Wolverines Boast Program-High Five All-Americans
5/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Five members of the University of Michigan softball team earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America recognition today (Wednesday, May 27) from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The quintet represents the program's largest single-season All-America contingent. U-M was one of just two schools -- along with LSU -- to receive five All-America nods.
Junior second baseman Sierra Romero and sophomore outfielder Kelly Christner were named to the 18-player first team, while sophomore RHP Megan Betsa earned second-team honors, and junior outfielder Sierra Lawrence and senior LHP Haylie Wagner were selected to the third team. It is the second career All-America honor for Wagner, while Romero becomes just the sixth three-time All-American in Michigan program history.
Michigan has boasted 37 different All-Americans -- combining for 59 distinctions -- in its 38-year program history. The Wolverines previously garnered four All-America citations in 1998, 2005, 2008, 2010. Michigan also matched a program best with two first-team selections.
Betsa and Wagner's dual selection marks the fourth time in program history that Michigan placed a pair of pitchers on the All-America teams; the Wolverines previously achieved the feat with Nikki Nemitz and Jordan Taylor in 2008 and 2010.
Romero joins Sara Griffin (utility/pitcher 1995, '96, '97), Traci Conrad (first base, 1997, '98, '99), Marissa Young (utility/pitcher, 2000, '02, '03), Nemitz (utility/pitcher, 2008, '09, '10) and Taylor (pitcher, 2008, '10, '11) as Michigan's three-time All-Americans. Romero ranks among the nation's leaders in several offensive categories, boasting a .472 batting average, .962 slugging percentage and .624 on-base percentage. She also leads the Wolverines with single-season program records in runs (83) and runs batted in (80).
Christner, in her first season in the Wolverine starting lineup, boasts career highs in every offensive category, including batting average (.404), runs (71), home runs (20), runs batted in (63) and slugging percentage (.808). She leads the Wolverines with 26 multi-hit games and was a unanimous All-Big Ten first team selection after hitting .452 in league play.
Named the 2015 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Betsa has boasted a breakthrough season from the circle, compiling a 30-4 record and ranking among the nation's leaders with a 1.56 earned-run average, 310 strikeouts and 10 complete-game shutouts. She boasts 14 double-digit strikeout games this season, including eight of her last 12, and lists third nationally with 11.2 strikeouts per game.
Michigan's everyday leadoff hitter, Lawrence boasts career highs in several categories, including batting average (.362), slugging percentage (.676) and on-base percentage (.490). She also leads the Wolverines with a career-high 17 doubles and 23 stolen bases and shares the team lead with 18 multi-RBI games. An All-Big Ten second team selection, she was named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week earlier this season after a stellar performance at the ASU Invitational.
Wagner garners All-America honors for the second straight year -- she was a second-team selection in 2014 -- after posting a stellar 22-2 record to date with a 1.82 ERA, 119 strikeouts and three complete-game shutouts. An All-Big Ten first team pick, Wagner has been terrific of late, going 9-0 over the Wolverines' current win streak with a 1.30 ERA and 48 strikeouts. She became just the seventh pitcher to surpass 500 career strikeouts in program history, and with a 97-17 career mark, she ranks third in program history with a .851 career winning percentage
Communications Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
