Dutch Women Softball Teams

2011

Awards 2010

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Awards for current and former internationals

Nederlandse tekst

NIEUWEGEIN (Netherlands) - On Saturday, January 22, the Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB) handed out its annual Star Awards to the best players of the previous season at the 'Huis van de Sport' (House of Sports), the Head Office of the Federation in Nieuwegein. A total of 26 awards (including baseball) were handed out today at the meeting, which also served as the annual new year's reception of the Dutch Federation. There were no awards handed out this year to the best men softball players, as its big league had a different status in 2010 opposed to previous seasons. New this year were four awards for the best youthplayers in the cadets and junior leagues of the Baseball Academies.

All six statistical softball awards went to players of the Dutch National Team, including three to a former international.

Former national player Kim Kluijskens of Dutch champion Sparks Haarlem was named Most Valuable Player of the 2010 season. Kim batted .422, scored 23 runs, had 33 RBI's and 38 basehits and made no errors in the entire season. Kim also was handed the award for MVP in the Holland Series, which already was announced after completion of the season's finale. Coincidentally, the MVP-award again went to a player who retired after conclusion of the season. Last year, former international Marloes Fellinger was named MVP after she also retired after the 2009 season. During the 2010 season, Marloes came out of retirement briefly, but then again retired after the Holland Series. The championship game also meant the last game in the long career of Kim Kluijskens, who also was the league's MVP in 2005 and 2006 and was nominated for the award in 2008. Besides Kim, also nominated for the MVP-trophy this time were Kate Gentile (Iber Lengua Terrasvogels) and National Team-player Nadine Marinus (Tex Town Tigers).

Three statistical awards went to players on the current roster of the Dutch National Team.

Britt Vonk was the Best Hitter of the 2010 season, hitting .446 (33-for-74), but was not able to pick up the trophy herself, as she currently is in the USA where she studies at the University of California at Berkeley and will start her softball-season soon. Also not available to pick up her trophy was Lindsey Meadows, who was named Best Pitcher for the third time in four years. In 2010, Lindsey was 13-3 with a league-best 0.36 ERA and also led with 150 strikeouts. The award was handed out by Karen Marr, the new Pitching Coach of the Dutch National Team and picked up by Lindsey's teammate Karin Tuk. Also nominated for the Best Pitcher Award were National Team-pitcher Dagmar Bloeming (Sparks Haarlem) and Aimee Murch (Iber Lengua Terrasvogels).

Chantal Versluis was in Nieuwegein to pick up her trophy for Most Stolen Bases. In 2010, Chantal stole 39 to dominate in this category. The sixth statistical award went to Noémi Boekel. The former international led in the homerun-category with two, sharing the spot with National Team-players Karin Tuk and Chantal Versluis. Noémi won the award, as he hit her two homeruns in the least at bats. She was unable to pick up the trophy, due to her study at the KLM Flight Academy in Groningen, where she studies to become an airline-pilot.

Today, there was another award for Britt Vonk, as also won the Egbert van der Sluis Memorial Trophy for Best International Under 23. Like the award for Batting Champion, this trophy was picked up by Britt's mother Tanja.

The two youth awards went to players currently on the roster of the Dutch Junior Red Team. Mariëlle Vleugels won the Bep van Beijmerwerdt Trophy for Most Promising Youth Player. Mariëlle was not in Nieuwegein, as she also is in the USA to study and play softball at Chipola College in Florida. Martin de Jonker, secretary of Mariëlle's club Iber Lengua Terrasvogels, received the trophy in her honor from Dutch National Team Coach Craig Montvidas, who also handed out the Riet Vermaat Trophy to Best Youth Pitcher Eva Voortman.

Juni Francisca, who led Sparks Haarlem to the Dutch championship title and also captured the European Cup in August, was named Softball Coach of the Year. Veteran coach Piet Pannen, who coached in the big league for Wassenaar and Amsterdam Pirates, won the Nol Houtkamp Award for longtime activities in player development. Piet's daughter Sonja last season retired, 21 years after making her debut in the Dutch big league. With the Dutch National Team, Sonja participated in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta (USA).

The awards are waiting to be handed out

KNBSB-President Bob Bergkamp opened the Star Awards happening in Nieuwegein

Chantal Versluis stole the most bases in 2010
At left is host Andy Houtkamp, in the center Hans Meijer, the director of the KNBSB-Head Office

Andy Houtkamp talks with Karen Marr, the Pitching Coach of the National Team

Karin Tuk picks up the Best Pitcher-trophy for Lindsey Meadows,
which was presented by Karen Marr

Terrasvogels-secretary Martin de Jonker receives the Bep van Beijmerwerdt Trophy for
Most Promising Youth Player on behalf of Mariëlle Vleugels from Craig Montvidas

Craig Montvidas is ready to hand the (heavy) Egbert van der Sluis Trophy for
Best International Under 23 to Tanja, the mother of winner Britt Vonk

Andy Houtkamp asks Craig Montvidas to hand out the Riet Vermaat Trophy
for Best Youth Pitcher to Eva Voortman

Eva Voortman with the trophy, that switches from winner to winner
Craig Montvidas is about to hand Eva her permanent trophy

Most Valuable Player Kim Kluijskens

Pitching Coach Karen Marr and KNBSB-Boardmember Caroline Theunissen handed out trophies

Host Andy Houtkamp talks with Coach of the Year Juni Francisca

On behalf of his father Nol (who was unable to be in Nieuwegein), Andy Houtkamp addresses
Piet Pannen, the recipient of the Nol Houtkamp Award

Coach of the Year Juni Francisca with MVP Kim Kluijskens and Stolen Base-leader Chantal Versluis

The best players of 2010
Back row: Bryan Engelhardt (MVP, Most Homeruns, Most Stolen Bases, BB), Nick Urbanus
(Ron Fraser Award, BB), Brian Farley (Coach of the Year, BB), Piet Pannen (Nol Houtkamp Award, SB),
Juni Francisca (Coach of the Year, SB), Dirk van 't Klooster (Best Hitter, BB), Steven Wharwood
(Rogear Bernadina Award, BB) and Niels Harteveld (Roel de Mon Award, BB).
Center row: Eva Voortman (Riet Vermaat Trophy, SB), Kim Kluijskens (MVP, SB) and
Chantal Versluis (Most Stolen Bases, SB). Front row: Daley Paalvast (Rob Cordemans Award, BB),
Bram Grooten (Dirk van 't Klooster Award, BB), Martin de Jonker (Bep van Beijmerwerdt Trophy for
Mariëlle Vleugels, SB) and Gé van Berkel (Leen Volkerijk Award, BB).

(special thanks to Henk Seppen and Fred Versluis for the above photos)