Weekly Release #15
5/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NCAA Women's College World Series
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City, Okla. (All times CDT)
Thursday, May 27
Game 1 -- No. 3 seed LSU vs. No. 6 seed Michigan, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Game 2 -- No. 2 seed UCLA vs. No. 7 seed Stanford, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 3 -- No. 8 seed Washington vs. No. 1 seed Oklahoma, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 4 -- No. 4 seed Florida State vs. No. 5 seed California, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Friday, May 28
Game 5 -- Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 6 --- Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday, May 29
Game 7 -- Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 11 a.m. (ESPN)
Game 8 -- Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 9 -- Game 7 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 10 -- Game 8 winner vs. Game 5 loser, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Sunday, May 30
Game 11 -- Game 5 winner vs. Game 9 winner, noon (ESPN)
Game 12 -- Game 6 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 13 (if necessary) -- Game 11 winner vs. Game 11 loser, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 14 (if necessary) -- Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser, 5 or 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2-delay)
Monday, May 31
Game 15 -- Game 12 or 14 winner vs. Game 11 or Game 13 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
First Pitch
The sixth-ranked University of Michigan softball team will be making its seventh Women's College World Series appearance in 10 seasons this weekend (May 27-31) at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla., after winning the NCAA Region 6 championship with a 5-1 win over 20th-ranked Oregon State on Monday (May 24). The Wolverines face No. 3-ranked LSU in opening round action on Thursday (May 27, 11 a.m. CDT) with the winner facing the winner of the matchup between No. 5-ranked UCLA and No. 8-ranked Stanford on Friday (May 28, 2 p.m. CDT). The bottom half of the bracket includes No. 2 California, No. 4 Florida State, No. 7 Washington and No. 21 Oklahoma. Michigan, which is the tournament's No. 6 seed is one of just five schools along with Arizona, California, UCLA and Washington to reach seven of the last 10 WCWS. Michigan has reached the WCWS in 1995-98, 2001-02 and '04.
The Opponent
No. 3 seed LSU (54-10): LSU advanced to the WCWS after winning the NCAA Region 3 championship with a 4-1 win over Illinois in Waco, Texas.
Series vs. U-M: Michigan leads, 3-0
Series vs. U-M at WCWS: never played
| Date | Result | Site |
| 2/21/98 | W, 3-2 | N/SDSU Campbell-Cartier Classic/Poway, Calif. |
| 3/3/00 | W, 3-0 | N/NFCA Leadoff Classic/Columbus, Ga. |
| 2/25/01 | W, 3-1 (8) | N/NFCA Leadoff Classic/Columbus, Ga. |
The Field
No. 2 seed UCLA (43-9): UCLA advanced to the WCWS after beating Alabama 7-0 in the NCAA Region 2 championship.
Series vs. U-M: UCLA leads, 7-2-1
Series vs. U-M at WCWS: UCLA leads, 2-0
| Date | Result | Site |
| 2/23/84 | L, 2-0 | California trip |
| 2/23/84 | L, 7-1 | California trip |
| 3/25/87 | L, 10-2 | A |
| 3/25/87 | L, 4-0 | A |
| 3/4/95 | W, 5-4 (8) | A/UCLA Easton-Reebok Invitational |
| 5/23/96 | L, 2-0 | N/NCAA World Series/Columbus, Ga. |
| 5/24/97 | L, 7-3 | N/NCAA World Series/Oklahoma City, Okla. |
| 2/20/98 | W, 3-1 | N/SDSU Campbell-Cartier Classic/Poway, Calif. |
| 2/18/00 | T, 4-4 (6) | N/SDSU Campbell-Cartier Classic/Poway, Calif. |
| 2/15/04 | L, 0-3 | N/UNLV Invitational/Las Vegas, Nev. |
No. 4 seed Florida State (61-10): Florida State advanced to the WCWS with a 2-0 win over Oregon to win the NCAA Region 4 championship in Tallahassee, Fla.
