Blair, Storako, Hutchins Earn Top Honors; U-M Puts Five on All-Big Ten First Team
5/19/2021 2:30:00 PM | Softball
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The University of Michigan garnered three individual awards and five first-team selections as the Big Ten announced its 2021 all-conference softball teams and award recipients Wednesday afternoon (May 19). Junior outfielder Lexie Blair was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, junior right-handed pitcher Alex Storako was the unanimous selection as Pitcher of the Year, and head coach Carol Hutchins claimed her 18th Big Ten Coach of the Year accolade.
Senior first baseman Lou Allan, senior LHP Meghan Beaubien and senior third baseman Taylor Bump join Blair and Storako on the All-Big Ten first team. The Wolverines have boasted at least three representatives on the first team in each of the last 13 seasons.
In addition, sophomore second baseman Julia Jimenez was named to the second team, while Bump and senior shortstop Natalia Rodriguez both earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team. Senior RHP Sarah Schaefer was selected as Michigan's sportsmanship honoree.
Blair garnered the 20th Big Ten Player of the Year award in Michigan program history, becoming the 14th different Wolverine to claim the honor -- and first since Sierra Romero won her third in 2016. Blair ranked among the league's leaders in nearly all offensive categories with a .411 batting average (58-for-141), .660 slugging percentage and .465 on-base percentage. She tallied 15 doubles, a triple, six homers and 24 runs batted in during the regular season. Blair, who also earned first team honors as a freshman (2019), was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team.
Storako was named Pitcher of the Year after posting a 21-3 record with a 0.88 earned-run average, seven shutouts, 252 strikeouts and a .128 opponent batting average over the regular season. She leads the nation with 13.0 strikeouts per seven innings and ranks fifth with 2.99 hits allowed per seven innings. Storako becomes the 16th Michigan pitcher to win the honor and the sixth different Wolverine to do so since 2009. She also was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team.
After guiding Michigan to its 22nd Big Ten title in program history and 12th in the last 13 years, Hutchins garnered Coach of the Year accolades for the 18th time in her career. The Wolverines finished the Big Ten-only regular season with a 36-6 record. Hutchins has claimed the league's top coach honor in nine of the last 13 seasons.
Allan earned All-Big Ten selection for the first time in her career after boasting a .385 batting average in regular-season play with a .685 slugging percentage and .442 on-base percentage. She leads the Wolverines with 42 RBI and shares the lead with 10 home runs.
Beaubien was named to the first team for the third straight season -- she was previously Big Ten Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in 2018 -- after posting a 15-3 record in regular-season play with a 1.14 ERA, 186 strikeouts and a .162 average against.
Bump garnered her first All-Big Ten selection after a breakout senior season with a .325 batting average, 10 home runs and 28 RBI. She owns a .650 slugging percentage and .410 on-base percentage. Bump also was named to the All-Defensive Team at third base, posting a .988 fielding percentage with 39 putouts, 43 assists and one error.
Jimenez also earned her first All-Big Ten recognition with selection to the second team. She batted .313 in regular-season play with 11 extra-base hits, including four homers, and 19 RBI.
A four-year starter, Rodriguez posted a .948 fielding percentage with 54 assists, 38 putouts and five errors and was involved in nine double plays. She was second on the team in runs scored with 29. Rodriguez was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team pick in 2018.
Schaefer owns a 1.27 ERA in nine appearances this season as part of a Michigan pitching staff that leads the nation in team ERA (1.10). She has 47 career appearances in the circle with eight starts.
The Wolverines, who captured their third straight Big Ten title, will kick off NCAA Regional play against Seattle University at 5 p.m. PDT on Friday (May 21) at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Wash.
• Big Ten Release
