Amaia Daniel

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Photo by: Kirk Meche

Photo by: Don Rogers, Ball State University

Photo by: David Huffman

Position:
Utility
Height:
5-4
Class:
Senior
High School:
Rutherford B. Hayes
Hometown:
Delaware, Ohio

BALL STATE CAREER NOTES ENTERING 2023 SEASON
• 2022 First Team All-MAC
• Played in 164 of a possible 189 games over her Ball State career, earning 156 starts, with 106 coming at second base, 47 at shortstop, two as the designated player, and one at third base
• Has scored 10 game-winning runs and driven in 13 game-winning RBI over her career
• On Ball State’s Career Charts: T-5th in double plays turned (35), 9th in on base percentage (.416), 11th in walks (74), T-15th in times hit by a pitch (13), 17th in RBI (89), 17th in assists (291), T-17th in doubles (31), 18th in runs scored (94), T-18th in home runs (14), T-19th in sacrifice flies (4)
• On Ball State’s Single Season Charts (highest ranking only): 5th in on base percentage (.505 in 2020), T-7th in double plays turned (15 in 2022), 20th in batting average (.371 in 2020)

2023 (COVID-19 Senior): Will utilize her COVID-19 year to return to the squad.

2022 (Sr.): Earned fourth letter at Ball State … First Team All-Mid-American Conference … started all 52 games she played, with 33 starts at second base and 19 at shortstop … ranked fourth on the squad with a .291 batting average with 46 total hits, including five doubles, a triple, and three home runs … ranked second on the squad with 31 RBI, including multiple RBI in seven games … tallied a season-high four RBI in two games; vs. Robert Morris (Feb. 18) and at NIU (April 5) … also scored 22 runs on the year … scored what proved to be the game-winning run in four games, while driving in what stood as the game-winning RBI in three contests … strung together a career-long 11-game hitting streak, the longest for the Cardinals in 2022 … started the streak with a solo home run in the opening game of the April 20 doubleheader versus Western Michigan, which proved to be the game-winning run … ended the streak with a single in the series finale at Miami (May 5) … drove in her first game-winning RBI of the season with a bases loaded walk in the first inning of BSU’s 11-0 (5) win at NIU (April 6, Game 1) … also drove home the winning run with a RBI single in the fourth inning versus Akron (May 7, Game 2) … scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the series opener at NIU (April 5), in the first game of the doubleheader sweep at Toledo (April 16), and in the season finale versus Akron (May 8) … smashed multiple hits in seven games, including three games with three hits … had a hand in turning 15 of Ball State’s 29 double plays on the year … also finished the season with 79 putouts and 105 assists.

2021 (Jr.): Earned third letter at Ball State … played in 46 games, earning 45 starts … made 36 starts at second base, seven at short stop, and two as the designated player … produced a .307 batting average with 35 total hits, including nine doubles and six home runs … her .544 slugging percentage ranked fifth among the team’s everyday starters, while her .437 on base percentage tied for third … led the team with 24 walks, while also being hit by a pitch on three occasions … scored 26 runs and drove in 23 RBI … registered nine multiple hit games, including a season-high three hits in a 14-5 (5) win over Toledo (May 1, Game 2) … also drove in a season-high three RBI in the game with a third-inning RBI double and a fifth-inning two-run home run to cap the scoring in the game … added three more RBI in her final game of the season at Buffalo (May 15, Game 2), with her three-run home run in the top of the second driving in what proved to be the game-winning run … finished the season with multiple RBI in six games … tallied three total game-winning RBI on the season, with the others coming on a fifth-inning sacrifice fly versus Bowling Green (March 27, Game 1) and a sixth-inning RBI double versus Bowling Green (March 28) … also scored what proved to be the game-winning run on an error at Central Michigan (April 3, Game 1) after leading off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and then stealing second … reached base safely in 10 straight games, starting March 13 vs. Samford and ending after a two-hit performance in the series finale at Central Michigan (April 4) … was a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts … had a hand in turning nine of the team’s 25 double plays … finished the season with 67 putouts and 111 assists.