Series vs. U-M: Michigan leads, 9-2
Series vs. U-M at WCWS: never played
| Date | Result | Site |
| 3/4/90 | L, 0-1 | A |
| 3/4/90 | W, 3-2 (9) | A |
| 3/17/95 | W, 2-1 (8) | A/Lady Seminole Invitational/Tallahassee, Fla. |
| 3/19/95 | W, 5-0 | A/Lady Seminole Invitational/Tallahassee, Fla. |
| 3/17/96 | W, 6-1 | A/Lady Seminole Invitational/Tallahassee, Fla. |
| 3/5/99 | W, 5-0 | N/Speedline Invitational/Tampa, Fla. |
| 3/18/00 | W, 6-1 | A/Tallahassee Democrat FSU Invitational/Tallahassee, Fla. |
| 3/9/02 | W, 1-0 | A/Florida State Invitational/Tallahassee, Fla. |
| 3/14/04 | L, 0-1 | A/Florida State Invitational/Tallahassee, Fla. |
No. 5 seed California (50-11): California advanced to the WCWS after defeating Nebraska 2-0 to win the NCAA Region 5 championship in Lincoln, Neb.
Series vs. U-M: California leads, 7-0
Series vs. U-M at WCWS: California leads, 1-0
| Date | Result | Site |
| 3/5/87 | L, 3-4 | N/New Mexico Tournament/Albuquerque, N.M. |
| 3/24/90 | L, 1-5 | N/Bud Light Invitational/Sunnyvale, Calif. |
| 3/27/92 | L, 4-5 | N/National Invitational Softball Trn./Sunnyvale, Calif. |
| 3/26/94 | L, 3-5 (8) | N/Cellular One Capital Classic/Sacramento, Calif. |
| 5/26/01 | L, 2-5 | N/Women's College World Series/Oklahoma City, Okla. |
| 5/16/03 | L, 0-9 (5) | H/NCAA Region 7 Championship/Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| 5/18/03 | L, 0-1 | H/NCAA Region 7 Championship/Ann Arbor, Mich. |
No. 7 seed Stanford (47-17): Stanford advanced to the WCWS with a 3-1 win over Hofstra to win the NCAA Region 7 championship.
Series vs. U-M: Michigan leads, 3-2
Series vs. U-M at WCWS: never played
| Date | Result | Site |
| 2/22/97 | W, 6-1 | N/San Diego State C/C Classic/Poway, Calif. |
| 2/17/00 | W, 2-0 (8) | N/Campbell/Cartier Classic/Poway, Calif. |
| 5/19/00 | W, 5-4 | H/NCAA Regional 8/Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| 2/15/01 | L, 1-2 | N/Poway, Calif. |
| 2/16/01 | L, 0-2 | N/Campbell-Cartier Classic/Poway, Calif. |
No. 8 seed Washington (40-17): Washington advanced to the WCWS with a 3-1 win over Georgia to win the NCAA Region 8 championship.
Series vs. U-M: Washington leads, 5-4
Series vs. U-M at WCWS: never played
| Date | Result | Site |
| 2/25/93 | W, 7-0 | N/Arizona State Classic/Tempe, Ariz. |
| 2/26/93 | L, 4-0 | N/Arizona State Classic/Tempe, Ariz. |
| 2/24/94 | L, 1-0 | N/Arizona State Classic/Tempe, Ariz. |
| 2/25/94 | W, 1-0 | N/Arizona State Classic/Tempe, Ariz. |
| 2/23/95 | W, 4-1 | N/Arizona State Classic/Tempe, Ariz. |
| 2/19/99 | L, 0-8 (6) | N/Louisville Slugger Classic/Gainesville, Fla. |
| 2/19/99 | L, 3-6 | N/Louisville Slugger Classic/Gainesville, Fla. |
| 5/18/02 | W, 6-5 | H/NCAA Region 6 Championship/Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| 2/21/03 | L, 5-3 | N/NFCA Leadoff Classic/Columbus, Ga. |
WCWS History
One of just five schools to appear in seven of the last 10 WCWS, the Wolverines are 2-12 all-time with their best finishes coming when the Wolverines tied for fifth in 1997 and '98. The Wolverines tied for seventh in 1995, '96, 2001 and '03.
