Wolverines' Fall Schedule Includes Pair of Home Dates
9/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sept. 8, 2009
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Head coach Carol Hutchins of the University of Michigan softball program announced the team's fall competition schedule on Tuesday (Sept. 8). The Wolverines' slate includes four events -- the Traverse City Tourney, a home-and-home series against intrastate rival Michigan State and a home scrimmage against Eastern Michigan.
The four-team field at the Traverse City College Tournament consists of Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Grand Rapids Community College, with all four teams facing one another in a round-robin format on Saturday (Sept. 19). The first-place team from the round-robin faces the fourth-place team, while the second- and third-place squads square off in semifinal action Sunday (Sept. 20). Championship and consolation games will immediately follow the semifinals. All games will be held this year at Traverse City West High School.
For the second straight year, Michigan will host a pair of fall home events at the Wilpon Softball Complex, home of Alumni Field, where the Wolverines posted a flawless 19-0 last season. U-M will host the Spartans at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, before returning the following week for a 3 p.m. scrimmage against Eastern Michigan on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Both fall home events are open to the public and will be free of charge.
The Wolverines will round out fall competition with a road contest at Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 10. The game is slated for a 1 p.m. start at the Spartans' Old College Field.
The fall tournament slate provides U-M softball fans their first opportunity to view the 2010 Wolverine lineup, including freshmen Jaclyn Crummey(Macomb, Mich./Dakota HS), Amy Knapp(St. Joseph, Mich./Lakeshore HS), Ashley Lane(Escondido, Calif./Escondido HS) and Stephanie Speierman(Columbia, Md./Hammond HS). These new faces will join a veteran U-M contingent that last season captured the outright Big Ten title and earned the program's ninth Women's College World Series appearance.
Michigan returns all but two members of its 2008 squad. Among those returning are four All-Americans -- pitchers Nikki Nemitz(St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) and Jordan Taylor(Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS), rightfielder Angela Findlay(Lockport, Ill./East HS) and utility player Amanda Chidester(Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS).
2009 Michigan Softball Fall Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Site | Time |
| Traverse City Tourney | |||
| Sat., Sept. 19 | Western Michigan* | Traverse City, Mich. | 10:30 a.m. |
| Central Michigan* | Traverse City, Mich. | Noon | |
| Western Michigan* | 2 p.m. | ||
| Sun., Sept. 20 | Semifinals | Traverse City, Mich. | 10:30 a.m. |
| Final/Consolation | Traverse City, Mich. | 12:30 p.m. | |
| Thu., Oct. 1 | Michigan State | Wilpon Complex | 6 p.m. |
| Tue., Oct. 6 | Eastern Michigan | Wilpon Complex | 3 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Michigan State | East Lansing, Mich. | 1 p.m. |
* five-inning games
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
