Wolverines to Host Nebraska for Big Ten-Opening Series This Weekend

» Michigan will kick off Big Ten play with a three-game series against Nebraska this weekend (March 22-24) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field.
» The Wolverines have won each of their last four games -- all at home -- with a 37-2 scoring margin.
» Michigan's coaching trio of Carol Hutchins, Bonnie Tholl and Jennifer Brundage is one win shy of 1,000 in their 21 seasons together at Michigan.

UPDATE (3/22/2019): With cold temperatures in the Ann Arbor area, Friday's (March 22) game against Nebraska has been postponed and rescheduled as part of a doubleheader Saturday (March 23) at the Wilpon Complex. Fans holding tickets should reference the postponement announcement for more information.

THIS WEEK (Revised Schedule)
Friday, March 22 -- vs. Nebraska (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m. -- postponed
Saturday, March 23 -- vs. Nebraska (Wilpon Complex), 2 p.m.
Tickets | Parking Notice | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday, March 23 -- vs. Nebraska (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m.
Tickets | Parking Notice | Live Stats | Live Video
Sunday, March 24 -- vs. Nebraska (Wilpon Complex), 1 p.m.
Tickets | Parking Notice | Live Stats | Live Video

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

The No. 25-ranked University of Michigan softball team (16-10, 0-0 Big Ten) will kick off Big Ten Conference play with a three-game series against Nebraska (10-13, 0-0 Big Ten) this weekend at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The series kicks off with a 4 p.m. slate on Friday (March 22), continues at 2 p.m. on Saturday (March 23) and will wrap up at 1 p.m. on Sunday (March 24).

• Michigan enters Big Ten play as the reigning conference regular-season champion. U-M, which reclaimed the league's top spot last year after a one-year hiatus, has captured 20 of the last 27 Big Ten regular-season crowns, including 10 of the last 11. The Wolverines posted an 18-3 league record in 2018, finishing one game ahead of second-place Minnesota, and outscored their Big Ten opponents, 134-31.

• Michigan is 4-0 at home this season after sweeping a three-game series against Kent State and claiming a midweek slate against Western Michigan over a six-day stretch. U-M boasts a stellar 566-136-1 home record at Alumni Field since its 1982 construction. Last season, Michigan went 14-2 at Alumni Field.

• The Wolverines' four wins at home also represents their longest win streak of the season. U-M has outscored its home opposition, 37-2, with a .402 team batting average and 0.58 earned-run average.

• Michigan's coaching trio of Carol Hutchins, Bonnie Tholl and Jennifer Brundage is in its 21st season together in Ann Arbor. Hutchins is the winningest coach in NCAA softball history with a 1,587-514-5 record over 36 seasons, but the Michigan trio is approaching a notable milestone of its own with a 999-251-2 record together as a staff.

• Freshman Lexie Blair swept the Big Ten's Player and Freshman of the Week honors after batting .875 (7-for-8) and posting eight RBI to headline the Wolverines' offensive efforts in their series sweep over Kent State. Blair posted three hits apiece in both games of a Sunday (March 17) doubleheader, including a single, double and grand slam -- her second collegiate home run -- in the day's first slate.

• Michigan has belted out eight home runs over its last four games, including three off the bat of senior second baseman Faith Canfield -- two in the first U-M plate appearance of the game. Blair and senior outfielder Natalie Peters both posted their first collegiate grand slams in the first of Sunday's Kent State twinbill -- the first two grand-slam game for Michigan since Aidan Falk and senior catcher Katie Alexander did so at Penn State in 2016. U-M also recorded three homers in the sixth inning of the KSU series finale.

• Sophomore left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien has tossed 16.1 scoreless innings at home this season, posting a 0.00 ERA en route to three wins, a save and a pair of complete-game shutouts. She boasts 23 strikeouts and allowed no walks over the stretch, holding Kent State and Western Michigan to just a .140 batting average.