Michigan's Findlay Added to USA National Team Camp
6/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- University of Michigan freshman first baseman and Women's College World Series MVP Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) became the fourth Wolverine invited to the USA Softball National Team Selection Camp (June 13-17) when she received a call on Saturday night (June 11).
After hitting the game-winning, three-run home run to catapult the Wolverines to their first national championship, Findlay will now join senior shortstop Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS), junior pitcher Jennie Ritter (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS), junior second baseman Tiffany Haas (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS) and Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins this week at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
Findlay is one of at least 45 participants in the camp that will determine who is selected to participate in USA Softball's Summer Tour on either the 18-person National Team or 16-person Elite Team.
National Team Schedule
Exhibition vs. Australia (July 12, Irvine, Calif.)
World Cup of Softball (July 14-18, Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Japan Cup (July 26-Aug. 5, Yokohama, Japan)
Elite Team Schedule
Canada Cup (July 2-July 11, Surrey, B.C.)
Spain Cup (July 20-28, Madrid, Spain)
One of a pool of coaches that will work this week's camp and play a role in the selection of the two teams, Hutchins will serve as the head coach for the Elite Team at the Canada Cup and as an assistant coach for the National Team at the Japan Cup.
Findlay closed out a remarkable postseason with her title-clinching home run vs. UCLA in the third game of the WCWS championship series. The cleanup hitter hit .409 in the WCWS with a tournament-best eight runs batted in. She also paced the Maize and Blue in the NCAA Tournament with a .400 average, three home runs, 17 RBI and a .725 slugging percentage. The next-closest RBI total for the NCAA Tournament was the eight posted by Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS).
Findlay closed out her freshman season with a U-M single-season RBI mark (77), which tied her for the top spot in the nation, and matched the single-season school record with 21 home runs.
The selection of the USA Softball National and Elite Teams will be announced on Monday (June 20).
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
