Erin Ballinger

Erin Ballinger, a 2000 DeWitt graduate, earned six varsity letters in basketball and softball. An intense competitor and defensive specialist, she played point guard on the varsity basketball team, leading DeWitt to a 17-4 record and the Ingham County League (ICL) Championship in 1998. In her senior year, the Panthers shattered the school’s record books with a 25-1 season that included the program’s only undefeated regular season and a program-best 25-game winning streak. Outscoring teams by an average of 24.1 points per game, DeWitt took home an undefeated ICL title, along with Class B District and Regional Championships before falling in the Class B Final Four. On the softball field, Ballinger earned All-League and All-District honors in each of her four varsity seasons. Her teams won two league, two district and two regional titles during her career. She was a two-time member of the Lansing State Journal “Dream Team” and a three-time All-State honoree. Playing shortstop and batting third in the lineup, she helped lead DeWitt to a program-best 39-3 season that unfortunately ended in the Class B state semi-finals in 1998. The Panthers also won back-to-back Softball Classic Championships in 1997 and 1998. During Ballinger’s senior season, DeWitt won league, district and regional titles, finishing 38-5 but falling in the state quarterfinals. Ballinger was named DeWitt’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2000 before moving on to play softball at Grand Valley State University, where she started as an outfielder every game after her freshman season. The Lakers were 182-32 during her career while taking home three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships. Her teams made four straight NCAA Division II Regional appearances, including the program’s first and only National Tournament Runner-up finish in 2002.