Weekly Release #14
5/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City, Okla. -- All times CDT
Thursday, May 23
Game 1 -- #1 seed UCLA vs. #8 seed Florida State, 10 a.m. (ESPN2)
Game 2 -- #4 seed California vs. #5 seed Oklahoma, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 3 -- #3 seed Arizona State vs. # 6 seed Michigan, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 4 -- #2 seed Arizona vs. #7 seed Nebraska, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Friday, May 24
Game 5 -- Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 6 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, May 25
Game 7 -- Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 8 -- Loser Game 3 vs. Loser game 4, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 9 -- Winner Game 7 vs. Loser game 6, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 10 -- Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 5, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sunday, May 26
Game 11 -- Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 9, noon (ESPN2)
Game 12 -- Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 10, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 13 -- Winner Game 11 vs. Loser Game 11 (if necessary), 5 p.m.
(ESPN2)
Game 14 -- Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 12 (if necessary), 5 or 7:30 p.m.
(ESPN2)
Monday, May 27
Game 15 -- Winner Game 11/13 vs. Winner Game 12/14, 12:15 p.m. (ESPN)
First Pitch
The 11th-ranked University of Michigan softball team (50-9) prepares for its second consecutive trip and sixth in eight years to the Women's College World Series Thursday through Monday, May 23-27, at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. The No. 6 seed Wolverines open up against No. 3 seed Arizona State on Thursday (May 23) at 6 p.m. CDT, with the winner moving on to Game 6 on Friday (6:30 p.m. CDT) against the winner of the contest between No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 7 seed Nebraska. The Michigan-Arizona State loser faces the loser of that Arizona-Nebraska contest on Saturday (3:30 p.m. CDT). The top half of the eight-team, double-elimination bracket consists of No. 1 seed UCLA vs. No. 8 seed Florida State (10 a.m. CDT) and No. 4 seed California vs. No. 5 seed Oklahoma (12:30 p.m. CDT) on Thursday.
The Story
After winning the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles as well as an NCAA Regional championship in the same season for the first time since 1998, Michigan heads back to the Women's College World Series for the second straight season. Michigan enters the WCWS as one of the hottest teams in the country, having won 16 straight overall and 13 straight against teams ranked in the Top 25, including a win over No. 6 Washington (6-5) and two wins over No. 20 Ohio State (3-0, 4-0) on its way to the NCAA Regional 6 championship. Michigan has earned a WCWS berth with a NCAA Regional victory as a No. 2 seed for the second straight year. The Wolverines finished tied for seventh last season after going 0-2 against fellow WCWS returnees Oklahoma (2-0) and California (5-2). Michigan's best-ever WCWS finish was when it tied for fifth with 1-2 marks in 1997 and '98.
Scouting Report
No. 1 seed UCLA (#1) -- UCLA (54-7) earned its 17th WCWS bid by beating No. 3 seed South Carolina 1-0 to win the NCAA Regional 1 championship in Columbia, S.C., as that regional's No. 1 seed ... The Bruins lost last season's NCAA championship game 1-0 to Arizona ... UCLA on the Internet: www.uclabruins.com ... Series vs. Michigan: UCLA leads, 6-2-1.
Michigan's All-Time Results vs. UCLA (2-6-1)
Date W/L Score Site 2/23/84 L 0-2 California trip 2/23/84 L 1-7 California trip 3/25/87 L 2-10 A 3/25/87 L 0-4 A 3/4/95 W 5-4 (8) A 5/23/96 L 0-2 N (WCWS, Columbus, Ga.) 5/24/97 L 3-7 N (WCWS, Oklahoma City, Okla.) 2/20/98 W 3-1 N (Poway, Calif.) 2/18/00 T 4-4 (6) N (Poway, Calif.)
No. 2 seed Arizona (#2) -- The Wildcats (52-11) earned their 13th trip to the WCWS by defeating No. 2 seed DePaul 8-0 to win NCAA Regional 2 as that regional's No. 1 seed ... Arizona is the defending national champion ... Arizona on the Internet: www.arizcats.com ... Series vs. Michigan: Arizona leads, 8-1.
Michigan's All-Time Results vs. Arizona (1-8)
Date W/L Score Site 3/20/86 L 0-1 (8) N (Fullerton, Calif.) 3/3/89 L 1-3 N (Las Cruces, N.M.) 3/19/89 W 1-0 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/1/91 L 0-11 N (Las Cruces, N.M.) 5/16/92 L 0-1 A (NCAA Regional) 5/17/92 L 0-8 A (NCAA Regional) 2/23/93 L 1-4 A 2/23/93 L 0-12 A 3/7/96 L 0-8 A
No. 3 seed Arizona State (#4) -- The Sun Devils (44-18) earned the trip to the WCWS by beating No. 1 seed LSU 4-1 in championship game of NCAA Regional 3 in Lafayette, La. ... Arizona State on the Internet: www.thesundevils.com ... Series vs. Michigan: Tied, 7-7.
