- Michigan
Richland Gull Lake’s Lauren Esman named Gatorade Michigan Softball Player of the Year for 2019
University of Michigan-bound Lauren Esman was named the Gatorade Michigan Softball Player of the Year, the company announced on Thursday, becoming the first athlete from Richland Gull Lake to win the award.
Esman is 20-0 with a 0.45 ERA, 278 strikeouts and nine walks in 125.2 innings pitched, helping lead the Blue Devils to a 30-5-1 record entering districts.
She’s also hitting .523 with 11 home runs, 43 runs scored and 37 RBI, and is slugging 1.058.
As the state’s recipient of the award from Gatorade, Esman gets a $1,000 grant that she can award to a local or national youth sports organization, and will be in the running for the national player of the year honors, to be announced next month.
Esman is one of the 10 candidates for the Total Softball Player of the Year award, as well.
Recent Gatorade Michigan Softball POY winners:
2018 — Jenny Bressler, Plymouth
2017 — Meghan Beaubien, Monroe St. Mary CC
2016 — Meghan Beaubien, Monroe St. Mary CC
2015 — Meghan Beaubien, Monroe St. Mary CC
2014 — Taylor Weaver, Romeo
[PHOTO CREDIT: Bill Broderick/Battle Creek Enquirer]
