Weekly Release #8
4/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, April 15 -- at Purdue, 3 p.m., EST/CDT
Saturday, April 16 -- at Purdue, noon EST/CDT
Sunday, April 17 -- at Indiana (DH), noon EST/CDT
Tuesday, April 19 -- vs. Eastern Michigan, 4 p.m.
Friday, April 22 -- vs. Penn State, 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 23 -- vs. Penn State, noon
Sunday, April 24 -- vs. Ohio State (DH), noon
2005 RECORDS
Overall: 40-3 (.930)
Big Ten: 7-1 (.875)
Home: 3-1 / Away: 16-1 /Ntrl: 21-1
USA Today/NFCA Rank: No. 1 (April 6)
USA Softball/ESPN.com Rank: No. 1 (April 5)
HEAD COACH
Carol Hutchins (Michigan State, 1979)
Head Coach Records --
All (22nd year): 915-352-4, .720
U-M (21st year): 892-341-4, .721
Big Ten (20th year): 349-125 .729
First Pitch
The No. 1-ranked Michigan softball team closes out a stretch of 10 straight road games this weekend with its final four road games of the Big Ten slate. Michigan (40-3, 7-1 Big Ten) opens the weekend with a two-game series at Purdue (28-13, 5-1 Big Ten), who is in third place in the Big Ten, one game behind the second-place Wolverines. Michigan and Purdue face off in single games in West Lafayette, Ind. on Friday (April 15, 3 p.m. CDT) and Saturday (April 16, noon CDT). The Maize and Blue then closes out the weekend with a doubleheader at Indiana (12-27, 2-4 Big Ten) on Sunday (April 17, noon CDT). Despite holding down the nation's No. 1 ranking for three straight weeks, the Wolverines remain a game out of first place in the Big Ten behind Northwestern (26-9, 8-0 Big Ten).
Opponents
Purdue (28-13, 5-1 Big Ten): Purdue has won 15 of its last 17, including a doubleheader sweep over Illinois its last time out on Sunday ... the Boilermakers are hitting .275 as a team and are led by second baseman Andrea Hillsey, who is hitting .400 with six home runs and 23 RBI ... Hillsey has walked 27 times this season and has been struck out just four times ... Diana LaRiva is the staff ace with a record of 9-2 with a 1.57 ERA to go with 109 strikeouts against just 19 walks ... Purdue leads the Big Ten with a .977 fielding percentage ... Purdue on the Internet: www.purduesports.com
Series: U-M leads, 23-1
Indiana (12-27, 2-4 Big Ten): Indiana has lost six of its last eight, but did sweep a two-game series at Illinois last Friday and Saturday ... the Hoosiers are hitting just .225, but Tory Yamaguchi is hitting .286 with six home runs ... Megan Roark is Indiana's ace and is 9-14, but sports a solid 2.45 ERA with 182 strikeouts in 180 innings of work ... Roark has started 25 of Indiana's 39 games this season ... Indiana on the Internet: www.iuhoosiers.com
Series: U-M leads, 54-26
Still No. 1
The Maize and Blue remained the nation's No. 1-ranked team for the third straight last week in both of the major collegiate softball polls. The Wolverines owned 21 of the 25 first-place votes in the USA Today/NFCA poll as well as 15 of the 20 first-place votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. Michigan has been the nation's No. 1 team in both polls since earning the distinction for the first time in the program's history on March 22.
Michigan-Purdue Series
The Wolverines have won 14 straight in the series with Purdue and own a 23-1 advantage all-time vs. the Boilermakers. Michigan swept a doubleheader from Purdue last season in West Lafayette, Ind., with Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) playing the leading role. Motycka hit a school-record three home runs and the Wolverines hit a total of six in a 9-0 game-one victory. Motycka then took the ball as the starter in game two and threw a complete-shutout in a 2-0 Michigan win. Michigan has not lost to Purdue since April 8, 1997, when it dropped a 3-1 decision on Purdue's home field.
Familiar Face
Purdue is coached by former Michigan assistant coach Carol Bruggerman, who was an assistant for Wolverine head coach Carol Hutchins from 1989-93. Bruggerman was instrumental in the building of the Wolverine program as Michigan won its first two Big Ten titles and made its first two trips to the NCAA Tournament in Bruggerman's last two seasons (1992-93) in Ann Arbor.
Michigan-Indiana
The Wolverines have won 22 straight vs. Indiana, including a sweep of a two-game set last season. Michigan earned wins of 3-2 and 4-1 in Bloomington, Ind., with Nicole Motycka earning a save in the first game and a complete-game victory in the second. The Wolverines last loss to Indiana was a 2-1 decision on April 20, 1996 on Indiana's home field. Michigan's last 10 wins over Indiana have included three shutouts and three wins via the run rule. Michigan has outscored the Hoosiers 59-13 in the last 10 meetings between the schools.