Michigan's All-Time Results vs. Arizona State (7-7)
Date W/L Score Site 3/25/88 L 2-5 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 2/27/92 L 1-6 A 2/27/92 L 2-4 A 2/25/93 W 3-2 A 2/22/94 L 0-2 A 2/22/94 L 6-7 (9) A 2/22/95 W 6-2 A 2/22/95 W 4-2 A 2/28/98 W 2-1 N (Columbus, Ga.) 2/26/99 W 4-2 (8) N (Columbus, Ga.) 2/28/99 L 4-5 (8) N (Columbus, Ga.) 3/5/00 W 2-1 (9) N (Columbus, Ga.) 2/23/02 L 4-6 N (Columbus, Ga.) 2/24/02 W 5-1 N (Columbus, Ga.)
No. 4 seed California (#5) -- The Golden Bears (52-19) earned their sixth WCWS appearance by defeating No. 1 seed Cal State-Fullerton 1-0 to win NCAA Regional 4 as the No. 3 seed in Fresno, Calif. ... California is making a return to trip to the WCWS ... California on the Internet: www.calbears.com ... Series vs. Michigan: California leads, 5-0.
Michigan's All-Time Results vs. California (0-5)
Date W/L Score Site 3/5/87 L 3-4 N (Albuquerque, N.M.) 3/24/90 L 1-5 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/27/92 L 4-5 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/26/94 L 3-5 (8) N (Sacramento, Calif.) 5/26/02 L 2-5 N (WCWS, Oklahoma City, Okla.)
No. 5 seed Oklahoma (#13) -- The Sooners (49-14) earned their berth to the WCWS by defeating No. 2 seed Texas A&M 8-1 to win NCAA Regional 5 in Norman, Okla., as that regional's No. 2 seed ... Oklahoma is making a return trip to the WCWS ... Oklahoma on the Internet: www.soonersports.com ... Series vs. Michigan: U-M leads, 9-4.
Michigan's All-Time Results vs. Oklahoma (9-4)
Date W/L Score Site 3/22/86 W 2-1 N (Fullerton, Calif.) 3/25/88 L 1-2 (11) N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/4/89 W 3-0 N (Las Cruces, N.M.) 3/17/89 W 5-0 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/9/90 W 12-0 N (Tampa, Fla.) 3/11/90 W 1-0 (9) N (Tampa, Fla.) 3/29/92 W 1-0 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/12/93 W 4-0 N (Tampa, Fla.) 3/11/94 L 1-2 (8) N (Tampa, Fla.) 3/7/96 L 0-5 N (Tucson, Ariz.) 3/8/96 W 6-0 N (Tucson, Ariz.) 3/1/98 W 7-3 N (Columbus, Ga.) 5/24/02 L 0-2 N (WCWS, Oklahoma City, Okla)
No. 7 seed Nebraska (#7) -- The Cornhuskers (49-12) earned a WCWS berth by beating No. 3 seed Notre Dame 5-3 in NCAA Regional 7 in Iowa City, Iowa, as that regional's No. 1 seed ... Nebraska is making its sixth appearance in the WCWS ... Nebraska on the Internet: www.huskers.com ... Series vs. Michigan: Tied, 5-5.
Michigan's All-Time Results vs. Nebraska (5-5)
Date W/L Score Site 3/30/84 L 0-1 N (Waco, Texas) 3/2/89 W 6-5 N (Las Cruces, N.M.) 3/23/91 W 7-0 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/28/92 W 3-0 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/26/93 L 1-3 N (Sunnyvale, Calif.) 3/1/96 L 5-9 N (San Diego, Calif.) 3/1/97 W 2-0 N (Columbus, Ga.) 3/2/97 W 4-0 N (Columbus, Ga.) 2/28/98 L 2-3 N (Columbus, Ga.) 3/17/02 L 0-5 N (Tallahassee, Fla.)
No. 8 seed Florida State (#21) -- The Seminoles (53-18) earned their sixth all-time WCWS berth by coming back to defeat No. 5 seed Georgia Tech twice in the championship games in Tallahassee, Fla., as that regional's No. 3 seed ... Florida State on the Internet: www.seminoles.com ... Series vs. Michigan: U-M leads, 7-1.
