Biography
Bates returns as one of Gannon’s starters for the fourth consecutive season in 2016, being penciled in at either catcher or first base … enters her senior campaign 15th all-time at Gannon in RBIs (94) … sits seventh all-time at Gannon since 2000 in home runs (14), eighth in putouts (519), 13th in doubles (24), 13th in total bases (194) and 13th in walks (44).
2015: Was one of three Lady Knights to start all 45 games, beginning 36 at first base and nine at catcher … named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Atlantic Region first team … earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) second-team honors … led the PSAC in RBIs per game (1.04) … ranked second among PSAC players in sacrifice flies (3) and walks per game (0.51) … finished 45th among all NCAA Division II players in RBIs per game and 82nd in sacrifice flies … was the second-toughest PSAC player and 59th-toughest NCAA Division II player to strike out, going down on strikes once every 23.5 at-bats … led Gannon in home runs (8), RBIs (47), slugging percentage (.603) and walks (23) … finished second on the team in hits (52), second in total bases (85), second in on-base percentage (.452), second in fielding percentage (.987), third in average (.369), third in runs (32) and fifth in doubles (9) … hit .370 (51-138) against right-handers, .385 (37-96) with runners on base, .333 (15-45) with the bases empty, .400 (2-5) with the bases loaded, .387 (24-62) with runners in scoring position and .391 (25-64) with two outs … reached base 54.2 percent (13-24) of the time when leading off an inning … drove in a run 66.7 percent (10-15) of the time when hitting with a runner on third base and less than two outs … recorded a team-best 26 two-out RBIs … led Gannon with 12 multiple-RBI games … finished second on the team with 16 multiple-hit efforts … named PSAC Western Division Player of the Week on March 31 after going 3-for-4 with two runs and eight RBIs during a doubleheader against Edinboro … finished the opener against the Fighting Scots 2-for-2 with two runs, six RBIs, one walk, one double, one home run and one sacrifice fly … produced an eight-game hit streak during the National Training Center (NTC) Games in Florida … hit .414 (12-29) with four runs, eight RBIs, three doubles and one home run during the streak … ended the season with a seven-game hit streak during the postseason … hit .409 (9-22) with five runs, four RBIs and four walks during her postseason hot streak … pushed her average over .400 after four games and never hit less than .300 the rest of the year … went 20 games (March 1-April 11) without an error, spanning 141 fielding opportunities … ended the season with a 15-game errorless streak that included 102 fielding chances … opened a road doubleheader at Mercyhurst 3-for-4 with one run, four RBIs, one double and one home run … finished the twinbill 5-for-8 with four runs, six RBIs and two home runs … drove in at least four runs during a game three times … hit home runs during both games of doubleheaders against Mercyhurst and Pitt-Johnstown.
2014: Started 37 games as a sophomore ... named to the All-PSAC Western Division second team ... recorded 12 multiple-hit games and seven multiple-RBI contests … started 22 games as a designated player, 13 at catcher and two at first base ... batted .342 with 38 hits, nine doubles, a home run and 22 RBIs ... ended the season with a seven-game hitting streak ... ranked third on the team in batting average (.342), slugging percentage (.468), RBIs (22) and doubles (9) … finished fourth among Gannon players in runs scored (17) and hits (38) ... recorded four RBIs during the nightcap of an April 6 doubleheader against Edinboro, going 2-for-4 with two runs and a double ... hit a home run during the opener of an April 13 twinbill at Slippery Rock, compiling two RBIs and a run off two hits ... went 2-for-3 against the University of Mary with two RBIs, one double and one triple.
2013: Saw action in 36 games as a true freshman, starting 35 … began 21 games behind the plate, 13 as the designated player and one at first base … named to the All-PSAC Western Division first team … was the eighth-toughest PSAC player to strike out, going down on strikes once every 16.5 plate appearances … recorded eight multiple-hit games and eight multiple-RBI efforts … ended the season with a 13-game hit streak, representing the longest by a Lady Knight in 2013 … hit .386 (22-57) with runners on base, .333 (14-42) with runners in scoring position and .388 (19-49) with two outs … reached base 47.6 percent (10-21) of the time when leading off an inning … drove home a run 57.1 percent (4-7) of the time when hitting with a runner on third base and less than two outs … finished second on the team with 13 two-out RBIs … had a batting average of .306 or higher throughout the final 13 games … recorded her first career hit and scored her first career run during a 6-4 eight-inning victory against Georgian Court in the season opener … hit .488 (20-41) with 15 RBIs and nine runs during her season-concluding 13-game hit streak … drilled her first career home run at California (Pa.), starting a string of home runs in three consecutive games … recorded a season-high three RBIs against California (Pa.) and Edinboro during the regular season, before matching the total against Lock Haven in the PSAC Tournament.
High School: Played for head coach Bob Kalp at Hempfield Area (Pa.) High School … was a three-time Pittsburgh Post-Gazette WPIAL Coaches All-Section team selection … named to the Tribune-Review Westmoreland County All-Star team three times … earned all-state accolades twice, landing a spot on the Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association All-State second team as a junior and the honorable-mention squad as a sophomore … named a player to watch by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Tribune-Review and MSA Sports as a junior … featured in ESPN Rise Magazine in March of 2010 as part of the Greater Pittsburgh Region’s top 10 players to watch … helped Hempfield Area qualify for the state championships twice, advancing to the quarterfinals as a freshman and the first round as a senior … played with Hempfield Area teams that won the conference title in 2009 and finished runner-up in 2012, as well as advancing to the quarterfinalist round in 2010 and 2011 … was a member of the high honor roll.
Personal: Sports Management major … has one sister and one brother … is the daughter of Donna and Tim.