U-M's Year-by-Year WCWS Record
| Year | Record | Place |
| 1995 | 0-2 | t-7th |
| 1996 | 0-2 | t-7th |
| 1997 | 1-2 | t-5th |
| 1998 | 1-2 | t-5th |
| 2001 | 0-2 | t-7th |
| 2002 | 0-2 | t-7th |
2002 WCWS, Michigan's Last Trip
The Wolverines last trip to the WCWS came in 2002 when Michigan came out of NCAA Region 6 as the No. 2 seed, gaining a win over No. 1 seed Washington (6-5) and then No. 3 seed Ohio State (4-0) in the championship game. Michigan entered the WCWS as the Tournament's No. 6 seed and held a 1-0 lead over No. 3 seed Arizona State behind five innings of shutout ball from Marissa Young (2000-03) as well as an RBI single from Young. The Sun Devils, however, pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth for the 2-1 victory. Two days later, the Wolverines faced No. 7 seed Nebraska and then-freshman Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) allowed just one run on five hits over 6.0 innings in her only other WCWS appearance. That one run, however, was the difference as Michigan hitters were to just one hit in a 1-0 loss.
Michigan Experience at the WCWS
Michigan's senior class is making its third trip to the WCWS and catcher Monica Schock (Rialto, Calif./Eisenhower HS) has the most extensive series experience as an everyday Michigan starter in 2001 as a freshman and in 2002 as a sophomore. Schock started both games at designated player as a freshman in 2001 and then started both games in 2002 behind the plate. Fifth-year senior centerfielder Meghan Doe (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino HS) started both games at centerfield in 2002, including a 1-3 effort against Arizona State while scoring the only run of the game for the Wolverines. The only other Michigan senior to see action at the WCWS is rightfielder Courtney Betley (Corona, Mich./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS), who started at leftfield in the 2-1 loss to Arizona State in 2002.
Against the Field
Michigan is 2-1 this season against the WCWS field, dropping its only decision of the season then No. 1 UCLA (3-0) on Feb. 15 at the UNLV Invitational. The Wolverines also dropped a 1-0 decision against then-No. 5 Florida State on March 14 at the FSU Invitational. Michigan, however, did return the favor against the Seminoles with a doubleheader sweep (2-1; 1-0) on May 8 in Ann Arbor. It was the first time the Seminoles had been swept in 58 doubleheaders dating back to the 2000 season.
50-Plus
Michigan's doubleheader sweep over No. 2-ranked Florida State on May 8 gave the Maize and Blue their 50th win of the season. Michigan, which is 54-11 (.831) overall, has won 50-plus games in seven of the last 10 seasons (1995-99, 2002, '04) and has earned a berth to the Women's College World Series in six (1995-98, 2002, '04) of their first seven 50-win seasons. Michigan's 54 wins this season is the second-most in the history of the program and is two victories shy of matching the school-record for wins in a season (56), which was accomplished in 1997 and '98.
Michigan's 50-Win Seasons
| 1995 | 50-12 | .806 | WCWS-7th |
| 1996 | 51-14 | .785 | WCWS-7th |
| 1997 | 56-16-1 | .767 | WCWS-5th |
| 1998 | 56-7 | .889 | WCWS-5th |
| 1999 | 51-13-1 | .792 | NCAA Regional-5th |
| 2002 | 50-11 | .820 | WCWS-7th |
| 2004 | 54-11 | .831 | NCAA Region 6 champion |
Ranked Opposition
The sixth-ranked Wolverines upped their record this season against ranked teams to 7-6 after beating No. 20 Oregon State 5-1 in the championship game of the NCAA Region 6.
Michigan vs. Ranked Teams in 2004
| Feb. 13 | vs. #23 Oregon State | W, 2-0 |
| Feb. 14 | vs. #8 Nebraska | L, 4-5 |
| Feb. 15 | vs. #1 UCLA | L, 0-3 |
| Feb. 27 | vs. #14 Nebraska | W, 5-1 |
| Feb. 28 | vs. #20 South Carolina | L, 1-2 |
| Feb. 28 | vs. #5 Oklahoma | L, 0-4 |
| March 14 | at #5 Florida State | L, 0-1 |
| May 8 | vs. #2 Florida State | W, 2-1 |
| May 8 | vs. #2 Florida State | W, 1-0 |
| May 22 | vs. #24 Notre Dame | W, 1-0 |
| May 22 | vs. #20 Oregon State | W, 3-2 |
| May 23 | vs. #20 Oregon State | L, 0-1 |
| May 24 | vs. #20 Oregon State | W, 5-1 |
Top-25 Killer
Michigan is 7-6 this season against ranked teams and starter Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) has been especially impressive against the nation's top teams, sporting a 4-4 mark with a 0.74 ERA. The sophomore 24-game winner has 81 strikeouts in just 56.2 innings of work against ranked teams this season, including a 13-strikeout performance in a complete-game 1-0 loss to No. 20 South Carolina. Michigan's top hitter this season against ranked teams has been NCAA Region 6 MVP Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS), who is hitting .316 with a home run.
