Wolverines Return to Carolinas for Gamecock Invitational

» No. 8 Michigan will head to the Gamecock Invitational to face Liberty (twice), Iowa State and No. 22 host South Carolina.
» With a 9-0 record, the Wolverines are off to the program's best start since 2011 and are one of just five unbeaten programs in the nation.
» Alex Storako and Meghan Beaubien own nearly identical stats from the circle and have combined for a 1.72 ERA and .182 opposing batting average. Storako ranks fourth nationally with 62 strikeouts.

THIS WEEK
Fri-Sun., Feb. 21-23 -- at Gamecock Invitational (Columbia, S.C.)
Friday, Feb. 21 -- vs. Liberty, 12:30 p.m. (updated game time)
Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 22 -- vs. Iowa State, 12:30 p.m.
Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 22 -- at South Carolina, 3 p.m.
TV: SEC Network+ | Live Video | Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 23 -- vs. Liberty, 10 a.m.
Live Stats

• Tournament Central | Complete Game Notes (PDF)

The No. 8-ranked University of Michigan softball team (9-0) will head back to the Carolinas for another four-game slate this weekend at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, South Carolina. The Wolverines will open play against Liberty (1-9) at 12:30 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 21), take on Iowa State (5-5) at 12:30 p.m. and No. 22 host South Carolina (5-3) at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 22), and conclude the trip with another game against Liberty at 10 a.m. Sunday (Feb. 23). All four games will be played at the Gamecocks' Carolina Softball Stadium.

• The Wolverines' 9-0 start is the program's best since winning each of its first 24 games during the 2011 season. Michigan surged in the national rankings -- to No. 8 in the NFCA poll and No. 6 in the USA Softball poll -- after its perfect ACC/Big Ten Challenge weekend that featured a pair of wins over then-No. 25 North Carolina. Michigan also owns an 11-2, six-inning win over then-No. 7 Florida over the opening weekend.

• Michigan is one of just five programs still undefeated on the season, joining defending NCAA champion UCLA (11-0), Texas (10-0), Oregon (9-0) and Southern Illinois Edwardsville (4-0).

• Junior LHP Meghan Beaubien and sophomore RHP Alex Storako posted two wins apiece at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last weekend, combining for a 2.25 earned run average, 42 strikeouts and a .196 opposing average. Beaubien also earned a save in the opener against Louisville and tallied a complete-game, three-hit shutout in the second slate against North Carolina.

• The Wolverine pitching duo has nearly identical stats on the young season. Storako has a 1.70 ERA, while Beaubien has a 1.75 ERA. Storako is 4-0 with a save, while Beaubien is 5-0 with a save. Storako carries a .185 average against, while Beaubien has a .179 average against. The only substantial difference is Storako's 62 strikeouts to Beaubien's 39.

• Storako ranks fourth nationally with 62 strikeouts on the season and third with 13.2 strikeouts per seven innings. She posted a career-best 16 strikeouts in the season opener against Georgia State (Feb. 7) -- her previous best was 15 at Michigan State last season -- and posted another double-digit effort with 13 against North Carolina (Feb. 14). Minnesota's Amber Fiser leads the nation with 71 strikeouts.

• Senior centerfielder Haley Hoogenraad leads the Wolverines with a .458 batting average, five doubles and a .581 on-base percentage. She batted .500 at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with two multi-hit games, three runs scored and an RBI in the opener against Louisville. Hoogenraad also hit .429 at the season-opening USF-Rawlings Invitational with four doubles and three RBI, including the walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning against Fresno State. She also posted two hits, three runs and two RBI in the Florida win and made a grand-slam-saving catch against the centerfield wall with two outs in the fourth inning.

• Freshman Lauren Esman knocked out a sixth-inning, pinch-hit grand slam to break a 4-4 tie against Louisville last Sunday (Feb. 16) for her first collegiate hit. Esman also scored the game-winning run in the seventh inning against North Carolina (Feb. 14). She owns runs scored in three of her first four games played this season, including two game-winning tallies.

• Junior Taylor Bump also posted a pinch-hit home run against the Cardinals and is 2-for-2 in pinch-hit situations this season. The Wolverine infielder owns a pair of long balls -- the first of her collegiate career -- and ranks second on the team with five RBI.

• Michigan is 4-0 in one-run games this season and rallied from a deficit for the first time this season in its most recent game, overcoming a 3-1 hole in the third to earn an 8-4 decision against Louisville. The Wolverines also posted back-to-back wins in extra innings at the USF-Rawlings Invitational. Michigan went 2-2 in extras last season; both of its wins were 1-0 walk-off decisions -- in eight innings against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament opener and in 12 innings against James Madison in the NCAA Regional semifinal.