Weekly Release #11
5/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Saturday, May 6 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 7 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 1 p.m.
Monday, May 8 -- Big Ten Tournament seeding announced
Thu-Sat., May 11-13 -- Big Ten Conference Tournament (Site TBA)
Sunday, May 14 -- NCAA Championship field announced
U-M Heads to East Lansing to Close Out Regular Season
No. 13-ranked University of Michigan will close out the conference and regular-season portions of its 2000 season schedule with a pair of weekend games at Michigan State University. At stake for the Wolverines is a chance to win their third straight Big Ten Conference season title, while the Spartans are looking to secure a place in the league's May 11-13 postseason tournament. Michigan (38-13-1, 11-4 Big Ten) plays MSU (30-21, 5-8 Big Ten) in 1 p.m. single games on both Saturday (May 6) and Sunday (May 7) at Old College Field on the Michigan State campus.
Big Ten Race, Tournament Seeding Hinge on Final Weekend
The race for the 2000 Big Ten season championship and the six places in the conference tournament comes down to the league's final weekend of games. Season travel partners will square off in Saturday and Sunday single games. The top six finishers in the Big Ten standings qualify for the postseason tournament with seeding determined by the order of finish. The regular-season champion will host the tournament as well as earn the top seed.
Three teams enter the weekend with a chance to win the 2000 season title: Iowa, Michigan and Northwestern. Iowa goes into its series at Northwestern needing just one win to clinch its first Big Ten championship since 1997, while the Wolverines need a combination of two victories vs. Michigan State and two wins by Northwestern to take their seventh conference title. Northwestern must sweep Iowa and have U-M split its MSU series for the Wildcats to win their first championship since 1987. The announcement of the 2000 Big Ten Softball Tournament field will be made Monday (May 8).
Big Ten Conference Standings (through 5/4/00)
Big Ten Overall Games Left 1. Iowa 13-4 .813 41-11 2 2. MICHIGAN 11-4 .733 38-13-1 2 3. Northwestern 11-5 .688 23-20 2 4. Penn State 10-5 .667 32-15 2 5. Wisconsin 7-6 .538 32-23 2 6. Michigan State 5-8 .385 30-21 2 7. Purdue 5-9 .357 32-25 2 8. Ohio State 4-11 .267 28-24 2 Minnesota 4-11 .267 31-26 2 10. Indiana 4-12 .250 14-31 2 May 6-7 Schedule (singles each day): Michigan at Michigan State Purdue vs. Indiana Iowa at Northwestern Minnesota at Wisconsin Ohio State at Penn State
Michigan vs. the Week's Opposition
Michigan State (30-21, 5-8 Big Ten) -- The Spartans enter the Michigan series in the vulnerable sixth spot in the Big Ten standings and need to match seventh-place Purdue's results vs. Indiana to earn a place in the tournament. . . . MSU is on a three-game win streak and has victories in five of its last 10 games. . . . Shealee Dunavan (.377) and Stacey Phillips (.371) lead the Spartans' offense. Phillips has 13 home runs and 40 RBI this season. Keri DeJong (13-10, 2.52 ERA) and Erica Strutz (11-5, 2.41 ERA) are the top MSU pitchers. . . .The teams are scheduled to meet for the 72nd and 73rd games in the softball series. Michigan leads the all-time series vs. MSU 52-19, sweeping the Spartans in last season's doubleheader (4-0, 11-2). U-M is 22-9 in games played at East Lansing. . . . U-M head coach Carol Hutchins carries a 45-9 record vs. her alma mater. Hutchins was a freshman on Michigan State's 1976 AIAW national champion softball team. . . . Wolverine pitchers vs. the Spartans: Marie Barda 1-0 (1 SHO), Kate Eiland 0-0, Jamie Gillies1-1, Marissa Young 0-0. . . . Web site: www.msuspartans.com.
Wolverines Go 4-2 in Final Regular-Season Home Stretch
Michigan finished its regular-season-ending, six-game Alumni Field run with four wins, including three by shutout. U-M opened with a sweep of Indiana State (7-0 and 6-2) on April 27, then tacked a pair of shutouts on Eastern Michigan May 3 (4-0, 8-0). The Wolverines dropped both ends of their May 3 home-closing doubleheader vs. Ohio, losing game one 1-0 in eight innings and game two 3-2.
