Wolverines to Host Purdue for Weekend Series

» No. 17 Michigan will host Purdue for a three-game home series this weekend at Alumni Field; U-M will play at 4 p.m. on Friday (March 30), 2 p.m. on Saturday (March 31) and 1 p.m. on Sunday (April 1).
» Michigan has won 19 of its last 20 games and is coming off its most dominant win of the season, posting 15 hits while allowing none in a 15-0, five-inning decision against Detroit Mercy.
» Faith Canfield has matched a career-long 13-game hitting streak; she has batted .467 over the stretch with 11 runs batted in.

• Complete Game Notes

The No. 17-ranked University of Michigan softball team (25-7, 1-1 Big Ten) will continue Big Ten Conference play at home this weekend, hosting Purdue (8-24, 1-2 Big Ten) for a three-game series at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. The series kicks off with a 4 p.m. slate on Friday (March 30), continues at 1 p.m. on Saturday (March 31) and closes with a 1 p.m. game on Sunday (April 1). Friday and Sunday's games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.

• Michigan faces Purdue for the first time since 2014 with this weekend's three-game series. The Wolverines owns a decisive 42-2 advantage in the all-time series between the programs, but the Boilermakers did claim one of the most recent meetings, splitting a 2014 doubleheader in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue claimed a 3-2 win in the opener, before U-M responded with an 11-0 decision in six innings.

• Michigan earned its most lopsided decision of the season in its most recent outing, defeating Detroit Mercy, 15-0, in five innings on Wednesday (March 28). The Wolverines posted season highs with 15 runs and 15 hits -- coming from 10 different players.

• U-M is 2-0 in home games this season with a 5-0 decision against in-state foe Central Michigan in its opener (March 21) and the Detroit Mercy win. The Wolverines posted a 17-0 record at Alumni Field during the regular season in 2017, but fell in their last appearance, a 5-4 upset loss to Michigan State in their Big Ten Tournament opener. U-M is 550-134-1 all-time at Alumni Field.

• The Wolverines saw their 18-game winning streak halted in their most recent Big Ten slate, a 4-3 decision in the second game of a Friday twinbill at Iowa last Friday (March 23). Michigan outscored its opposition, 113-17, over the 18-game stretch, recording a .350 team batting average and 0.99 earned-run average.

• Senior first baseman/right-handed pitcher Tera Blanco saw her career-best 16-game hitting streak halted in U-M's midweek slate against Detroit Mercy. Blanco posted a .353 batting average with nine extra-base hits and 16 runs batted in over the stretch. She missed two starts a couple weeks ago due to illness, but entered to pinch-hit in the fourth inning against Fort Wayne and knocked out a three-run homer. She also posted a three-run home run against Iowa last Friday (March 23).

• Junior second baseman Faith Canfield now owns the team's longest active hit streak with a 13-game run -- matching her career long. Canfield, who entered on a 10-game hit streak, has batted .467 over the current stretch with eight extra-base hits and 11 RBI.

• Sophomore outfielder Haley Hoogenraad has been nearly perfect at home this season, hitting .833 (5-for-6) with two doubles, a grand slam and five RBI through two appearances. She posted a career performance in the Wolverines' last game, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and five RBI against Detroit Mercy.

• The Wolverines have not committed an error in their last 15 games and shares the nation's top spot -- with Oklahoma -- with a .988 fielding percentage. Last season, Michigan ranked second in the nation with a .981 fielding percentage, while six Michigan starters boasted fielding percentages at or above .970 -- most notably Canfield, who has just two errors in 143 touches for a .986 fielding percentage.

• Michigan also leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth nationally with a 1.16 staff ERA. Freshman left-hander Meghan Beaubien ranks high in several pitching categories, most notably leading the nation with 17 wins on the season. She also leads the Big Ten with a 0.88 ERA, 3.25 hits allowed per seven innings, six complete-game shutouts, 5.40 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.55 walks allowed per game.

• Beaubien and fellow freshman Sarah Schaefer combined for a five-inning no-hitter against Detroit Mercy, with 11 strikeouts and three walks between them. It is the third no-hitter for the Wolverines this season. The rookie duo both own a solo effort, with Beaubien no-hitting Georgia State in her first collegiate start and Schaefer tossing a five-inning perfect game against Robert Morris.