Season Review: 2018 Michigan Softball
7/12/2018 12:44:00 PM | Softball
• Team Captains: Faith Canfield, Aidan Falk, Taylor Swearingen
• Record: 43-13, 18-3 Big Ten Conference (1st place)
• Big Ten Tournament: Quarterfinals
• NCAA Tournament: NCAA Regionals
The University of Michigan softball team reasserted itself atop the Big Ten Conference in 2018, capturing the 20th conference regular-season title in program history and 10th in the last 11 years. Under the direction of head coach Carol Hutchins, the Wolverines registered their 24th straight 40-win season with a 44-13 overall record -- in the program's 41st season of intercollegiate play -- and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 25th consecutive year.
The Wolverines boasted two NFCA All-Americans in freshman left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien and junior second baseman Faith Canfield, upping the program's totals to 40 individual honorees and 68 distinctions. Beaubien, who led the nation with 33 wins as a rookie, also claimed Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, while Hutchins was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the 17th time.
Team Highlights
• Michigan captured outright ownership of the 2018 Big Ten regular-season title with a decisive 8-0, five-inning win against rival Ohio State (May 5). Canfield and sophomore outfielder Haley Hoogenraad boasted three RBI apiece, while Beaubien struck out five in a one-hit shutout. The Wolverines, who reclaimed the league's top spot after a one-year hiatus, have captured 20 of the last 27 Big Ten regular-season crowns and 10 of the last 11.
• The Wolverines earned a 1-0 win against eighth-ranked -- and eventual NCAA champion -- Florida State at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Tallahassee, Florida. Beaubien was two outs shy of a perfect game against the Seminoles, instead settling for a seven-strikeout, two-hit shutout. Senior first baseman Tera Blanco drove in the winning run on an infield single in the first inning.
• After opening the season with a 6-6 record, Michigan reeled off 18 straight wins, outscoring its opposition 113-8 over the stretch, to go nearly a full month without a loss. Particularly impressive over the winning streak, U-M went 5-0 at the annual Judi Garman Classic with back-to-back wins over No. 8 Baylor (6-3) and No. 18 Louisiana Lafayette (3-1).
• Pitching and defense proved the Wolverines' greatest strengths in 2018. Michigan led the Big Ten and ranked seventh nationally with a 1.43 earned-run average and despite an all-new left side of the infield, listed third nationally with a sterling .983 fielding percentage. Seven starting position players boasted fielding percentages of .970 or better.
Individual Highlights
• Beaubien became just the second freshman in program history to garner first team All-America honors after leading the nation with 33 wins and boasting a 1.16 ERA, 266 strikeouts and a .135 opponent batting average. She was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year and was a top-three finalist for the NFCA Freshman of the Year.
• Canfield was named an NFCA All-American for the second straight season, earning third-team distinction after leading Michigan with a .391 batting average with 43 runs, 77 hits -- including 13 doubles -- seven home runs, and 38 RBI -- largely from the leadoff spot. She committed just one error over 169 touches for a sterling .994 fielding percentage. She is the 22nd Wolverine to earn multiple All-America citations.
• All three Wolverine pitchers posted at least one complete-game no-hitter on the season as Beaubien, senior right-handed pitcher Tera Blanco and freshman righty Sarah Schaefer combined for a school-record six no-hit performances. Beaubien boasted three no-hitters, combining for a fourth, and tossed an 11-strikeout, six-inning no-hitter against Georgia State (Feb. 9) in her first collegiate start. Schaefer threw the eighth perfect game in U-M history against Robert Morris (March 18), while Blanco tossed her first collegiate no-hitter with a 12-strikeout performance against Eastern Michigan (April 10).
• Sophomore third baseman Madison Uden and sophomore outfielder Haley Hoogenraad enjoyed some breakout success in their first season in the everyday starting lineup. Uden garnered NFCA All-Great Lakes Region first team honors after hitting .357 -- second best on the team -- with 35 RBI, while Hoogenraad batted .289 with 23 RBI.
Honors and Awards
Katie
Alexander
Meghan
Beaubien
Tera
Blanco
Faith
Canfield
Nick
Beaty
Madison
Uden
National Fastpitch Coaches Association
All-America (First Team): Meghan Beaubien
All-America (Third Team): Faith Canfield
All-Great Lakes Region (First Team): Meghan Beaubien, Tera Blanco, Faith Canfield, Madison Uden
All-Great Lakes Region (Second Team): Katie Alexander
All-Great Lakes Region (Third Team): Aidan Falk
Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year: Carol Hutchins, Bonnie Tholl, Jennifer Brundage, Alex Lagesse
Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Pitcher of the Year: Meghan Beaubien
Big Ten Freshman of the Year: Meghan Beaubien
Big Ten Coach of the Year: Carol Hutchins
All-Big Ten (First Team): Meghan Beaubien, Tera Blanco, Faith Canfield
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Katie Alexander
Sportsmanship Award: Morgan Swift
Big Ten Player of the Week
Player: Faith Canfield (March 5), Tera Blanco (April 2)
Pitcher: Meghan Beaubien (Feb. 19, Feb. 26, March 12, April 2), Sarah Schaefer (March 19)
Freshman: Meghan Beaubien (Feb. 12, Feb. 19, Feb. 26, April 2, April 16), Sarah Schaefer (March 19), Lou Allan (April 9)
Academic All-Big Ten
Katie Alexander, Jr., health and fitness
Aidan Falk, Sr., psychology
Haley Hoogenraad, So., political science
Natalie Peters, Jr., sociology
Alex Sobczak, Jr., biopsychology, cognition and neuroscience
Taylor Swearingen, Sr., business administration
Morgan Swift, Sr., business administration & mechanical engineering
Amanda Vargas, Sr., biopsychology, cognition and neuroscience
Nikki Wald, Sr., sport management
Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
Natalie Peters, Jr., sociology
Taylor Swearingen, Sr., business administration
Amanda Vargas, Sr., biopsychology, cognition and neuroscience
Nikki Wald, Sr., sport management