Old Rivals
Michigan and Indiana are two of the oldest softball rivals in the Big Ten. The Wolverines own a 54-26 all-time series advantage, with the 54 wins being the fifth-most Michigan has recorded vs. any opponent. Michigan's top-five series win totals:
Ohio State (66-19)
Michigan State (59-24)
Minnesota (59-22)
Northwestern (56-25)
Indiana (54-26)
Another Day, Another Record
The 2005 Wolverines seem to set some sort of school or individual record with each passing game. The latest mark to be matched is the single-season school record for home runs by an individual when Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS) hit her 15th home run in a 11-0 route over Minnesota on Sunday. Merchant matched the mark she set herself just last season. The race may not be over, however, because freshman Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) hit her 12th of the season on Sunday as well and now owns the fifth-best single-season total in school history.
Michigan's All-Time Single-Season Home Run Leaders
| Home Runs | Wolverine | Year |
| 15 | Jessica Merchant | 2005 |
| 15 | Jessica Merchant | 2004 |
| 13 | Melissa Gentile | 1998 |
| 13 | Marissa Young | 2003 |
| 12 | Samantha Findlay | 2005 |
Power Surge
The last four seasons have brought a barrage of home runs from the Michigan bats, including a single-season school record of 64 this season after the Wolverines pounded out three more in a win over Minnesota on Sunday. The four best single-season team home run totals have occurred in the last four years for the Maize and Blue. Michigan softball players had hit 217 home runs all-time through 2001, including a then-school record of 27 in 1998. The Wolverines have hit 196 long balls beginning in 2002. The following is a list of the top five single-season home run totals in Michigan history.
64 (2005)
50 (2003)
45 (2004)
37 (2002)
27 (1998)
Balance of Power
Michigan's home run surge is not solely thanks to Jessica Merchant and Samantha Findlay, who right now rank first and third, respectively, in the Big Ten in home runs, but a team effort 11 different Michigan players connecting for at least one home run and nine different players hitting multiple bombs. Prior to 2005, only five players in the history of Michigan softball had hit double-digit home runs in a season. With Nicole Motycka and Grace Leutele (Sierra Vista, Ariz./Buena HS) just one home run shy of 10 apiece, that number will be four for this year's team alone. Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) has six home runs thus far and could make that number five. Four of the top 10 individual single-season home run performances consist of 2005 Wolverines.
Heart of the Order
Freshman first baseman Samantha Findlay might be in her best groove as a Michigan hitter right now, enjoying a seven-game hit streak and having hit safely in 12 of her last 14 contests. She is hitting .550 with three home runs, 14 RBI and 1.100 slugging percentage, barely outhitting Jessica Merchant during that same stretch. In her last seven games Merchant has posted an average of .522 with four home runs and 14 RBI along with a 1.043 slugging percentage.
Shutout Streak
Michigan pitching closed the week with three straight shutouts and have not allowed a run in 25 straight innings, dating back to the first inning of a 3-2 win over Wisconsin on Friday evening (April 8). The Wolverines now have 22 shutouts this season as a staff, which is already No. 5 on the school's all-time list. The top five seasons in Michigan softball history for shutouts is as follows:
2004 (27)
1987 (24)
1996 (24)
2000 (23)
1989 (22)
2005 (22)
40-Plus
Michigan reached 40 wins in a season for the 11th straight season after sweeping a doubleheader from Minnesota on Sunday. Michigan reached 40 wins in their 43rd game this season, which is the fastest in the history of the program. The 1998 Michigan team led by All-Americans Sara Griffin, Melissa Gentile and Traci Conrad won their 40th game in the 44th game of the season. The 1998 Wolverines went on to win the Big Ten regular season, Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Regional championships while earning what was then a fourth straight Women's College World Series appearance and finishing a program-best tied for fifth at the WCWS.
Wolverines Drop One, But Now 7-1 in Big Ten
A 5-1 record this past week included a perfect 4-0 weekend in Big Ten action. The Wolverines swept a two-game series in Wisconsin with wins of 3-2 and 8-0 before closing the weekend with a doubleheader sweep (4-0, 11-0) at Minnesota. Samantha Findlay hit .529 for the weekend, including the game-winning RBI in the 3-2 win over Wisconsin as the Wolverines overcame three errors. Michigan settled down defensively and the pitching staff tossed shutouts the final three games of the week, including two from Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Lorilyn Wilson (Salem, Ore./Sprague HS). Jessica Merchant finished the week with a .500 avergae to go with four home runs and 14 RBI. Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) struk out 14 and walked none in the 4-0 win over Minnesota and then both Merchant and Findlay homered in the 11-0 route. The Wolverines did split a midweek doubleheader with Central Michigan, dropping a 5-4 decision with four of the runs being unearned.