Michigan's All-Time Results vs. Florida State (7-1)
Date W/L Score Site 3/4/90 L 0-1 A 3/4/90 W 3-2 (9) A 3/17/95 W 2-1 (8) A 3/19/95 W 5-0 A 3/17/96 W 6-1 A 3/5/99 W 5-0 N (Tampa, Fla.) 3/18/00 W 6-1 A 3/9/02 W 1-0 A
Return Trip
Michigan is one of five teams in the 2002 WCWS making a return trip after appearing the 2001 collegiate softball annual. Michigan is joined by defending national champion Arizona, UCLA, California and Oklahoma as teams making a second straight WCWS appearance. The Wolverines finished tied for seventh a year ago after suffering losses to Oklahoma (2-0) and California (5-2). Michigan was held to just three hits in the loss to Oklahoma, with Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) accounting for two of those three safeties. The Wolverines jumped out to a 2-0 lead over California thanks to a two-run home run from Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) in the top of the fourth, but four Michigan errors led to four unearned California runs on the way to the 5-2 final.
WCWS History
Michigan is now tied for fourth in the NCAA with six total WCWS appearances and own a 2-10 mark in 12 WCWS games. The Wolverines' previous WCWS berths came from 1995-98 and again in 2001, with the Maize and Blue going 0-2 and finishing tied for seventh in 1995, '96 and 2001. The Wolverines' best WCWS finishes came when they went 1-2 in 1997 and '98.
Michigan's Previous WCWS Results (2-10)
Date Opponent W/L Score 5/26/95 Southwestern La. L 0-5 5/27/95 Iowa L 7-9 (14) 5/23/96 UCLA L 0-2 5/25/96 Iowa L 2-3 5/22/97 Iowa L 2-3 5/24/97 South Carolina W 1-0 5/24/97 UCLA L 3-7 5/21/98 Texas W 7-2 5/22/98 Fresno State L 0-8 5/23/98 Oklahoma State L 1-3 5/24/02 Oklahoma L 0-2 5/26/02 California L 2-5
Michigan vs. WCWS Field
The Wolverines are 3-1 in four games this season against members of the eight-team WCWS field. Michigan is 1-0 this season against Oklahoma (1-0, Feb. 23) and Florida State (1-0, March 9), while going 1-1 against Arizona State (4-6, Feb. 23 and 5-1, Feb. 24). A 6-4 loss to Arizona State at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., forced the Wolverines into the Silver Championship bracket where they met the Oklahoma team that had defeated them at the 2001 WCWS.
Junior hurler Marissa Young came up with one of the most dominant performances of her career as she threw a one-hit, complete-game shutout at then-No. 4 Oklahoma in a 1-0 Michigan win. Young struck out 11 Sooners and walked just three.
The win over Oklahoma earned the Wolverines another shot at Arizona State and Michigan came through with a 5-1 win as Young allowed just one run on seven hits and delivered two RBI of her own with the bat. Junior centerfielder Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) led Michigan's offense in the win with two hits and two runs scored.
Young completed a 3-0 tour of the WCWS field in 2002 with a five-hit, complete-game shutout win over then-No. 22 Florida State at the Florida State Invitational in Tallahasse, Fla. Young K'd seven and did not allow a walk, and she went 2-3 at the plate to lead the Michigan attack. In three starts against the WCWS field, Young is 3-0 with a 0.30 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 23.0 innings pitched.
How Michigan Made It to Oklahoma City
For the second straight season the Wolverines received a No. 2 seed in an NCAA Regional and for the second straight season they upset the regional's top seed on their way to the WCWS. Last year it was a 3-2 victory over No. 1 seed Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., that put Michigan in the driver's seat on its way to an eventual NCAA Regional title with a 12-5 win over No. 3 seed South Florida. Similarly in 2002, the Wolverines upset No. 1 seed Washington 6-5 at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor to earn a berth in the regional championship game where they defeated No. 3 seed Ohio State 4-0.
Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) paced the 5-0 win over Canisius to open the tournament on Thursday (May 16) with her first career two-home run game, including her first career grand slam. Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) won her 16th straight decision in the 3-0 win over Ohio State on Friday (May 17) before Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS) drilled her second grand slam of the season to lead Michigan to a 6-5 win over Washington on Saturday (May 18). Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) cemented her NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player honor with a 2-3 day at the plate, including a double, triple and two runs scored in the 4-0 championship game win over Ohio State on Sunday (May 19).
Another 50
Michigan's 4-0 win over Ohio State on Sunday for the regional title was its 50th of the season, giving the Wolverines their sixth 50-win season all-time and sixth in the last eight years. Michigan's current winning percentage of .847 (50-9) is the second-best mark in school history behind the .889 (56-7) pace set by the 1998 Wolverines.
Three for Three
Michigan has won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles as well as the NCAA Regional crown in the same season for the fourth time in 2002. Michigan also turned that triple play in 1995, '96 and '98.
Grand Time
Stefanie Volpe set the Michigan RBI record for a single game with eight after becoming the first Michigan player to ever hit two grand slams in the same game -- at Northwestern on April 20. The Wolverines now have seven total grand slams this season, which is the most by any Michigan team in a single season. The 2002 Wolverines were tied for the school mark of three with the 2000 squad before Volpe's huge day. In addition, Volpe is now tied with Marissa Young for the career grand slams mark with three, and her two grand slams against Northwestern are the second time this season the Wolverines have hit two in the same day. Lisa Mack (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) and Melinda Moulden hit slams in games one and two, respectively, of a doubleheader sweep at Central Michigan on April 10.