2020 (So.): The season was shortened to 27 games due to the COVID-19 global pandemic ... earned second letter at Ball State … started all 23 games she played … made 19 starts at shortstop and four at second base … ranked second on the team and 13th in the MAC with a .371 batting average, collecting 26 hits in 70 at bats … added 19 walks and was hit by a pitch twice for a team-leading .505 on base percentage which ranked third in the league … credited with eight doubles and a home run for a .529 slugging percentage to rank third among BSU’s regular starters and 15th in the league … scored a team-high 23 runs to rank second in the league, while adding 12 RBI … scored the game-winning run on two occasions, while driving in the game-winning RBI once … recorded multiple hits in eight games, including three hits on three occasions … opened the season by going 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, an RBI and her only home run of the season in the win over Prairie View A&M (Feb. 8) … scored what proved to be the game-winning run versus Arkansas Pine Bluff (Feb. 9) after opening a seven-run fifth inning with a RBI double … she also drew an RBI walk to bring home the final run of the inning … went 3-for-4 with a walk, a double, an RBI and two runs scored in the win at North Florida (Feb. 15) … scored three runs in the win over Green Bay (Feb. 22) after going 2-for-3 from the plate with a walk … added another three-hit game in the championship game victory over Indiana State (Feb. 23) at the Hilltopper Classic, scoring once and also driving in an RBI … crossed the plate three time in the win over Longwood (Feb. 28) after recording a double and reaching base twice via walk … helped account for both game-winning runs in the doubleheader sweep at Bethune-Cookman (March 4), driving in the game-winning RBI in the first with an RBI double, while scoring the game-winning run in the second after drawing a walk to open the game … credited with at least one hit in 15 of the 23 games she played … registered Ball State’s second-longest hitting streak of the season at seven games, starting with a pair of hits at Western Kentucky (Feb. 22) and ending following a single versus LIU (Feb. 29) … reached base safely in each of the two games prior to the hitting streak for a season-long run of reaching base safely in nine consecutive games … had a hand in turning seven of the team’s 14 double plays … finished the shortened season with 32 putouts and 47 assists, while committing just five errors for a .940 fielding percentage.

2019 (Fr.): Earned first letter at Ball State … played in 43 games, earning 36 starts … made 33 starts at second base, two at shortstop and one at third base … ranked fourth on the team with a .292 batting average, logging 33 hits over 113 at bats … recorded nine doubles, four home runs and a triple … tallied seven multiple hit games and six multiple RBI games on the year … drove in the game-winning RBI in six contests, while scoring the eventual winning run in three … drew a walk and came around to score a run in her first collegiate plate appearance vs. Northern Colorado (Feb. 11) … scored what proved to be the game-winning run after entering the Utah State (Feb. 23) game as a pinch runner … smashed an RBI double for her first collegiate hit vs. Montana (Feb. 24) … registered back-to-back two-hit games versus Furman (March 2) and Iowa (March 3), including her first multiple RBI game with a two-run double against the Hawkeyes … blasted her first collegiate home run versus South Dakota (March 15), which was a two-run blast to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run … her second career home run was another two-run blast at Mercer (March 16) in which she scored the game-winning run … followed with her third career home run, this time a solo shot, vs. Fordham (March 17) … drove in the game-winning run in both games of the doubleheader sweep of Akron (April 23), starting with a pair of two-run doubles in the opener and following with an RBI single in the nightcap … her first career triple came in the second game win over Bowling Green (April 6), as she sliced the ball down the right field line to give the Cardinals the walk-off victory in the eighth inning … her final home run of the season was a two-run blast to drive herself in for the game-winning run versus Butler (April 23) … strung together Ball State’s longest hitting streak of the season with a nine-game run starting vs. Presbyterian (March 9) and ending following her RBI single in the second game versus Akron … reached base safely in a program-best 17 consecutive games, once again starting versus Presbyterian and ending following a two-hit performance in the first game of a doubleheader at Western Michigan (April 13) … defensively, she logged a .927 fielding percentage, with 55 putouts and 60 assists over 124 chances.

HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year letter winner in softball at Hayes High School for coach Mark Thomas … three-time First Team All-Ohio Capital Conference and three-time First Team All-District honoree … team captain as a junior and senior ... named the OCC Player of the Year after batting .706 her senior season with a 11 home runs, 11 doubles and a 1.382 slugging percentage ... also earned First Team All-State and First Team All-Metro as a senior, while finishing the year with a .772 on-base percentage, 53 RBIs and 45 runs scored … finished her junior campaign with a .562 batting average, compiling five home runs, two triples and 13 doubles over 67 at bats … also drove in 35 RBI and scored 30 runs as a junior … batted .575 as a sophomore, belting five home runs, four triples and 16 doubles in 87 at bats … also tallied 50 RBI and scored 42 runs as a sophomore … hit .426 as a freshman with one triple and eight doubles over 68 at bats … also drove in 20 RBI and scored 17 runs her freshman year ... team Offensive MVP as a freshman and junior, while earning team Defensive MVP as a sophomore.

CLUB: Has played two seasons of club ball for the Lady Laser Orange.

PERSONAL: Daughter of David and Amanda Daniel ... born April 8, 2000 in Shiprock, New Mexico ... full name is Amaia Shundiin Daniel ... maintains a 3.200 grade point average as a marketing major.

WHY BALL STATE: I chose Ball State because the campus was beautiful and the coaches were extremely welcoming, which made it an easy decision to further my academic and athletic career at Ball State.