Milestone Watch
Tiffany Haas has started 122 straight games for the Wolverines at second base. Haas last missed a start in game two of a doubleheader vs. Eastern Michigan on April 29, 2003.
Tiffany Haas is two hits shy of reaching 200 for her career.
Tiffany Haas has 15 career home runs and is in ninth place on the all-time list, one behind teammate Nicole Motycka.
Grace Leutele has 21 career home runs is fourth all-time at Michigan, one behind Marissa Young (2000-03) for third place.
Jessica Merchant has 42 career doubles and is tied for fifth on the all-time Michigan list with Melinda Moulden (2000-03)
Jessica Merchant is five hits shy of reaching the 200-hit mark for her career.
Nicole Motycka has 16 career home runs and is in eighth on the Michigan career list, three behind Catherine Davie (1996-99) for second place.
Jennie Ritter is 46-10 for her career and is three wins shy of matching Jamie Gillies (1997-2000) for 10th-place on the all-time list.
Jennie Ritter has 19 career shutouts and is two shy of matching Marie Barda (1998-2001) for seventh on the all-time list.
Season Highlights
The Streak, a Final Look
One final look at the school-record 32-game win streak that was snapped vs. Iowa on Friday reveals some amazing performances. Michigan outscored the opposition 192-22, went 8-0 vs. ranked teams, including the schools' first-ever win over a top-ranked team with a 6-2 win over No. 1 Arizona on March 20. Michigan hit 44 home runs, including 10 from Jessica Merchant, as opposed to just three by its opponents. Michigan pitchers boasted a 0.56 ERA with three no-hitters, including two from Jennie Ritter, one of which was tossed at then-No. 15 Florida on March 1. Michigan hit .320 as team, led by Tiffany Haas, who hit .425. Lorilyn Wilson was the most dominant hurler, going 13-0 with an unheard of 0.18 ERA in nine starts and 15 appearances.
Michigan's Longest Win Streaks
32 games (2005)
22 games (1993)
19 games (1995, 2004)
Consecutive Games Unbeaten
33 games (32-0-1) 1999
Big Ten Honors
Sophomore hurler Lorilyn Wilson went 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 11.2 innings at the FAU Classic to earn tournament MVP honors. Those efforts bumped her Michigan career record to 10-0 and garnered the Oregon native her first-ever Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award. She won the award again on March 22 after shutting out No. 11 Texas and earning the save with two inning of scoreless relief vs. No. 1 Arizona.
Jennie Ritter earned Big Ten co-Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing two no-hitters vs. No. 15 Florida (March 1) and South Florida (March 4) and then matching a career-best with 15 strikeouts in another win over then-No. 16 Florida (March 5). It was the second such honor of the junior's career.
Home Run King
Senior shortstop Jessica Merchant became the Wolverines all-time home run leader when she hit the 29th of her career vs. in a 2-1 win over Chattanooga on March 4, breaking the former mark of 28 held by Melissa Gentile (1997-2000).
Michigan's Career Home Run Leaders
| Home Runs | Wolverine | Years |
| 40 | Jessica Merchant | 2002-c |
| 28 | Melissa Gentile | 1997-00 |
| 22 | Marissa Young | 2000-03 |
Three No-No's
Though the season is only about one-third complete, Michigan's pitching staff has already tossed three no-hitters, just one shy of the school record of four that was tossed during the 1996 campaign. Nicole Motycka started things with a five-inning no-hitter in an 8-0 win over Rutgers on Feb. 19. Jennie Ritter then got in the act with the second of her career in a 4-0 win over #15 Florida on March 1. Ritter made the total three for her career and three for the season for Michigan with a five-inning effort in a 9-0 win over South Florida on March 4. Ritter's three career no-hitters is second on the all-time list behind the four recorded by Vicki Morrow (1984-87).
Kia Klassic Champs
Expect anothe bump in the polls this week after Michigan went a perfect 6-0 this past weekend en route to the Kia Klassic title in Fullerton, Calif. The Wolverines beat No. 24 Fresno State (6-0) and No. 11 Texas (7-0) on the way to a championship game victory over No. 1 Arizona for the Maize and Blue's first-ever win over a top-ranked team. Tiffany Haas hit .400 over the weekend while Grace Leutele connected for three home runs. Jennie Ritter and Lorilyn Wilson each went 3-0 in the circle while combining for 49 strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed in 38.8 innings of work.
Wilson's Streak
Lorilyn Wilson was touched for an earned run in the bottom of the seventh of a 2-1 win over Louisville on March 26, ending her string of 61.0 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. It was the first time she allowed an earned since the fourth inning of a 9-1 win over Florida Atlantic on Feb. 20. She had allowed just two runs total during that 61.0-inning stretch and struck out 93 while walking only seven and surrendering just 23 hits. She went 10-0 with six complete games, five shutouts and one save over that 61-inning stretch.
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