Michigan's Grand Slam Home Runs
1. Jenny Allard vs. Minnesota (May 13, 1989) 2. Kelly Kovach vs. Indiana (April 1, 1995) 3. Sara Griffin vs. Marshall (March 7, 1997) 4. Catherine Davie vs. Penn State (April 15, 1997) 5. Karmen Lappo vs. South Carolina (March 7, 1999) 6. Rebecca Tune vs. Penn State (May 15, 1999) 7. Marissa Young vs. Auburn (Feb. 25, 2000) 8. Marissa Young vs. Florida State (March 18, 2000) 9. Stefanie Volpe vs. Kent (March 26, 2000) 10. Rebecca Tune vs. Sacramento State (Feb. 16, 2001) 11. Angie Churchill vs. Toledo (March 24, 2001) 12. MARISSA YOUNG vs. South Carolina (March 1, 2002) 13. LISA MACK vs. Central Michigan #1 (April 10, 2002) 14. MELINDA MOULDEN vs. Central Michigan #2 (April 10, 2002) 15. STEFANIE VOLPE vs. Northwestern (April 20, 2002) 16. STEFANIE VOLPE vs. Northwestern (April 20, 2002) 17. MONICA SCHOCK vs. Canisius (May 16, 2002) 18. MELINDA MOULDEN vs. Washington (May 18, 2002)
Regional Heroes
Five Wolverines were named to the NCAA Regional 6 All-Tournament team, led by the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, Kelsey Kollen, who hit a tournament-best .615 (8-13) with three doubles, a triple and four runs scored. Joining Kollen on the all-tournament team was Melinda Moulden (.444, 1 HR, 4 RBI), Monica Schock (.300, 2 HR, 6 RBI), Nicole Motycka (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 10.2 IP) and Marissa Young (2-0, 2.60 ERA, 29 SO, 5 BB).
Win Streak
Michigan enters the WCWS on a 16-game winning streak, including three Big Ten Tournament and four NCAA Regional 6 victories. Michigan's last loss came at Northwestern (3-2) on April 19. The 16-game win streak is one shy of matching the fourth-best streak (17) in school history that was set by both the 1997 and '98 Michigan teams. The school record of 22 straight wins was set by the 1993 Wolverines. During the 16-game win streak Michigan is hitting .330 as a team and has hit nearly half (18) of its school-record 37 home runs this season, while its pitching staff owns an ERA of 0.77. While the Michigan power numbers have gone up during the streak, the Wolverines have not sacrificed on-base percentage. Michigan's on-base percentage during that stretch is .397 and the Wolverines have struck out only 18 more times than they have walked (61-43). Senior third baseman Stefanie Volpe has paced the offense with a .421 batting average and an amazing 1.026 slugging mark in the last 16 games. Meanwhile, freshman hurler Nicole Motycka has a 0.32 ERA and a record of 7-0 in seven starts.
Kollen Near Milestone, Continues Record-Book Climb
As two-time All-America second baseman Kelsey Kollen prepares for her final week in a Michigan uniform, the co-captain is just two hits shy of becoming only the second Wolverine and 23rd player in NCAA Division I history to reach the 300-hit plateau. Kollen's 298 career hits are 23rd on the NCAA Division I career list and second on the Michigan all-time list behind the 345 collected by Traci Conrad (1996-99). Kollen also recently entered the NCAA Division I Top 20 in at-bats with 847, which is also second on the Michigan career list behind Conrad's 886. Finally, Kollen has accumulated 187 runs scored in her career to move into 26th on the NCAA's all-time list and second on the Wolverine list behind Conrad's 223.
The Offense Jells
Michigan's offense has really come on late in the season as evidenced by the fact the Wolverines have hit more than half (21) of their season home run total (37) in their last 19 games after hitting 16 in their first 40 contests. Michigan enters the WCWS hitting .310 as a team and sports six hitters in its starting lineup with averages over .300, led by Stefanie Volpe's .408. Volpe is followed by Monica Schock (.367), Kelsey Kollen (.365), Melinda Moulden (.341), Meghan Doe (.321) and Marissa Young (.307). Should Michigan finish the season over the .300 mark, it would be the eighth time in the last nine seasons that Michigan hit .300 as a team. Only the 2000 team finished under .300 at .274.
