POY Taylor Headlines Michigan All-Big Ten Selections
5/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team, which in 2001 won its seventh outright Big Ten Conference championship, took home some individual hardware at the 2001 Big Ten Softball Tournament Banquet on Thursday (May 10).
| | Taylor |
Joining Taylor on the All-Big Ten first team are utility player Melinda Moulden (LaCrescenta, Calif./Crescenta Valley HS), third baseman Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth Salem HS) and second baseman Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Santa Mater Dei HS). Three Wolverines were also represented on the All-Big Ten second team as Marissa Young (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS) and Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale HS) were the two pitchers and Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) was the named the second-team shortstop.
Taylor is Michigan's seventh Big Ten Player of the Year honoree and first since Sara Griffin (1995-98) in 1996. It is Griffin's Michigan season-best .432 batting average as a freshman in 1995 that is under siege by Taylor.
The first-team selection is the second such selection for Kollen, Taylor and Volpe, with each player also earning first-team honors in 1999. This marks the first selection to the first team for Moulden. Tune's selection to the second team marks the first All-Big Ten award for the senior, while Young has now been named to the second team in each of her first two years. Barda's second-team selection is also her first after the senior hurler took home first-team honors in 1999 and 2000.
The Wolverines, who are the top seed and host of the Big Ten Tournament, meet 15th-ranked and No. 2 seed Iowa tomorrow (May 11, 2:30 p.m.) at Alumni Field. The winner of that contest advances to the championship game, which is slated for Saturday (May 12) at 2:30 p.m. Michigan opened up its tournament action this afternoon with a 2-0 win over No. 5 seed Penn State.
2001 All-Big Ten Softball Honors
| FIRST TEAM P -- Kristi Hanks, Iowa* P -- Katie Chain, Ohio State C -- Brooke Monroe, Indiana 1B -- Heidi Foster, Purdue 2B -- Kelsey Kollen, Michigan 3B -- Stefanie Volpe, Michigan SS -- Katie Crabtree, Purdue OF -- Melissa Taylor, Michigan* OF -- Tammi Hays, Minnesota OF -- Andrea Roush, Purdue UT -- Melinda Moulden, Michigan DP -- Jessica Bashor, Iowa | SECOND TEAM P -- Marissa Young, Michigan P -- Marie Barda, Michigan C -- Stacy Roth, Ohio State 1B -- Alicia Gerlach, Iowa 2B -- Allison Medellin, Penn State 3B -- Jennifer Tripken, Penn State SS -- Rebecca Tune, Michigan OF -- Erin Montgomery, Illinois OF -- Anna Smith, Ohio State OF -- Megan Humphrey, Penn State UT -- Wendy Allen, Ohio State DP -- Meghann Reiss, Wisconsin |
| THIRD TEAM P -- Kathryn Nevard, Illinois P -- Piper Marten, Minnesota C -- Katy Jendrzejewski, Iowa 1B -- Erin Norton, Penn State 2B -- Jennifer Link, Ohio State 3B -- Erin Jones, Illinois SS -- Kristin Johnson, Iowa OF -- Shealee Dunavan, Michigan State OF -- Kelley Galigher, Penn State OF -- Karen Gulini, Penn State UT -- Kristi DeVries, Ohio State DP -- Anne Thul, Minnesota | Player of the Year: Melissa Taylor, OF, Michigan Pitcher of the Year: Kristi Hanks, P, Iowa Freshman of the Year: Wendy Allen, UT, Ohio State Coach of the Year: Carol Hutchins, Michigan * Unanimous selection |
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
