While the Grand Valley State University softball team’s season didn’t end with postseason hardware, freshman third baseman Miranda Cleary brought home some hardware of her own after winning the GLIAC Freshman of the Year award.

The award, which has been won by three GVSU players, is given to the most productive freshman in the GLIAC.

“I usually don’t like to know the stats or anything until the end of the year,” said Cleary, a Howel, Mich. native. “I wasn’t paying attention to how other teams were doing, but for the most part it was completely unexpected but at the same time exciting.”

The surprise success of Cleary wasn’t the only surprise this year as the team rebounded from a disappointing season last year to finish a win away from the Division II Softball Championships.

Things didn’t come easily for Cleary. She began the season with only one home run in her first 11 games, but her coming out party was the Lakers’ first game back from their Florida spring trip against Olivet. Cleary led GVSU to a 17-5 win by going 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBI. That game proved to be the point where Cleary finally exorcised her freshman jitters.

“It’s just a lot of grinding it out and continuing to work,” said Cleary, who had 19 home runs this season, good for second on the team. “In Florida I had some freshman jitters. It’s a lot of pressure to come into such a big-time team, so it was a little nerve racking. But I just kept working and became more relaxed and I started hitting.”

The slow start turned out to be an aberration as Cleary smacked towering home run after towering home run to help pace the country’s top offense. The start didn’t surprise teammates, though. Freshmen normally don’t step in and produce from the start, but her rapid improvement impressed those same teammates.

“I didn’t expect as much from her at the start,” said Martin, the team’s designated player. “When we got back here, she switched bats and started hitting home runs. I was really impressed overall, she did really well, it just shows you never know what to expect.”

One of the biggest keys to the team’s success was the ability for Cleary to compliment teammate and Daktronics National Player of the Year, Katie Martin. The two combined to hit 49 home runs, and formed one of the most destructive duos in all of college softball- even earning the nickname MC Hammer by their coach.

“It was a big reason for our success,” said head coach Doug Woods. “When you’ve got a person in Katie who can have a high average and hit home runs and then Miranda, who can drive in runs, it really contributes to our success.”

Cleary also made her presence felt on the diamond. The freshman not only helped carry the offense, but also played a solid third base defensively this season, something Woods felt made her even more valuable.

“When we recruited her we knew she was a good hitter, but she really impressed with her fielding,” said Woods. “She hangs in there and isn’t afraid to creep up, so that was very impressive.”

Ultimately, this team will be afforded the opportunity to grow together. Headed by Cleary and Martin, the entire roster will return next year and according to Woods, Cleary will be a key to the future success of the team.

“I think her impact is that she is a long ball hitter, and what helped the team is that she kept working at it and she really took off when we got back from Florida,” said Woods. “If you put Miranda behind Katie it’s hard to walk Katie, so her power really helps us out.”

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