Perfect Leadoff
Sophomore leadoff hitter Tiffany Haas earned NCAA Region 6 MVP honors after hitting .533 (8-15) with two game-winning home runs, six RBI and three runs scored. Haas is having a breakout season in her sophomore campaign and has reached base in 17 straight games and in 30 of her last 31 while hitting safely in 24 of those last 31 contests. She leads the Wolverines this season in average (.350), hits (71) and walks (29).
Heart of the Order
Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS), who has hit in the No. 3, 4 and 5 spots in the lineup this season, filled the role as cleanup hitter since first baseman and usual cleanup hitter Jennifer Olds (North Palm Beach, Fla./Suncoast HS) went down with an injury against Michigan State on April 30. The All-Big Ten first-team shortstop hit a single-season, school-record 15 home runs this season and leads the team with 48 RBI and a .728 slugging percentage. She has evolved into a legitimate All-America candidate and may end up being the best shortstop the Michigan program has seen. She entered regional action ranked 17th in the nation with a .767 slugging mark.
Experience at No. 2
Meghan Doe has been a part of five Michigan teams after redshirting early in her freshman season with an injury. The Wolverines have won 236 games in Doe's five seasons as part of the Michigan program and the fifth-year senior co-captain will see action in her third WCWS on Thursday against LSU. Doe connected for two hits, including her second career triple, and matched a career-best with two RBI in the NCAA Region 6 championship win over Oregon State on Monday (May 24). She has been one of Michigan's most consistent hitters all season and is tied with Tiffany Haas for the team-lead in multi-hit games with 19.
20-Plus for Motycka
Nicole Motycka's win over Florida State on May 8 gave the junior her 20th win of the season and made her just the fourth pitcher in Michigan history to win at least 20 games in two different seasons. Motycka won 22 games as a freshman in 2002 and now owns a career record of 61-17 (.782), which is the fifth-best winning percentage in school history. The other Michigan hurlers to turn that trick include All-Americans Marissa Young (2000-2003) and Sara Griffin (1995-98) along with Marie Barda (1998-2001). Young and Griffin each won 20-plus games on three occasions with Young pulling it off in 2001-03 and Griffin doing so in 1995, '96 & '98. Barda reached the 20-win plateau in 1999 and 2001.
Double Trouble
Nicole Motycka and Jennie Ritter have proven to be one of the top starting tandems in the nation this season and have picked up where All-American Marissa Young left off a year ago. For just the third time in the history of the program, but the third time in the last four seasons, Michigan has two pitchers with at least 20 wins. Young (21) and Marie Barda (20) in 2001 reached the 20-win mark while Motycka (22) joined Young (27) in 2002.
Blanked
Nicole Motycka and Jennie Ritter combined for a 1-0 shutout over 24th-ranked Notre Dame in NCAA Regional action on May 22 for the team's school-record 27th shutout of the season. The old record of 24 was set by the 1996 and 1987 Michigan teams.
Hot Corner
Much of Michigan's run production earlier this season was being provided by Jessica Merchant and Jennifer Olds, who rank first and fourth in the Big Ten in home runs with 15 and nine, respectively. However, those two power sources have combined to miss all or parts of 15 games since April 18 with injuries. In their stead, sophomore third baseman Grace Leutele has been the hottest stick in the lineup and finished the regular season with a team-best .391 batting average along with a .674 slugging percentage in conference games. Leutele had a career-best seven hitting streak snapped in the first game against Florida State on May 8, but has hit safely in 19 of 25 since returning from a hamstring injury on April 14. In the 25 games since the injury, Leutele is hitting .348 with two home runs, three doubles and 13 RBI.
Utility
With the Wolverines losing Jessica Merchant, Jennifer Olds and Grace Leutele to injuries for a total of 19 games this season, the versatility of senior co-captain Angie Churchill (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS) has been vital to the Wolverines' success. The senior co-captain has started a career-best 34 games this season, including eight at first base, six at shortstop, 17 at third base and three at designated player. She has fielded at a .987 rate and drove in the only run of the 1-0 game-two win over No. 2 Florida State on May 8.