Using the Long Ball
Melinda Moulden's grand slam in the win over Washington upped Michigan's single-season school-record home run total to 37. The previous team mark for home runs in a season was 27 (1998). Melissa Gentile (1997-2000) was one of just five players to hit a home run in 1998 and she hit nearly half (13) of them. She was also one of only two players with more than three that season -- Catherine Davie (1996-99) hit five. Conversely, seven different Wolverines have enjoyed a trip around the bases this year and four have at least five. Volpe leads the way (11). Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS), Marissa Young and Kelsey Kollen each have five, followed by Melinda Moulden (four), Lisa Mack (three), Monica Schock (three) and Liz Elsner (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Canton HS) with one.
Don't Be Fooled
Just because the 2002 Wolverines are re-writing the record books in terms of power numbers does not mean Michigan has sacrificed its ability to get on base. The Wolverines have collected 168 walks this season, led by Stefanie Volpe's single-season Michigan record of 51. While the Maize and Blue has already set the school record for home runs, the Wolverines are just four walks shy of matching the school mark of 172 set in 1997.
Streak Snapped
In addition to having the best season of her career in nearly every offensive statistic, senior third baseman Stefanie Volpe also put together a string of 26 straight games in which she reached base from March 31 (vs. Ohio State-1) through May 16 (vs. Canisius). Volpe had hits in 21 of the those 26 games and reached base at least once in the other five contests either via a walk or being hit by a pitch. During the streak Volpe hit .462 with eight home runs and 29 RBI while upping her team-best season average to .424 from .388. She also slugged an amazing .892 during that stretch.
Getting Stronger
Rarely does a freshman in any sport get stronger as the season wears on, but Nicole Motycka won her 17th straight decision in the 4-0 regional championship win over Ohio State on Sunday to give her 22 wins on the season. Her 22 wins as a freshman are the most in Michigan history, surpassing Sara Griffin's (1995-98) 21 wins as a freshman in 1995. Motycka has not lost since dropping a 2-1 decision to Missouri on March 2. Motykca finished the regular season 6-0 with a 1.11 ERA against the Big Ten. Additionally, Motycka carries a scoreless innings streak of 23.2 into the WCWS and has not been scored on since the last inning of a 6-3 win over Eastern Michigan on May 2.
U-M's Single-Season Winning Percentage Leaders
| 1. | Theresa Gardocki (1979) | .929 (13-1) |
| 2. | Sara Griffin (1998) | .921 (35-3) |
| 3. | Nicole Motycka (2002) | .917 (22-2) |
| 4. | Jamie Gillies (1998) | .889 (16-2) |
| 5. | Sara Griffin (1997) | .882 (15-2) |
| | Julie Clark (1986) | .875 (7-1) |
| 7. | Kelly Forbis (1993) | .867 (26-4) |
| 8. | Marie Barda (1999) | .846 (22-4) |
| 9. | Sara Griffin (1996) | .833 (35-7) |
| 10. | Marissa Young (2000) | .818 (18-4) |
| | Kelly Kovach (1995) | .818 (18-4) |
So Long Seniors
Three Michigan seniors will be playing in their final games as Wolverines at the WCWS. Outfielder Mary Conner (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS), second baseman Kelsey Kollen and third baseman Stefanie Volpe make up the 2002 Michigan senior class, which enters the regional tournament with a record of 189-53-3 (.778). The 2002 senior class will end their careers as one of the most successful in Big Ten history, with two Women's College World Series berths (2001, '02), two NCAA Regional championships (2001, '02), three Big Ten regular-season championships (1999, 2001, '02) and two Big Ten Tournament titles (2000, '02) to their credit.
Triple Threat
Michigan entered the NCAA Championship on May 16 as the only team in the country ranked among the top 12 in the nation in batting average, ERA and fielding percentage. At the time, the Wolverines' .313 batting average was sixth, their 1.18 ERA was 12th and they ranked ninth in fielding (.971). Individually, Marissa Young was listed sixth in the country with 10.2 strikeouts per seven innings.
More Than Big Ten Pitcher of the Year
Although Marissa Young was rewarded for her record-setting season with Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors, she also put her bat to good use in the Wolverines' Big Ten Tournament title run. Young led Michigan with a .714 (5-7) average, including a two-RBI triple in the win over Penn State in addition to going 2-0 from the circle with a tournament ERA of 1.05.
Game Winners
Junior outfielder Melinda Moulden's three RBI in the Big Ten Tournament were one fewer than team-leader Stefanie Volpe's four, but it would be hard to argue that anybody came up with bigger RBI than the junior. Moulden drove in what would eventually be the game-winning run of Michigan's 4-3 win over Penn State on May 9 as well as the championship game-winner with a two-out single in the top of the first of Michigan's 2-1 win over Ohio State.
