Wolverines to Return to Sunshine State for Five-Game Joan Joyce Classic

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team (4-1) will return to the Sunshine State for the second straight week, this time heading further south for a five-game appearance at the Joan Joyce Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. U-M will open play on Friday (Feb. 16) with games against Seton Hall (9 a.m.) and Maine (2 p.m.), continues on Saturday (Feb. 17) against Louisville (11:15 a.m.) and host FAU (3:30 p.m.) and wraps up with another slate Sunday (Feb. 18) at 9 a.m. against Seton Hall. All games will be held at Joan Joyce Field.

Notes

• Michigan will return to FAU for the first time since 2018 and makes its 11th overall appearance at a February early-season tournament in Boca Raton since 2004. The Wolverines have gone 46-4 all-time in those previous 10 appearances.

• The Wolverines posted a 4-1 record over their opening weekend at the USF-Rawlings Tournament, including a 2-1, 10-inning win over No. 17 Florida. It was U-M's best record at the event since going 5-0 in 2020, which also included a win over the Gators. Michigan also went 4-1 over its opening weekend last season, which featured a single game at USF, before traveling to THE Spring Games in Leesburg, Fla.

• Michigan rallied from initial deficits in three of its five games at the USF Tournament, including a dramatic two-run seventh en route to a 2-1 walk-off win against Oregon State in the finale. U-M also scored five runs over the sixth and seventh innings against Illinois State (5-3) and posted the go-ahead run in the sixth against Bethune-Cookman (2-1). Michigan scored 10 of its 12 opening-weekend runs in the sixth inning or later.

• All five Michigan pitchers saw time in the circle at the USF Tournament last weekend, combining for a stellar 1.14 earned-run average with 37 strikeouts (over 37 total innings) and a .178 opposing batting average.

• Junior right-handed pitcher Lauren Derkowski posted a 2-0 record over the USF Tournament with a 1.31 ERA, 13 strikeouts and a .207 opposing average. She pitched a complete-game, 10-winning win against No. 17 Florida on her 21st birthday after allowing just one run -- none earned -- on six hits and three walks while striking out four Gators.

• Senior RHP Jessica LeBeau also was strong over the opening weekend, leading the Wolverines with a 1.08 ERA, 18 strikeouts and .136 opposing average. She went 1-1 on the weekend, earning the win in relief against Bethune-Cookman while tossing 5.1 innings in a no-decision effort against Oregon State.

• Michigan struggled with consistency from the plate over the first weekend, combining for a .168 team average with 12 total runs and eight RBI. Sophomore Indiana Langford led U-M with a .333 average (5-for-15), while freshman Jenissa Conway posted a team-best three RBI.

• Six Wolverine freshmen made their collegiate debuts last weekend -- all five true freshmen and sophomore/freshman Lilly Vallimont, who missed all of last season with injury. Notable among the freshman performances: Vallimont registered U-M's walk-off RBI single against Oregon State; Conway, who scored the winning run against OSU, posted a three-run homer against Bethune-Cookman and drove in the winning run on a groundout in the 10th inning against Florida; Lexi Dellamonica scored the winning run in the 10th against Florida; Ella Stephenson registered the game-tying RBI single against Illinois State; Erin Hoehn posted her first collegiate win against Oregon State and save against Illinois State.