Consensus No. 1: Michigan Atop NFCA/USA Today Poll

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Already the top team in the nation according to the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25, the University of Michigan softball team today (Wednesday, March 23) became just the seventh program voted No. 1 by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association/USA Today poll in its 11-year history. The Wolverines (27-1) have won a school-record 27 straight games after dropping their season opener to then-No. 17 Baylor (7-6) on Feb. 11.

Hutchins has led Michigan to 10 straight 40-win seasons.

The Maize and Blue had climbed as high as No. 5 a week ago but made everybody in the nation take notice after claiming the Kia Klassic championship in Fullerton, Calif. En route to the Klassic title, Michigan went 6-0 with three wins over ranked teams, including a 6-2 win over previously No. 1 Arizona in the championship game. The program's first-ever win over a top-ranked team upped Michigan's record vs. ranked teams this season to 8-1.

The Wolverines are the first non-West Coast school to earn a No. 1 ranking midseason. The only other non-West Coast school ranked No. 1 by the NFCA/USA Today poll was Oklahoma in the final poll of the season following its 2000 national championship. The only other programs to reside as the nation's No. 1 team are Arizona, UCLA, California, Washington and Fresno State.

Previously, Michigan's highest national ranking according to the NFCA/USA Today poll was in 1998. After earning the No. 4 spot in the preseason poll that season, Michigan moved up to No. 2 on March 4, 1998, and remained there through the final regular-season poll on May 6, 1998.

The 1998 Wolverines won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament championships as well as the NCAA Regional crown. Michigan then advanced to its fourth straight Women's College World Series and finished tied for fifth, which remains the program's best WCWS finish.

The Wolverines return to the diamond and put their No. 1 ranking on the line for the first time this weekend (March 25-26) at the Courtyard By Marriott Louisville Classic in Louisville, Ky. Michigan opens the tournament vs. Western Kentucky on Friday (March 25, 4 p.m.).

NFCA/USA Today Top 25 (3/23/05)

 Rank, School Record Points Prev 1. MICHIGAN (15) 27-1 605 5 2. Arizona (9) 24-2 602 1 3. California (1) 23-3 563 2 4. Tennessee 34-4 534 6 5. Stanford 19-3 506 3 6. Texas 23-4 493 11 7. Oklahoma 31-5 474 8 UCLA 18-6 474 10 9. Baylor 29-3 408 10 10. Alabama 31-6 391 9 11. Louisiana-Lafayette 22-5 368 7 12. Texas A&M 28-2 357 12 13. Georgia 25-7 356 13 14. Missouri 26-2 238 19 15. Florida 24-6 235 16 16. Oregon State 16-6 200 17 Washington 16-9 200 14 18. Nebraska 20-8 178 18 19. Arizona State 25-7 168 21 20. Northwestern 15-6 157 23 21. Georgia Tech 28-7 156 20 22. Lousiana State 17-8 148 15 23. Fresno State 18-7 102 24 24. Florida State 20-12 53 22 25. Auburn 29-7 38 25

Michigan Earns Program's First No. 1 National Ranking (3/22/05)

Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423

University of Michigan Athletics

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