Doe Solidifies Top of the Order
Junior outfielder Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS), who replaced former All-America Melissa Taylor (1998-2001) in the No. 2 spot in the order, has quietly kept her average above .300 all season, including a .583 (7-12) final week of the regular season in which she led the Wolverines with five runs in two wins over both Eastern Michigan and Michigan State. After a 4-11 (.364) performance in four starts in the NCAA Regional, Doe now enters the WCWS with her average at .321. Doe matched a Michigan season best with a 10-game hit streak that was snapped with a 0-3 day at the plate in the NCAA Regional championship win over Ohio State on Sunday (May 19). Doe also came up with her first RBI of the season in her 186th at-bat to drive in the game-winning run of the Wolverines' 3-0 win over Ohio State on Friday (May 17).
Racking Up the Awards
The 2002 Big Ten regular-season champion Michigan softball team was awarded with four All-Big Ten first team and three All-Big Ten second-team selections. The Wolverine contingent was led by Marissa Young, who was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and was one of just two unanimous selections on the first team. Young is the sixth Michigan pitcher to earn that honor and first since Marie Barda in 1999. Young was joined on the first team by Kelsey Kollen at second base, Stefanie Volpe at third base and Monica Schock at catcher. Michigan was the only team with four first-team selections followed by Ohio State's three. The first-team selections for Volpe and Kollen are their third, while Young's distinction is her first after being named to the second team in each of her first two seasons. Schock's first-team selection is the first All-Big Ten selection of her career.
Big Ten Freshman of the Year Nicole Motycka headlined the Michigan second-team selections, which also included outfielder Meghan Doe and utility player Melinda Moulden. Motycka is the eighth Michigan player to earn Freshman of the Year and the first since Kollen in 1999. Kollen and Volpe are the seventh and eighth Michigan players to earn All-Big Ten first team on at least three occasions, which is the second-best total in Michigan history. Current Michigan assistant coach Bonnie Tholl (1988-91) is the only Wolverine to garner all conference first-team honors four times. The Wolverines' seven first- and second-team selections are the most in the conference, and Michigan was the only team with more than four honorees.
Another Milestone
Already the winningest coach Michigan Athletics history, Wolverine coach Carol Hutchins garnered her 750th career win at Michigan with the 2-1 triumph over Ohio State for the Big Ten Tournament title. Hutchins, who is 777-318-4 (.709) for her career, is now 754-307-4 (.710) in her 18th season at Michigan.
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Eight is Great
Michigan's 1-0 win over instate rival Michigan State on May 5 clinched the Wolverines' eighth Big Ten regular-season title in the last 11 years. The Wolverines have also finished as runner-up twice during that span.
Last 11 Big Ten Champions
| Year | Champion | Runner-up |
| 1992 | Michigan (22-6, .785) | Iowa (21-7, .750) |
| 1993 | Michigan (21-5, .808) | Iowa (20-7, .741) |
| 1994 | Indiana (23-5, .821) | Iowa (20-8, .714) |
| 1995 | Michigan (22-6, .786) | Northwestern (19-9, .679) |
| 1996 | Michigan (20-4, .833) | Minnesota (17-6, .739) |
| 1997 | Iowa (22-0, 1.000) | Michigan (18-4, .818) |
| 1998 | Michigan (22-1, .957) | Northwestern (15-9, .625) |
| 1999 | Michigan (21-3, .875) | Minnesota (16-8, .667) |
| 2000 | Iowa (14-4, .778) | Michigan (13-4, .765) |
| 2001 | Michigan (17-3, .850) | Iowa (16-4, .800) |
| 2002 | Michigan (15-3, .833) | Ohio State (16-4, .800) |
Automatic Bid
Michigan garnered the Big Ten Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Big Ten Tournament with a 2-1 win over Ohio State on May 11 in the championship game. Marissa Young tossed the complete-game victory for her second win of the tournament. She also beat Penn State 4-3 in Michigan's tournament-opening win on May 9. The Wolverines' title game vs. Ohio State was a rematch of the winner's bracket final on May 10, which the Wolverines won behind a three-hit, complete-game shutout by Nicole Motykca and a three-run home run off the bat of Stefanie Volpe. The conference tournament title is Michigan's sixth in nine tries.
Michigan's Big Ten Tournament History
Year Record (finish) Site 1982 2-2 (runner-up) Ann Arbor, Mich. 1995 3-0 (champion) Ann Arbor, Mich. 1996 3-0 (champion) Ann Arbor, Mich. 1997 3-0 (champion) Iowa City, Iowa 1998 4-1 (champion) Ann Arbor, Mich. 1999 2-2 (runner-up) Ann Arbor, Mich. 2000 3-1 (champion) Iowa City, Iowa 2001 2-1 (runner-up) Ann Arbor, Mich. 2002 3-0 (champion) Ann Arbor, Mich.
