Michigan
Washington
Wolverines to Host Washington in Home-Opening Series
3/17/2026 3:32:00 PM | Softball
Promotions
March 20
• Swing Into Spring/Home Opener
March 21
• Pride Day -- The Michigan softball team will be celebrating LGTBQ+ social and self-acceptance.
• Postgame Kids Run The Bases (Presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield) -- Kids 5th grade and under are invited to circle the bases at Alumni Field following the conclusion of the game.
March 22
• Kids Take Over the Ballpark
• Wolverine Kids Club Day -- All Wolverine Kids Club members are invited to attend this game. Maize members will receive a promo code for complementary tickets via email, which must be claimed in advance.
• Postgame Autographs -- Following the conclusion of the game, members of the Michigan softball team will be available to sign autographs in Oosterbaan. Futuristic/animated posters will be provided for the first 500 fans to participate in autographs. This will be the only item available to be autographed.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team (19-9, 0-3 Big Ten) will host Washington (22-6, 6-0 Big Ten) to open the home portion of its 2026 season. The teams will face off at 5 p.m. on Friday (March 20), 2 p.m. on Saturday (March 21) and 1 p.m. on Sunday (March 22) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Hutchins Stadium and Alumni Field. The first two games of the series will be streamed live on B1G+, while Sunday's game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Notes
• This weekend will mark the first Big Ten Conference meeting between Michigan and Washington. The Huskies lead the all-time series 15-10 and have won the last two matchups, claiming games two and three of the 2021 NCAA Regional in Seattle. U-M has previously hosted Washington on one occasion -- the 2005 NCAA Super Regional -- in the first year of the format and took the series in three games: 4-1, 2-4, 11-2 (6) en route to its national championship.
• Michigan previously faced the other two Big Ten softball additions last season. After being swept in tightly contested series at Oregon and at home against UCLA, the Wolverines beat both -- in the quarterfinals and championship game -- at the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.
• Michigan boasts a 636-157-1 record at Alumni Field and went 8-4 at home last season after winning seven straight before dropping their final series to UCLA.
• Junior outfielder Jenissa Conway leads the nation with six triples already this season, most recently notching one in the sixth inning of its Big Ten opener at Nebraska last Friday (March 13). Earlier this season, she posted two triples in consecutive at-bats against No. 22 Arizona State (Feb. 22) to become just the eighth player in program history to achieve the feat and the second on the current roster, joining junior outfielder Ella Stephenson. Conway's .411 batting average is a 32-point improvement on her previous career high. Conway went 3-for-8 in Saturday's doubleheader loss at Nebraska, pacing the team with a home run and three runs scored over the two games.
• Sophomore outfielder Lauren Putz leads the Wolverines in all of the power-hitting categories, including home runs (12), RBI (41) and slugging percentage (1.026). Her current batting average is a 29-point improvement from her rookie season.
• Junior right-handed pitcher Erin Hoehn and senior second baseman Janelle Ilacqua boast the biggest jumps in their batting averages so far this season. Hoehn, who had limited at-bats last season while focused on pitching, owns a team-best .435 batting average -- a 213-point improvement on her previous high.
Ilacqua owns a .377 batting average and has 13 runs and seven RBI from the No. 9 spot in the order. Her average is a 107-point improvement on her previous career high (.270), which she recorded as a freshman. Ilacqua served primarily as a defensive specialist over the last two seasons, combining for just 30 total at-bats in 2024 and 2025.
