Notes and Quotes: #1 Michigan 4, #12 UCLA 1 (10 innings)

N O T E S

• Samantha Findlay became the first freshman position player to be named tournament Most Outstanding Player. She hit .409 with four extra-base hits and eight runs batted in.

• Michigan became the eighth team to win the NCAA Softball Championship. The other winners include UCLA (10), Arizona (6), Texas A&M (2), Fresno State (1), Cal State Fullerton (1), California (1) and Oklahoma (1).

• The Wolverines are the first Big Ten Conference team to claim a national title in softball or baseball since Ohio State won the 1966 baseball crown. Michigan's baseball program owns two national championships (1953, '62).

• The first-place finish is the highest for a Big Ten team in baseball or softball since the Michigan baseball team finished third in 1983.

• The visiting team won all three games of the WCWS championship series.

• The 2005 Wolverines are the 52nd Michigan team to win a national championship and just the second women's program. The last came in 2001 when the field hockey team took home the title.

• Samantha Findlay's home run tied her with Jessica Merchant at 21 each to establish a new single season record. The former mark of 15 was set by Merchant in 2004.

• Tiffany Haas established a new U-M single-season hit record (91) with her single in the third inning. The previous record was set by Sara Griffin (89) in 1995.

• Samantha Findlay finished with a Michigan-record 77 RBI and closed the season tied for first in the nation in RBI with Tennessee's Kristi Durant.

• Jennie Ritter moved into second place on the NCAA list this season with her 38th victory.

• Michigan finished the season 19-5 vs. ranked teams and 3-1 in extra-inning contests.

• Playing in their final games in a Michigan uniform were Lauren Holland (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc HS), Jennifer Kreinbrink (Aliso Viejo, Calif./Aliso Naguel HS), Jessica Merchant (Wayland, Mich./Wayland HS), Nicole Motycka (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney HS) and Michelle Teschler (Casco, Mich./Richmond HS).

Q U O T E S

Michigan Coach Carol Hutchins
Opening statement ... "Jessica Merchant summed it up last night: it wasn't really about that game, it's about what this team has done all year, all the experiences that they've had. They believed from day one, and I think our senior class were great leaders all year. Obviously, it's a great moment for Michigan, Michigan softball, for all of our alums and the Big Ten Conference. I'm just so proud. But I'm most proud of these kids, they were incredible here all week. I have to admit when we got that No. 1 ranking -- that came out in the middle of winter, I believe -- my biggest concern was staying the course, finishing the season and getting here, because that is often your hardest challenge. Getting here was hard, winning here was really hard. For us to be the champion, I don't think there's a word for it."

U-M Junior Pitcher Jennie Ritter
On relying on the defense ... "I knew that my defense was behind me, and they were constantly telling me they were behind me and to let them hit and we'll go get it. The coaches kept saying you've got to be a bulldog. They kept telling me every inning. So I just went out there and let my defense back me up."

On loading the bases in the ninth inning ... "I told my team I like to make it interesting, although that was not my plan. Giving up that blooper, it happened the way it happened. I looked at it as an international tiebreaker with the runner at second and no outs. I knew we could get out of it because we had gotten out of it before. I wasn't worried because I know my defense does a great job."

U-M Senior Shortstop Jessica Merchant
On the impact of an Eastern team winning ... "We didn't care where we were from, we didn't care if we were from the East Coast, we just wanted to play great softball. We played Michigan softball. It's great for the Big Ten, it's great for everyone."

On two near collisions in the game ... "We had a little communication problem. Me and Grace (Leutele) and Mili (Rebekah Milian) have had a communication problem, why fix it now?"

U-M Freshman First Baseman Samantha Findlay
"It was a great team, I couldn't ask for a better team. I would give up any individual awards over this team. Playing for this team has meant the world to me, and I couldn't have asked for a better leader."