How Michigan Won the Big Ten
The Wolverines entered the final weekend of Big Ten action at 13-3 in the conference, one game behind league-leading Ohio State (15-3) with each team having two games remaining (Michigan lost two games of the Big Ten season to weather). The Wolverines earned a 1-0 win over Michigan State on May 4 at Alumni Field thanks to a three-hit, complete-game shutout and solo home run by Marissa Young. Ohio State's 1-0 loss to Penn State on Saturday meant the Wolverines controlled their own destiny heading up to Michigan State on May 5. Once again Young provided the only run of the game on an RBI single in the fifth and she earned her third save of the season, relieving winner Nicole Motycka in the 1-0 Wolverine win.
Final Big Ten Standings
1. MICHIGAN 15-3 .833 2. Ohio State 16-4 .800 3. Iowa 12-4 .647 4. Wisconsin 11-6 .600 5. Penn State 10-9 .526 Illinois 10-9 .526 Northwestern 10-9 .526 8. Minnesota 7-8 .467 9. Michigan State 4-15 .235 10. Purdue 3-14 .200 11. Indiana 0-17 .000
Queen of the K
Already on her way to shattering the Michigan single-season record for strikeouts, junior Marissa Young became the career leader in that category after striking out 10 in Michigan's 6-2 win over Purdue (April 28), surpassing the old mark (602) set by Sara Griffin (1995-98). Young, who now has 311 strikeouts this season and 660 for her career, already broke her own Michigan record (185) for strikeouts in a season earlier this year.
U-M's Career Strikeout Leaders (Pitching)
| 1. | Marissa Young (2000-present) | 660 |
| 2. | Sara Griffin (1995-98) | 602 |
| 3. | Kelly Kovach (1992-95) | 465 |
| 4. | Vicki Morrow (1984-87) | 446 |
| 5. | Marie Barda (1998-2001) | 377 |
| 6. | Kelly Holmes (1994-97) | 361 |
| 7. | Andrea Nelson (1988-91) | 285 |
| 8. | Michelle Bolster (1985-88) | 262 |
| 9. | Kelly Forbis (1990-93) | 214 |
| 10. | Jamie Gillies (1997-2000) | 161 |
U-M's Single-Season Strikeout Leaders (Pitching)
| 1. | Marissa Young (2002) | 311 |
| 2. | Marissa Young (2001) | 185 |
| 3. | Sara Griffin (1998) | 184 |
| | Sara Griffin (1996) | 184 |
| 5. | Jan Boyd (1983) | 168 |
| 6. | Marissa Young (2000) | 165 |
| 7. | Sara Griffin (1995) | 157 |
| 8. | Kelly Holmes (1997) | 152 |
| 9. | Vicki Morrow (1986) | 144 |
| 10. | Marie Barda (2001) | 143 |
| | Vicki Morrow (1987) | 143 |
No. 2 and Closing
Stefanie Volpe's home run against Ohio State on May 10 gave her 11 for the season, which moved her within two of the Michigan single-season record (13) set by Melissa Gentile (1997-2000) in 1998. Volpe, who only had nine home runs in her first three seasons combined, also moved into sole possession of second place on the Michigan career list with 20, surpassing Catherine Davie's (1996-99) mark. Gentile holds the career mark with 28.
U-M's Career Home Run Leaders
| 1. | Melissa Gentile (1997-2000) | 28 |
| 2. | Stefanie Volpe (1999-present) | 20 |
| 3. | Catherine Davie (1996-99) | 19 |
| 4. | Sara Griffin (1995-98) | 14 |
| 5. | Melinda Moulden (2000-present) | 11 |
| | Alicia Seegert (1984-87) | 11 |
| 7. | Marissa Young (2000-present) | 9 |
| 8. | Jessica Lang (1994-97) | 7 |
| | Pam Kosanke (1997-2000) | 7 |
| 10. | Kelly Kovach (1992-95) | 6 |
| | Mena Reyman (1982-85) | 6 |
| | Diane Hatch (1979-82) | 6 |
U-M's Single-Season Home Run Leaders
| 1. | Melissa Gentile (1998) | 13 |
| 2. | Stefanie Volpe (2002) | 11 |
| 3. | Catherine Davie (1999) | 8 |
| 4. | Melinda Moulden (2001) | 6 |
| | Catherine Davie (1997) | 6 |
| | Melissa Gentile (1997) | 6 |
| | Sara Griffin (1995) | 6 |
| 8. | Marissa Young (2002) | 5 |
| | Jessica Merchant (2002) | 5 |
| | Kelsey Kollen (2002) | 5 |
| | Stefanie Volpe (2000) | 5 |
| | Melissa Gentile (1999) | 5 |
| | Catherine Davie (1998) | 5 |
| | Kelly Kovach (1995) | 5 |
| | Alicia Seegert (1986) | 5 |
Freshman Influence
During Michigan's 3-0 week from April 22-28 that included a 3-1 win at Illinois and a 6-2, 6-0 doubleheader sweep over Purdue, freshman shortstop Jessica Merchant led the Wolverines with a .667 (6-9) batting average and drilled her fourth and fifth home runs of the season on her way to Big Ten Player of the Week recognition. She hit .429 (16-39) over her last 17 games of the regular season to bring her season average to .264 heading into the postseason. Her five home runs are tied for the second-best total on the team this season and are No. 3 all-time for a Michigan freshman.
