SALEM, Ore. – Corban junior softball player
Jennifer Kollaer (Albany, Ore.) announced Monday that she has accepted an offer to play overseas this summer on a team set to play in Oldenzall, Holland.
Kollaer will be one of 14 players than will play with USA Athletes International (USAAI) at the Oldenzall Senior Tournament from June 13th-22nd of this year in Holland. Coached by Natalia Ardagna, head softball coach at University of Massachussetts – Boston, the team will play upwards of five games against teams from throughout Europe, while also having the opportunity to tour Amsterdam and the Holland countryside.
“We are very excited to have Jennifer on the roster for the Oldenzaal Sr. Tournament,” stated USA Athletes International Executive Director William Edington. “Jennifer came highly recommended to our organization and we are glad she will be making a tour with us.”
Established in 1992, USA Athletes International, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving athletes the opportunity to participate in International sporting events throughout the world, while also allowing them to broaden their educational and cultural knowledge of the world through the experience.
According to USA Athletes International Program Coordinator, Shannon Emmons, “At USAAI, we strive to not only bring in great student athletes but great people as well. Jennifer is an excellent ambassador for softball, USA Athletes, and Corban College.”
In two seasons as a Warrior, Kollaer has appeared in 67 games (66 starts) and has registered a career batting average of .390 thanks to 82 hits in 210 at-bats. Offensively, Kollaer has recorded 49 runs scored, 19 doubles, 10 home runs, one triple, 57 runs batted in, and 133 total bases in her young career. In the field, Kollaer has registered an .875 fielding percentage thanks to a mere eight errors in 70 total chances. On the base paths, Kollaer has only been caught stealing only once in 22 attempts.
As a freshman, Kollaer was named All-NAIA Region I after leading the team in five offensive categories that included batting average (.466), doubles (8), runs batted in (27), total bases (60), and slugging percentage (.682). Her freshman batting average is the all-time single season mark in program history, while her slugging percentage sits second only to former Warrior Sabra Gamel, who registered a program-best .750 during the inaugural 2004 season.
Career-wise, Kollaer is the program's all-time leader in batting average while sitting in the Top 5 in doubles (19 – 2nd), hits (82 – 2nd), slugging percentage (.633 – 2nd), on-base percentage (.438 – 3rd), runs scored (49 – 3rd), stolen bases (21 – 3rd), home runs (10 – tied for 4th), runs batted in (57 – 4th), and total bases (133 – 4th).
Kollaer will now begin the process of fund raising her portion of the trip expenses. Anyone interested in making a donation to USAAI in Kollaer's name can contact Nathan Ohta, Corban's head softball coach, via e-mail (
NOhta@corban.edu) to receive a donor form.
NOTE: Kollaer will be joining fellow Cascade Collegiate Conference players Megan Mazanec and Corrie Gustafson from Northwest Christian University on this summer's team.