Viefhaus Selected to USA Softball Junior National Team
9/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Freshman Maggie Viefhaus (Pacific, Mo./Eureka HS), a member of the University of Michigan softball team, has been selected to the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team, announced Monday (Sept. 25) by USA Softball. The finalized 16-player roster follows the conclusion of a four-day selection camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.
The Junior Women's Pan American Qualifier team will compete Nov. 8-18 in Caguas, Puerto Rico. The event will qualify teams from the Pan American region for the VIII ISF Junior Women's World Championships scheduled for 2007 in Kutno, Poland. Viefhaus will vie to become the second Wolverine representative to compete at the Junior World Championships, joining former Michigan standout Jenny Allard, who captured a gold medal at the 1987 event.
"I can't even explain how excited I am," said Viefhaus. "I have been getting a million phone calls from home, and it brings tears to my eyes to know how much my friends and family are supporting me right now. I feel honored to represent the United States of America. This will be my first international experience, and it will be a great learning experience in so many different ways."
A three-time Missouri all-state selection, Viefhaus batted .442 in her senior campaign at Eureka High School and boasted an on-base percentage of .529 and a slugging percentage of .877 with 31 runs batted in. Viefhaus was a four-time all-conference first team selection and was three times named conference player of the year.
Former Wolverine All-American Jennie Ritter will also compete internationally in November, having earned selection to the 18-player USA Softball Women's National Team roster, released in conjuction with the junior national squad selection. Ritter previously pitched for the USA Elite Team at the Canada Cup and at the Intercontinental Cup in Madrid, Spain, and played for Team USA at the Pan Am/World Games Qualifying Tournament in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Ritter pitched 47.2 consecutive shutout innings in international competition, winning all seven of her starts and earning a pair of gold medals and a silver.
The Women's National Team will look to pick up its third gold medal of the season when it travels to Yokohama, Japan, to compete in the IV Japan Cup, scheduled for Nov. 11-17. Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins was with the USA National team at the 2005 Japan Cup as an assistant coach and helped guide the USA to a silver-medal performance. Ritter is the first Wolverine player selected to compete at the prestigious international event.
The Wolverines will wrap up their fall tournament schedule at the Worth Fall Classic on Oct. 13-15, in South Bend, Ind. U-M will face Western Michigan, Illinois-Chicago and NCAA Tournament participants Nebraska and Notre Dame.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
