Michigan Kicks Off Home Slate Against Kent State, Weekend Schedule Changed

» Michigan will host Kent State in its home debut this weekend at the Wilpon Complex; due to weather concerns, the teams will now play at 4 p.m. on Thursday (March 14) and a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday (March 17)
» The Wolverines are coming off a successful spring-break trip that featured a 6-2 record with three wins over nationally-ranked opposition.
» Michigan is 562-136-1 at Alumni Field since its 1982 construction.

THIS WEEK
Thursday, March 14 -- vs. Kent State (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m.
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Sunday, March 17 -- vs. Kent State (Wilpon Complex), 1 p.m.
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Sunday, March 17 -- vs. Kent State (Wilpon Complex), 3 p.m.
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• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan softball team (12-10), after five straight weekends on the road, will kick off the home portion of the 2019 season with a three-game set against Kent State (6-11) this weekend at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field.

Due to anticipated inclement weather for the weekend, dates and times were slightly modified. The teams will play a 4 p.m. slate on Thursday (March 14) before wrapping the series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday (March 17). Thursday's game will be free, while Sunday's ticket will now cover both games of the doubleheader. Saturday tickets will be refunded for individual ticket holders; season ticket holder may exchange for a future. See the Inclement Weather Policy for more information.

• Michigan boasts a stellar 562-136-1 home record at Alumni Field since its 1982 construction. Last season, U-M went 14-2 at Alumni Field.

• Michigan similarly kicked off its home schedule against Kent State two seasons ago, in 2017, and swept the three-game series at Alumni Field -- with right-handed pitcher Megan Betsa tossing a 17-strikeout no-hitter in the series opener and head coach Carol Hutchins earning her 1,500th career win in the finale. In all, the Wolverines own a 14-1 advantage in the all-time series against KSU, dating back to 1982, and has won each of the last six meetings.

• The Wolverines are coming off a successful spring break trip, over which U-M posted a 6-2 record with three wins over nationally-ranked opposition -- No. 2 UCLA (3-1), No. 5 Washington (4-2) and No. 16 Arizona State (7-6). Michigan is 3-5 against ranked opposition this season and has faced five top-10 opponents and four of eight teams from the 2018 NCAA Women's College World Series over its non-conference schedule.

• Michigan has posted some of its best offensive stats of the season over the last two weekends, posting a .262 combined batting average -- with 17 extra-base hits -- and outscoring its opposition, 27-18, over the eight-game stretch.

• U-M's pitching staff combined for a 1.81 earned-run average over the spring break trip, with three shutout wins, 51 strikeouts and a .207 opposing average over the stretch. Freshman RHP Alex Storako and sophomore LHP Meghan Beaubien posted ERAs of 1.50 and 1.65, respectively, while Beaubien posted a 4-0 record over spring break.

• Beaubien was named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week after earning back-to-back wins over top-five opposition at the Judi Garman Classic two weeks ago, holding No. 2 UCLA and No. 5 Washington to just three runs and nine total hits over 14 innings. She was particularly strong against the Bruins, allowing just one run on three hits -- two coming against the first two batters she faced -- and no walks. She struck out three and allowed only four baserunners, including two over the last six innings.

• Senior second baseman Faith Canfield led the Wolverines with a .448 average over spring break and drove in the winning run against both No. 2 UCLA and CSUN. She used a two-run single in the sixth to spearhead the Michigan rally against UCLA and tallied a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the seventh against Cal State Northridge. Canfield also boasted two doubles and a home run in a 3-for-4 effort against New Mexico State at the ASU Invitational.

• Freshman outfielder Lexie Blair batted .500 (4-for-8) with three doubles -- one in each game -- and two RBI in Michigan's 3-0 weekend at the Judi Garman Classic. She drove in a key insurance run with an RBI double in the sixth inning against No. 2 UCLA and used another RBI double to give U-M a first-inning lead against No. 5 Washington.

• Sophomore shortstop Natalia Rodriguez, often a lefty slap hitter, knocked out her first collegiate home run in the fourth inning against No. 5 Washington, breaking a 2-2 tie with a two-run no-doubter to left field. The long ball came four batters after another, a leadoff solo shot from senior first baseman Alex Sobczak, who tied the game with her first home run in two seasons.