Balance
Michigan's used the same formula to win its ninth Big Ten title in 13 seasons and that is to be balanced in all three phases of the game. Michigan closed the regular season as the only team in the Big Ten ranked among the top two in all three categories. The Wolverines led the Big Ten in pitching (0.88 ERA) and were second in fielding (.974) and hitting (.289 BA) during the regular season.
NCAA Region 6 Champs
Michigan grabbed its seventh NCAA regional championship on Monday with a 5-2 win over Oregon State to finish the tournament with a 4-1 record. Michigan won its opener 6-3 thanks to a three-run home run off the bat of Tiffany Haas and then grabbed a tough 1-0 win over No. 24 Notre Dame to move into the winner's bracket finals against No. 20-ranked Oregon State. Trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning, Haas struck again for a three-run home run to give the Wolverines an eventual 3-2 win. Michigan moved on to the championship game where they needed to be defeated twice by the same Oregon State. In a classic pitcher's duel, Jennie Ritter allowed just one hit and had set down 16 straight Beavers before giving up a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to force a second championship game. OSU grabbed an early 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the top of the first, but Nicole Motycka came out of the bullpen to strikeout eight in 6.1 innings of work and held OSU at bay while the Wolverine bats came alive.
Big Ten Champs
Michigan earned its ninth Big Ten outright title in 13 years on May 2 when the Wolverines pulled out a 7-3 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader split with Northwestern. Tiffany Haas provided the heroics with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth for the conference title. The Wolverines' 17-3 mark to conclude the Big Ten campaign is identical to its record following the 2001 season, which ended with the Maize and Blue making a trip to the Women's College World Series. A Big Ten regular-season title has been a prelude to an appearance in the WCWS in 1995, '96, '98, 2001 and 2002 for the Wolverines.
| Year | Champion | Record | Runner-up | Record |
| 1992 | Michigan | 22-6 (.785) | Iowa | 21-7 (.750) |
| 1993 | Michigan | 21-5 (.808) | Iowa | 20-7 (.741) |
| 1995 | Michigan | 22-6 (.786) | Northwestern | 19-9 (.679) |
| 1996 | Michigan | 20-4 (.833) | Minnesota | 17-6 (.739) |
| 1998 | Michigan | 22-1 (.957) | Northwestern | 15-9 (.625) |
| 1999 | Michigan | 21-3 (.875) | Minnesota | 16-8 (.667) |
| 2001 | Michigan | 17-3 (.850) | Iowa | 16-4 (.800) |
| 2002 | Michigan | 15-3 (.833) | Ohio State | 16-4 (.800) |
| 2004 | Michigan | 17-3 (.850) | Illinois | 14-6 (.700) |
Big Ten Honors
After concluding one of the most successful regular seasons in the program's 27-year history, the individual accolades are beginning to roll in for the sixth-ranked Michigan softball team. The Wolverines (50-9), who recently claimed their ninth Big Ten Conference regular-season title in 13 seasons, swept the Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Year honors with shortstop Jessica Merchant and ace Nicole Motycka earning the distinctions, respectively. Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins also collected Big Ten Coach of the Year recognition for the eighth time in her career after guiding the Wolverines to their sixth 50-win season. Merchant and Motycka, both juniors, headlined a five-member group of Wolverines tabbed to the All-Big Ten first team. The others are sophomore second baseman Tiffany Haas, sophomore third baseman Grace Leutele and senior catcher Monica Schock. Senior first baseman Jennifer Olds hauled in second-team honors, while sophomore pitcher Jennie Ritter was selected to the third team.
Record/Milestone Watch
Meghan Doe is sixth all-time at Michigan with 733 career at-bats and is six shy of matching Catherine Davie (1994-97) for fifth on the all-time list.
Meghan Doe is tied for sixth on the Michigan career list for games played with 247 and is two shy of matching Kellyn Tate (1995-98) for fifth with 249 games played. Rebecca Tune is fourth with 250.
Meghan Doe is seventh on the Michigan career list for games started with 237 and is two shy of matching former All-American Melissa Taylor (1998-2001) for sixth on the list with 239.
