you have to let your defense back you up. If you expect to do everything, you won't do anything."

Her experience and career with the Falcons has allowed her learn about herself as well as the game. "I learned that I could be a leader and make a difference in another player's life; whether it would be someone on out team or a girl at one of our clinics."

"We will miss Leah in all areas of the game," said Perkins.

Leah Vanderploeg