Calm, cool and in command[Jun. 19, 2008] MUNCIE — With 66 appearances in her team’s 68 games this season after starting all 56 contests for Ball State Univ- ersity in Indiana last year, 2007 Grand Blanc graduate Elizabeth Milian has become a fixture for the Cardinals’ softball program at both first base and pitcher.
“Elizabeth was actually recruited by the previous coaching staff, so we really didn’t know her coming into the program. Her freshman season was our first year at Ball State,” said second year coach Craig Nicholson. “I think her biggest strength is her composure. She’s a kid that plays the game at the same emotional level all the time regardless of what’s going on around her.”
This season Milian, a sophomore, started 64 games for Ball State, amassing 36 hits in 170 at-bats for a .221 batting average. She also managed 10 doubles, three triples, three home runs,14 runs and a fielding percentage of .988. On the mound, Milian was 18-14 with a 2.38 ERA with 139 strikeouts, 45 walks and a team-leading 217.1 innings pitched.
“As far as physical tools, Elizabeth has them all. She’s a power pitcher with very good command of four pitches and works from ahead in the count most of the time. As a hitter, she has a very good swing with power to all fields,” Nicholson said. “In terms of her personality, she’s one of the best people I’ve been around in this game, and it stands out even more when you are talking about a 20-year old.”
For 2008, the Cardinals finished at 36-32 overall, 9-11 Mid-American Conference (MAC), going 10-9 at home, 8-9 on the road and 18-14 in games played on neutral sites. In 2007 the team went 22-34 overall, 8-14 MAC.
“Elizabeth is usually the first one to practice everyday, wants as many extra swings as she can get and really works on honing her pitching skills when she’s throwing bullpen sessions,” said Nicholson. “She has great leadership qualities that are apparent now, and I think will be even more so as she becomes an upperclassman. Elizabeth is also the type that’ll do anything for her team to win, and I really feel like she’s a great teammate.”
This season Milian was voted Second Team All-MAC for her athletic accomplishments, as well as being named to the league’s 2008 Academic All-MAC squad.
“I’m not so sure that she wouldn’t do great in any program because of the type of kid she is. However, I do feel she loves being a part of this program and that we have a great relationship. She knows we believe in her and her abilities. I think that any athlete needs that to be successful,” Nicholson said. “Our program is better off for having her in too many ways to say.”
Last season Milian, who is a math major studying actuarial science, batted .261 for the year, notching 40 hits in 153 at-bats with 18 runs, nine doubles, two home runs and 25 RBI. She also stole six bases in eight attempts and managed an on-base-percentage of .360.
“Elizabeth was forced into the number-one role on our pitching staff last year, and I believe she’s now more comfortable with that role, and is better prepared for the grind that throwing a bunch of innings in big games can be,” said Nicholson. “She had another solid year offensively, but she’s most important to this team when she’s in the circle.”
At Grand Blanc, Milian was an All-State pitcher as a senior, a four-time softball letter-winner and a four-time MVP. She was also a two-time captain and four-time All-Conf- erence, All-District and All-Region. Additionally, Milian was All-State honorable mention as a junior and helped her team to the state Div.1 final four as a senior with a 0.20 ERA, a .477 batting average and five home runs.
“She’s somebody I believe will be extremely successful in life after she graduates college, as witnessed by the fact that a decent amount of her scholarship is academics based,” Nicholson said. “I would describe her as a good athlete that has put in a ton of work to be as good as she is at this point in her career.”
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