2010: Second-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference... OVC ‘Pitcher of the Week’ (3/20/10)... in her junior season as the Panthers’ premiere pitcher, May finished 17-16 overall as she completed 26 of the 31 games that she started, while making 39 total appearances... continued to add her name to the Panther single-season and career pitching records... earned three fourth place listings for single-season strikeouts, complete games and appearances... also ranked fifth in both innings pitched and games started and tied for 17th in single-season wins... recorded 172 total Ks, limited the opposition to a .222 batting average while also earning a 2.49 ERA... tied or set new personal game high stat numbers 10 times... including tying her career high strikeout tally of 10 Ks for the third time in her career as the Panthers picked up a win over Eastern Kentucky... had an outstanding weekend at the end-of-season OVC tournament, as she pitched every inning of the four games that the Panthers competed in... for the weekend she threw exactly 568 pitches, with 384 being strikes, to earn an impressive 68% mark for Ks... currently ranked in nine different career pitching categories as well, including a fourth place listing for total strikeouts and tying for six in both saves and complete games... naturally also continued to make the OVC Top 10 list in a variety of statistical categories... including leading the league in shutouts, innings pitched and complete games for both the entire season and OVC-only contests as well... OVC Top 10 Rankings: Led league for shutouts, innings pitched and complete games, both for the entire season and in OVC-only contests... overall, she ranked second in appearances, third in wins, strikeouts and games started, and fourth for opponent batting average... while in OVC-only contests she ranked second in wins and games started, third in strikeouts and opponent batting average, and fourth in total appearances... EIU Season Rankings: Fourth in strikeouts, complete games and appearances... fifth in games started and innings pitched... tied for 17th in single-season wins... EIU Career Rankings: Moved up the career record list in a variety of statistical categories... including fourth in strikeouts... tied for sixth in saves... tied for seventh in shutouts... eighth in both innings pitched and appearances... ninth in victories and ERA... and tenth for games started.
2009: OVC All-Newcomer Team ... Two-Time OVC ‘Pitcher of the Week’ (2/16/09 & 3/2/09)... MVP of New Mexico State Troy Cox Classic... was the starting Panther pitcher in 30 contests in her sophomore season, having transferred from Heartland College... tallied a 2.01 ERA while recording 191 total Ks... walked 65 batters off of 250.2 innings of work... ended up being ranked in various EIU pitching categories as she finished with an overall record of 17-19, which included 26 complete games and three saves... held the opposition to a .236 batting average, allowing 218 hits and 107 total runs scored, 72 of which were earned... in the fall of 2008, the new Panther made an impressive debut, as she pitched a no-hitter against instate foe Illinois State... that helped EIU capture the Silver Bracket title at the inaugural Illinois Collegiate Softball Championship in Normal... OVC Top 5 Rankings: Lead the league in innings pitched, saves, and appearances... second in total strikeouts, games started and games finished... fifth in relief appearances... EIU Season Rankings: First in total appearances... second for strikeouts, innings pitched and total saves... tied for fourth in complete games... tied for sixth in number of games started... seventh for victories... tied for eighth in shutouts... EIU Career Rankings: Already listed in the EIU record books with a sixth place tie for career saves... ninth place all-time for total ERA and strikeouts.
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Amber was a JUCO All-American at Heartland College in Normal, Ill., after leading the NJCAA Division II level in strikeouts per nine innings, total strikeouts and ERA… also named Region 24 and Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year while helping leading Heartland to a 38-12 record and third-place finish at the NJCAA DII National Tournament.
HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year letter-winner for coach Bob Grimes… two-time Illinois Coaches Association All-State honoree… Chicago Tribune First Team All-State as a senior… struck out 51 over three games at the 2007 IHSA State Finals, establishing a new record and leading Normal Community to a state championship… established a new school record with 1,056 career strike outs… two-time team MVP… also helped Normal Community win Big 12 Conference titles in 2004 and 2006… also played for the East Peoria Rage summer team.
PERSONAL: No. 1 sports highlight was winning a state title and breaking records in high school… her father has been a major influence on her sports career because “for as long as I can remember, we’ve played every sport possible in the yard and went to a lot of games around town”… most admires her coach at Heartland Shae Wesley because “she took a first-year program with 10 freshmen to the national NJCAA DII Final Four”… her cousin Dara plays college softball at Tennessee Baptist.
OFF THE FIELD WITH AMBER:
My major & minor at EIU... sports management ... minor in business
Daughter of... Mike & Vickie May
Nickname... ‘A-May’
Chose EIU... “because of the friendly environment, atmosphere and small campus”
Favorite food dishes... chicken alfredo & hasbrown caserole
Name of her pet... ‘Kody’, a cockapoo
One of my favorite quotes (James Dean)... “dream as if you’ll live forever... live as if you’ll die today“
Some hobbies of mine... puzzles, movies, card games, and outside activities
EIU athlete I enjoy watching play... teammate Megan Nelson
A couple of my hidden talents... I’m a really good shower singer & I am full of fun facts
Prefers not to eat... pickles & sushi
Fav musical artists... Rascal Flatts & Brad Paisley
Other sports I enjoy playing... include anything that requires a ball to play
Must-see tv & flicks... ‘Monk’ or ‘Singing Bee’ ... ‘Casino Royale’ or anything with Patrick Demsey or Jennifer Aniston
My advice for a younger athlete... “give 100% to yourself, your teammates and your coaches”... “love the game and never be satisfied (because) there’s always ways to improve”... and “set big goals... dream... & believe”
One of my goals while at EIU... is to win an Ohio Valley Conference championship