13 and Counting
Michigan's two wins over 20th-ranked Ohio State and one win over sixth-ranked Washington at the NCAA Regional tournament are the Wolverines' 11th and 12th straight wins this season over a ranked opponent and ups the Maize and Blue's mark to 12-3 vs. the Top 25 in 2002.
U-M vs. Ranked Teams (10-3)
2/15 #19 Pacific L, 1-7 2/22 #24 Mississippi State L, 3-2 2/23 #11 Arizona State L, 4-6 2/23 #4 Oklahoma W, 1-0 2/24 #8 Arizona State W, 5-1 2/24 #11 Oregon State W, 3-2 3/1 #25 South Carolina W, 5-0 3/9 #22 Florida State W, 1-0 3/31 #25 Ohio State W, 5-4 3/31 #25 Ohio State W, 8-2 4/21 #21 Iowa W, 3-1 5/10 #20 Ohio State W, 5-0 5/11 #20 Ohio State W, 2-1 5/17 #20 Ohio State W, 3-0 5/18 #6 Washington W, 6-5 5/19 #20 Ohio State W, 4-0
USA Softball Recognizes Kollen
Michigan second baseman Kelsey Kollen, who was an NFCA All-America first-team selection as a junior, was pegged as one of 25 finalists for the inaugural USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. Kollen was the only representative of the Big Ten Conference among the 25 nominees.
Perfection
Junior hurler Marissa Young went 2-1 in three starts at the Campbell Cartier Classic in Michigan's opening weekend (Feb. 15-17) at Poway, Calif. Included in her two wins was the first perfect game of her career and third in Michigan history. Young set down all 18 batters she faced in Michigan's six-inning, 9-0 win over Utah State on Saturday (Feb. 16), striking out 14 and not allowing a ball out of the infield. Young, who tossed her first career no-hitter in a 1-0 win over South Florida on Feb. 29, 2000, is the sixth pitcher in Michigan history with more than one career no-hitter.
Michigan Perfect Games
| Date | Pitcher | Result (Site) |
| 3/26/93 | Kelly Forbis | U-M 8, Santa Clara 0 (Sunnyvale, Calif.) |
| 3/8/96 | Sara Griffin | U-M 6, Oklahoma 0 (Tucson, Ariz.) |
| 2/16/02 | Marissa Young | U-M 9, Utah State 0 (6) (Poway, Calif.) |
Big Ten Honors
Michigan had a string of six straight weeks in which the Wolverines won either the Big Ten Pitcher or Player of the Week honors snapped this week. From March 26 through April 30, the Wolverines earned one of those two conference weekly honors and twice won both in the same week. Marissa Young won a school-record five Big Ten weekly honors as a pitcher, while Nicole Motycka took home one honor for her work in the circle. Motycka was not alone on April 1 as Kelsey Kollen earned Player of the Week honors. Stefanie Volpe (April 22) and freshman Jessica Merchant (April 29) also earned Player of the Week honors, with Merchant and Young sweeping the April 29 awards.
U-M's 2002 Big Ten Player/Pitcher of the Week Honorees
| Date | Player Award | Pitcher Award |
| 2/18 | --- | Marissa Young |
| 3/25 | --- | Marissa Young |
| 4/1 | Kelsey Kollen (co-recipient) | Nicole Motycka |
| 4/8 | --- | Marissa Young |
| 4/15 | --- | Marissa Young |
| 4/22 | Stefanie Volpe | --- |
| 4/29 | Jessica Merchant | Marissa Young |
USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 (5/8/02)
Team Record Pts Prev 1. UCLA (23) 47-6 671 1 2. Arizona (4) 48-7 652 2 3. Louisiana State 49-9 621 3 4. Arizona State 40-15 582 4 5. California 45-19 534 5 6. Washington 41-16 524 6 7. Nebraska 45-12 496 7 8. Stanford 40-16 484 8 9. Cal State-Fullerton 47-11 464 9 10. Texas 48-11 433 13 11. MICHIGAN 43-9 419 11 12. Florida Atlantic 55-9 386 10 13. Oklahoma 45-14 363 12 14. Fresno State 48-17 291 14 15. Oregon State 38-20 277 16 16. DePaul 43-9 256 18 17. Pacific 40-14 245 17 18. Alabama 44-17 237 15 19. Louisiana-Lafayette 46-11 192 20 20. Ohio State 51-10 187 19 21. Florida State 47-14 134 21 22. Iowa 35-16 116 22 23 Texas A&M 38-16 79 24 24. Baylor 46-18 45 23 25. Georgia 53-13 27 25
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
