Season Preview: 2019 Michigan Softball
1/31/2019 2:41:00 PM | Softball
The University of Michigan softball team reasserted itself atop the Big Ten Conference last season, capturing the program's 20th league title and 10th in 11 seasons. Under head coach Carol Hutchins -- the winningest coach in NCAA softball history now in her 35th year at Michigan -- the Wolverines return seven starters in 2019, including a pair of NFCA All-Americans from a season ago, and have the talent and experience capable of making another deep postseason run.
Wolverine Bites
• The 2019 campaign marks the program's 42nd season of intercollegiate play and the 35th under head coach Carol Hutchins. With a 1,571-504-5 record over her coaching career, Hutchins owns more wins than any other coach -- in any division -- in NCAA softball history. She became the winningest coach with U-M's 8-0, five-inning decision at Indiana on April 2, 2016, passing former Fresno State coach Margie Wright (1,457, 1980-2012). Hutchins is also the winningest coach -- male or female -- in Michigan Athletics history.
• Michigan returns 14 letterwinners this year, including seven returning starters -- three infielders, two outfielders and its standout battery from a season ago.
• Seniors Katie Alexander and Faith Canfield and junior Madison Uden will serve as the Wolverines' tri-captains in 2019. It is the second straight season that Canfield will serve in the role. The trio was critical to the Wolverines' success last season.
• In 2018 the Wolverines captured the 20th Big Ten regular-season title in program history and 10th in the last 11 years. U-M registered its 24th straight 40-win season with a 44-13 overall record and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 25th consecutive year.
Breaking Down the Roster
• Pitching and defense were the Wolverines' greatest strengths last season and are expected to shine again in 2019. 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. U-M returns the bulk of its infield in senior and two-time All-America second baseman Faith Canfield, sophomore shortstop Natalia Rodriguez and junior third baseman Madison Uden.
• Michigan returns two of its three pitchers from a season ago in sophomore left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien and sophomore right-hander Sarah Schaefer. 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.
• Michigan also returns two of its three starting outfielders in senior Natalie Peters and junior Haley Hoogenraad. Peters, who started every game at center field last year, is an All-Big Ten honoree approaching her third season in the starting lineup, while Hoogenraad posted a 75-point improvement in her batting average in her first season in the everyday lineup.
• The Wolverines welcome six newcomers, including four nationally ranked prospects, to the 2019 squad -- a pitcher, a catcher, two infielders and two outfielders that combined for 19 all-state accolades. While all have potential to earn playing time throughout the season, U-M is expected to immediately call on outfielder Lexie Blair and pitcher Alex Storako to step into the lineup.
2019 Schedule
• Michigan's 2019 slate features 15 opponents that reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago, including five teams from the 2018 NCAA Women's College World Series in Arizona State, Florida, Oregon, UCLA and Washington.
• U-M will kick off the season at the annual Wilson-Demarini Tournament, scheduled for Feb. 8-10 in Tampa, Florida. Among their five-game slate at the annual USF tournament, the Wolverines will face perennial powers Arizona State and Florida in their second and third games of the season.
• Michigan will host 15 regular-season contests at Alumni Field this season. U-M will host Kent State for a three-game series (March 16-17) before opening Big Ten play with a home series against Nebraska the following weekend (March 22-24) -- U-M's first against the Cornhuskers since 2016. The Wolverines will also host Big Ten matchups against Indiana (April 5-7), Michigan State (April 23) and Penn State (April 26-28).