Meghan Doe's 2-3 performance against Oregon State on Monday gives her 225 career hits, which leaves her just two safeties shy of moving into a tie with Jenny Allard (1987-90) and Tracy Carr (1993-96) for 10th on the career list.
Meghan Doe has 55 career stolen bases which ranks fourth on the Michigan all-time list. She is one shy of matching Kelsey Kollen (1999-2002) for third. Her 21 steals this season is the third-best single-season total in school history and is one shy of matching Melissa Taylor (1998-2001) for second.
Jessica Merchant is eight RBI shy of becoming the 13th player in school history with 100 for her career.
Nicole Motycka has 355 career strikeouts and is six shy of matching Kelly Holmes (1994-97) for sixth on the career list.
Jessica Merchant has 48 RBI this season and is one shy of matching Sara Griffin for fifth place on the all-time single-season list.
Season Highlights
Michigan concluded the regular season and heads into the postseason on a high note after sweeping second-ranked Florida State (2-1, 1-0) on Saturday in Ann Arbor. Nicole Motycka and Jennie Ritter were on top of their games in the circle and Angie Churchill went 3-5 while driving in the only run of game two.
The Michigan pitching staff continues to put together one of the best single-season performances in school history with its record-breaking 25th shutout of the year against Wisconsin on April 25. The previous mark (24) was set by the 1996 staff in 65 games, while this year's staff broke the record in its 51st game. Nicole Motycka and Jennie Ritter have tossed eight complete-game shutouts apiece while freshman Lorilyn Wilson (Sprague, Ore./Salem HS) has chipped in with five.
Jennie Ritter's five K's out of the bullpen against Michigan State on May 13 at the Big Ten tournament made her just the eighth pitcher in school history with 300 career strikeouts. Her 10 strikeouts against Oregon State on May 23 gave her 265 for the season, which is the second-best single-season total in school history, surpassing Marissa Young's 259 K's last season. Young holds the school record with 319 in 2002.
Jessica Merchant etched her name in the Michigan record book with a solo home run against Eastern Michigan on April 14 for her school-record 14th long ball of the season. Merchant surpassed the mark (13) shared by former Michigan All-Americans Melissa Gentile (1997-2000) and Marissa Young. In the process Merchant moved into second place on the Michigan list with 24 dingers and now sits just four home runs away from tying Gentile for the Michigan career mark.
The Wolverine pitching staff tossed eight straight shutouts from April 4 through April 14 and in the process threw 59.2 consecutive scoreless innings, which spanned over 10 games.
Nicole Motycka set a Michigan record with three home runs in a 9-0 win over Purdue on April 4. Grace Leutele added two long balls and Merchant connected once as the Wolverines set a school record with six for the game.
Jessica Merchant went 3-5 with three home runs and nine RBI, including her second career grand slam in a doubleheader sweep over Bowling Green on March 25.
Jennie Ritter has won three Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors this season (Feb. 20, March 9, March 16).
Jessica Merchant has garnered three Big Ten Player of the Week honors (Feb. 26, March 30, April 20) while Tiffany Haas has been honored twice (March 16, May 3).
Twice this season Michigan has swept both the Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Week honors -- Jennifer Olds and Jennie Ritter on Feb. 20 and Tiffany Haas and Jennie Ritter on March 16.
Jennie Ritter became just the 12th hurler in Michigan history to register a no-hitter. Ritter faced only one over the minimum, struck out nine and walked none in a 3-0 win over Notre Dame at the Florida State Invitational on March 12. She carried a perfect game into the seventh before hitting a batter with one out for the Irish's only baserunner in the game. It was the 20th no-hitter in Michigan history and the first since Marissa Young (2000-03) tossed a perfect game vs. Utah State on Feb. 16, 2002.
Jessica Merchant earned tournament MVP recognition at the Florida Atlantic Invitational (Feb. 22) after hitting .438 (7-16) for the tournament with three home runs and a 1.125 slugging percentage and leading the Wolverines to the title with a 4-3 win over host FAU in the championship game.
Meghan Doe drilled a two-out, bases-loaded double in the eighth to beat then-No. 14 Nebraska 4-1 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Feb. 27. The Wolverines went 3-0 to win Pool A and reach the Gold Bracket Playoffs.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