Batting Order Change Benefits Kollen
Second baseman Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Ana Mater Dei HS) made the most of her return to the leadoff spot in the Wolverines' batting order, hitting a team-high .421 (8-for-19) during the April 27-May 3 six-game home stretch. The sophomore, who had been batting in the sixth spot for most of April, added five RBI and hit her season-first triple in Michigan's 8-0 win vs. Eastern Michigan May 2. Kollen is hitting .295 for the season and needs one hit for her 50th of the season.
Kosanke Cranks Home Runs, Hits to Move Up Charts
Senior Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) opened her graduation weekend with home runs in each end of Michigan's April 27 doubleheader sweep of Indiana State. The third baseman sent a three-run shot over the leftfield fence in game one, then smacked a solo home run to the same spot in the second game. Kosanke finished the first game with a career-high five RBI, helping push her season RBI total to 32. The two home runs give her four for the season and seven for her career, moving her into a tie with Jessica Lang (1994-97) for fifth place on the Wolverine career home run list. . . . Kosanke leads Michigan's offense with a career-best .377 batting average. She ranks ninth on the all-time hits list with 206, thanks in large part to her 55 hits this season.
Volpe Collects Triple, Draws Walks
Michigan's second-leading batter, Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS), is having a hard time getting hits. No, the sophomore isn't in a hitting slump -- she hit .375 over the just completed six-game home stretch with her season-first triple vs. Eastern Michigan (May 2). It is her patience at the plate and the power of her bat drawing walks from the opposition's pitching staffs. Volpe, with five walks last week, totals a team-high 29 walks this season, ranking third on the school's season walks record list. The single-season record is 32 walks by Kari Kunnen in 1993. Volpe carries a .349 batting average into the Michigan State series.
Taylor Hunting Down Season Stolen Base Record
Junior Melissa Taylor (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield HS) has shown off her speed on the base paths this season, collecting a team-high 20 stolen bases in 21 attempts. The rightfielder's 20 stolen bases put her in a tie with Traci Conrad (20, 1997) for second place on the Michigan single-season thefts list. The Wolverines' season stolen base record is 24 by Diane Hatch in 1982. . . . Taylor's teammate, Kelsey Kollen, moved into 10th place on the season stolen base record list with 16.
Gillies Posts Pair of Pitching Victories, Poised for Win No. 50
Senior pitcher Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) tossed wins against Indiana State (April 27) and Eastern Michigan (May 2) to move within one victory of posting her 50th career win. Gillies, who is 49-17 in her 104 career appearances, allowed just one run over 17 innings of work over the April 27-May 3 homestand. She goes into her final Big Ten Conference series sporting an 8-3 record and 2.16 ERA for the season.
Young Leads Michigan Pitchers' Strikeout Squad
Freshman Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) leads the Wolverines' pitching staff with 123 strikeouts, adding 16 Ks to her total in three appearances during the April 27-May 3 home-closing stretch. Young, who posted career strikeout No. 100 in the second game of the April 21 doubleheader at Iowa, ranks fourth in Big Ten overall season strikeout totals. She has a 1.06 ERA and 13-3 record going into the Michigan State weekend. . . . Young leads Michigan with 34 RBI.
Maize and Blue Diamond Gems
The Michigan softball class of 2000 won the 200th game of their careers May 2 with the opening game 4-0 victory over Eastern Michigan, then played the 250th game of their careers with the EMU nightcap game. The class has been a big part of Michigan's 201-48-3 (.804) record over the 1997-2000 seasons.
Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) ranks sixth in the NCAA Division I national ERA rankings (games through April 30). The junior hurler has 15 wins in 21 decisions (15-6) and carries a team-low 0.60 ERA into the final conference weekend.
Melissa Taylor recorded her 150th career hit with a single in game two of the May 3 Ohio doubleheader. She has 151 hits behind a .321 career batting average.
Stefanie Volpe posted career hit No. 100 with the first of three singles in the second game of the April 27 Indiana State doubleheader. She has 104 hits and a .347 batting average in two seasons with U-M.
The annual U-M softball team banquet hosted by the Michigan Diamond Club will be held May 15 at the Ann Arbor Sheraton. The evening begins with a 6 p.m. reception, followed by a 6:30 p.m. dinner and awards presentation. Tickets are $25 each. RSVP to Sandy Burdi by May 10 at (734) 764-9416.
The next Michigan softball release is scheduled for Tuesday, May 9, and will preview the Big Ten Tournament.
Contact: Amy Carlton (734) 763-4423
