Conqu'ring Heroes: U-M Hall of Honor Inductee Findlay Recalls Title-Clinching Homer
11/3/2022 10:00:00 AM | Softball, Features
By Melissa Vozar
It is the 10th inning of the 2005 NCAA Division I Softball World Series ... the score is tied at 1 ... Michigan versus UCLA. Freshman Samantha Findlay is up to bat. The stress is high, but she does not let the nerves get to her. After all, she drove in the first U-M run of the game. She launches a three-run blast, the Wolverines go on to win 4-1 and capture their first-ever national championship.
This memory is something Findlay will remember for the rest of her life.
Findlay was a proud member of the Michigan softball team from 2005-08 and is a member of the soon-to-be-inducted U-M Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2022. She sat down for this week's episode of the "Conqu'ring Heroes" podcast to discuss her title-clinching home run, as well as her softball career as a whole.
"It's an absolute honor to be among some of the famous Michigan athletes and Michigan women," said Findlay.
She notes how strong the determination was of the entire team to win that national title before the season even began.
"Before the season even started in January, we had our heads set on that's what we wanted to do and that's what we were competing daily for," Findlay said.
When asked about the moment Findlay came up to bat, she shares how, while the pressure was high, she had prepared for an in-game situation like this throughout her entire softball career and was ready for the challenge.
"I always envisioned a pressure situation during my practices," she said. "The way that I grew up with my dad, always putting that pressure on you in practice so that when it ever happens in a game it felt normal to me, and it felt like I wanted to be in that position," said Findlay.
Findlay included that the crowd's emotions, her teammates' expressions and the fans' roar when she rounded third base will be memories she will never forget.
"I don't think I'll ever forget rounding third and being able to see the expression on everyone's face, on my team, and then beyond your team you have all the Michigan alumni and all the Michigan families who supported us all season in the background."
While Findlay's title-winning home run played a vital role in granting the Wolverines the title of national champions, she humbly notes that the entire team contributed to earning that honor.
"It's a unique thing when you have a team of 18-22 individuals and they can all set their mind on a role and everyone knows their role, from 'I'm only the backup catcher' to tomorrow 'I'm the pinch hitter' and everybody accepts that fully and we just went full force into focusing on one pitch, at one game at a time, until we got to where we wanted."
Although Findlay no longer contributes to the energy on the field, she is still a valuable asset to the Michigan softball program. Her final remarks include her gratitude for the Michigan softball program and her eagerness to continue her participation in it.
"I think it's amazing. I think it's what makes Michigan softball," Findlay said. "Michigan alumni are what the program is all about and we try to support the girls on the field for the current year in any way that we can and try to give back, and let them know that four years go by really quickly so cherish the moment and enjoy being together with their team, with their team number, that they're with and the group that they have and that they can truly do anything they set their mind to."
