Sarah Venker

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Photo by: David Huffman

Photo by: Tessa Mortensen

Position:
Right-Handed Pitcher
Height:
5-4
Class:
Freshman
High School:
Episcopal
Hometown:
Houston, Texas

END OF CAREER NOTES
• Left the program following the 2019 season
• Two-Time MAC Pitcher of the Week (March 12, 2019 & March 26, 2019)
• 2019 Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete
• Played in 37 of a possible 54 games over her Ball State career
• Made 30 appearances in the circle, earning 16 starts
• Played in seven other games, including making four starts in center field
• Drove in one game-winning RBI over her Ball State career
• On Ball State’s Career Charts: 3rd in strikeouts per seven innings (6.81), 11th in lowest opponent batting average (.236)
• On Ball State’s Single Season Charts: 4th in strikeouts per seven innings (6.81 in 2019), T-4th in combined shutouts (3 in 2019)

2019 (Fr.): Earned first letter at Ball State … two-time Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Week (March 12 & March 26) … named an Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar Athlete … played in 37 of the team’s 54 games, earning 20 starts … made 30 appearances in the circle, making 16 starts … played in seven other games, including four starts in center field … led the Ball State pitching staff and ranked eighth with 13 wins, finishing the year with a 13-5 record … compiled a 2.85 ERA, allowing just 41 earned runs over a team-high 100.2 innings of work … limited opposing batters to a .236 average … had a hand in six of the team’s 10 shutout victories, including three complete game shutouts and three combined shutouts … struck out a team-leading 98 batters to rank ninth in the MAC … also tallied a .189 batting average, with five hits over 28 at bats … of her five hits, two were doubles and two were home runs … held LIU Brooklyn (Feb. 8) hitless over 2.0 innings of relief work, striking out three along the way to earn her first career victory … earned the win in her first career start versus Penn State (Feb. 9), fanning three batters while allowing just two hits over 5.1 innings in a combined shutout effort … started her first collegiate game in center field versus Central Arkansas (Feb. 16), logging her first career double and scoring her first career run in the game … followed with her first career complete game shutout later in the day, striking out five and holding Delaware (Feb. 16) to just two hits over 5.0 innings, while also logging her first career RBI in the game … struck out a career-high 10 batters and allowed just one hit in her next outing, another combined shutout versus Northern Colorado (Feb. 22) … earned her second complete game victory of the season versus Montana (Feb. 24), allowing just one run and seven hits while striking out four over 7.0 innings … threw the first of back-to-back Ball State shutouts in the doubleheader sweep of Bethune-Cookman (March 6), striking out 10 more batters and allowing just two hits in the 1-0 victory … made it two straight complete game shutouts with a solid outing versus Georgetown (March 9), striking out five more batters … struck out four batters in a 4.0 inning win over South Dakota (March 15) … had a huge game versus Mercer (March 16), striking out three batters and allowing just three hits over 2.0 innings to earn the win in the circle, while also connecting for her first career home run on offense with a two-run blast in the sixth … earned the pitching win in each of her next three appearances versus Fordham (March 17), in which she struck out eight, versus Akron (March 22) and in the second game of doubleheader versus Akron (March 23) … smashed a three-run double in the opening game at Northern Illinois (April 2) … secured her one pitching victory in the opener at Central Michigan (April 26) with a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning after entering to pitch in the fifth … threw 1.2 innings in the contest, striking out one while not allowing a hit or run … started the final three games of the season in center field, including smashing a two-run home run in the MAC Tournament opener versus Ohio (May 8) … logged at least one strikeout in 26 of the 30 games she pitched, with five-or-more in seven outings … finished the season with nine putouts and 18 assists.

BARTLETT ON VENKER: Sarah is a special athlete. She can do it all on both sides of the ball. As a pitcher, her ability to miss bats will make an immediate impact on the program. She never takes a rep off from competing.

HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in softball at Episcopal High School for coach Kim Randolph … a four-time All-Southwest Preparatory Conference selection … named to the 2018 NFCA All-South Central Region Second Team as a pitcher her senior season … helped guide the Knights to SPC Championships as a freshman, junior and senior ... helped lead Episcopal to a 34-1-1 overall record her senior year, garnering VYPE's Greater Houston Private School Softball Player of the Year honors ... went a perfect 13-0 in the circle with a 0.92 ERA and 151 strikeouts over 88 innings of work ... also hit .517 as a senior with 13 home runs and 56 RBI, while tallying a .638 batting average with runners in scoring position ... named Team MVP and collected All-District honors for her play as a senior ... All-Greater Houston Second Team honoree as a junior … pitched in 23 games her junior season, compiling a 14-1 record and a 1.98 ERA over 82.0 innings of work … struck out 131 batters, while issuing just 23 walks … also tallied a .474 batting average as a junior with eight home runs, five triples, 13 doubles and 28 RBI … as a sophomore, she pitched in 27 games, logging a 11-2 record, a pair of saves and a 1.47 ERA over 91.2 innings … she struck out 152 batters, while yielding just 14 walks … also hit .455 as a sophomore with eight home runs, two triples, 13 doubles and 28 RBI … made 22 appearances in the circle as a freshman, producing a 13-1 record with two saves … credited with a 2.24 ERA over 93.2 innings of work, while striking out 120 batters … also earned one letter and soccer and two in cheerleading at Episcopal High School.

CLUB: Has played five seasons of club softball for the Texas Intensity … helped guide her team to the Atlanta Legacy Showcase 18U Championship (2017) and a 17th-place finish at the PGF 18U Premier Nationals (2017).

PERSONAL: Daughter of Donald and Kymberly Venker … born April 18, 2000 in Houston, Texas … full name is Sarah Marie Venker … maintains a 4.00 grade point average as a pre-nursing major.

WHY BALL STATE: I chose Ball State because the softball coaches and the team were friendly and welcoming. They had great chemistry on and off the field, and I feel like I am a good fit. I loved the campus when I toured, and I am so excited for the academic challenges as well.