Biography
2016 (Senior Year): Competed in and started 33 games on the year, all in center field … Member of the AD’s Honor Roll … Led the team with a .330 average … Tallied 20 runs, 31 hits, five doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, 14 walks and two stolen bases … Had a .404 slugging percentage and a .422 on-base percentage … Hit .410 (16-for-39) with runners on base … Had nine multi-hit games on the year … Finished her career third all-time at NSU in hits (181), ninth in at bats (515) and tied for 14th in starts (161) … Had a season-best game in the second contest at UMES on April 21, hitting 3-for-6 with two doubles, three runs and a career-high four RBI in the victory … Scored three runs on two hits in a win over Rhode Island on March 12 … Also had three hits in three at bats the day before against La Salle … Had two hits in three straight games in a doubleheader against Morgan State on April 10 and in game one against North Carolina Central on April 13 … Knocked in a pair of runs in game 2 against George Washington on Feb. 27 and versus Hampton on May 1 … Batted 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI in a game 2 win at Howard on April 16 … Also had two hits in back-to-back games on May 12 against Florida A&M and Morgan State in the MEAC tournament, scoring twice in the first contest … Scored the game winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh in a 4-3, walk-off win over Rhode Island on March 5 … Hit 21-for-49 (.429) in 16 games from March 11-April 21.
2015 (Junior Year): Named to the AD’s Honor Roll … Competed in and started 31 games on the year … Batted .282 with 12 runs, 29 hits, four RBI, three stolen bases and a team-high four sacrifice hits … Missed several games during the middle of the season due to injury … Named to the preseason All-MEAC first team … Made 25 starts in center field and six in left … Had nine multi-hit games on the year, including a 3-for-4 effort in the final game of the season on May 7 against North Carolina A&T … Hit 2-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs in game 2 against Delaware State on April 18 … Part of a seven-game hit streak in which she went 9-for-24 (.375) … Had a pair of hits and scored twice in a win over Drexel on March 14 … In a victory at Hampton on May 2, batted 2-for-5 with a run scored and a stolen base … Went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in a win over the Pirates on May 3 … Swiped a bag as part of a 2-for-3 effort in game 1 at George Mason on April 29.
2014 (Sophomore Year): Named second-team All-MEAC in the outfield … Was a first-team all-conference preseason pick … Competed in 46 games and made 45 starts, all in left field … Hit .401 on the year, becoming the fifth different NSU player to hit .400 in the Division I era … Ranked 72nd in the nation in hitting … Also ranked 47th in toughest-to-strikeout, fanning once every 19.6 at bats … Scored 35 runs on 63 hits with one double, one triple, one home run, 14 RBI, six walks, 10 stolen bases and a .423 on-base percentage … Stood fifth in the MEAC in hits, seventh in average and eighth in runs … Ranked second on the team in average, runs, hits and stolen bases … Set the NSU D-I record with a 21-game hit streak from March 1-April 5 … Had 18 games with two or more hits … Batted 36-for-85 (.424) with runners on base … Had the best game of the season on March 23 against Coppin State, going 5-for-5 with four runs and three RBI … Hit her first career homer that day as well … Ended the three-game series against CSU 8-for-12 with seven runs, five RBI and three stolen bases … Batted 4-for-5 with a run scored against Monmouth on March 1 in the Spartan Classic … Also went 3-for-4 earlier in the day against UMBC … In a doubleheader sweep of Howard on March 31, hit 4-for-7 with six runs, three RBI and two stolen bases … Also went 3-for-3 with two runs scored against the Bison on April 11 … On March 9 in the Winthrop/Adidas Invitational, went 4-for-7 against Connecticut and Youngstown State … Ended the year by going 6-for-10 with a pair of runs scored in three games in the MEAC tournament from May 8-9.
2013 (Freshman Year): Played in all 53 games and started 52, including 35 in right field, nine in left, two in center and six at shortstop … The Team’s Rookie of the Year along with Whitney Williams … Finished third on the team with a .360 average and contributed 36 runs on 58 hits with three doubles, 22 RBI and 10 stolen bases … Finished eighth in the MEAC in hits and ninth in average … Nearly topped the previous NSU Division I record of 59 for hits in a season … Had 14 multiple-hit games on the year … Had an eight-game hitting streak from March 6-13 and also ended the year with a seven-game streak, all in the MEAC tournament from May 9-11 … Batted 15-for-29 (.517) with eight runs and six RBI in the tournament, raising her season average by .034 points … Included in there was a 4-for-4 contest with one run and two RBI against Savannah State on May 9 … Hit 11-for-26 during her eight-game streak with four runs and eight RBI … Hit .375 with runners on base and .440 with runners in scoring position … Drove in three runs in the first game at Savannah State on March 6 and also had three RBI in game 2 at North Carolina A&T on March 13 … Scored at least two runs in seven games, including three runs at Morgan State on April 13 and then again in the first game against Hampton on May 11 … Went 6-for-10 with five runs and two stolen bases in a three-game sweep of Coppin State on March 23-24 … Also batted 5-for-10 with four runs in three games at Morgan State from April 13-14 … Drove in the eventual game-winning run with a single in the top of the eighth in an 8-6 win over Army on March 2 … Led VA Legends to its second straight United State Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Over 18 Fastpitch World Series title in July 2013.
High School: Competed on the varsity softball team at Bayside all four years under coach Liz Stroud … Named second-team All-Tidewater by the Virginian Pilot as an infielder and second-team All-Eastern Region as a utility player her senior year … Also tabbed first-team All-Beach District at utility … Hit .468 with a .548 on-base percentage her senior year … Batted .357 with 10 stolen bases and a .428 on-base percentage her junior year … Earned the team’s Coaches Award her sophomore and junior years and the Rookie of the Year award her freshman season … Also competed on the volleyball team all four years, the swim team her freshman through junior years and the track team her junior and senior seasons … Took home the third place individual award at the Granby Tournament in volleyball her senior year … Received the Coaches Award for swimming her sophomore year and for volleyball her sophomore and junior years … Also earned the Rookie of the Year award for swimming her freshman season … Member of Student Athletes for Christ … Member of the VA Legends that won the United State Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Over 18 Fastpitch World Series title in July 2012.
Club: Played for the Virginia Legends travel team … Hit .356 with 19 stolen bases in 2011.
Personal: Full name is Heather Ann Dunning … Born on Sept. 14, 1994 … Daughter of Robyn and Brian Dunning … Has one fraternal twin sister, Megan, also a senior on the NSU softball team … Majoring in exercise science … Would like to work as a physician’s assistant and possibly go into the Navy Reserve … Holds the title of Student Involvement in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and is also a member of Athletes in Action … Enjoys playing softball and volleyball, going swimming, going to the beach and working out … A 2016 All-American Athlete Award recipient as named by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
