Michigan
Delaware
Wolverines to Kick Off 2025 Campaign at Annual USF Tournament
2/3/2025 3:04:00 PM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team (0-0) will return to the annual USF-Rawlings Tournament this weekend in Tampa, Fla., to kick off its 48th season of intercollegiate play. The Wolverines will open against five non-conference opponents, including Delaware at 11:30 a.m. and host USF at 4:30 p.m. on opening day Friday (Feb. 7). U-M continues against Illinois State at 10 a.m. and No. 3 Florida at 3 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 8) before wrapping up with a 9:30 a.m. slate against Georgia Southern on Sunday (Feb. 9). All games will be held at USF Softball Stadium.
Notes
• U-M returns 17 letterwinners from the 2024 squad including. Notable among the U-M returnees are three All-Big Ten selections in senior RHP Lauren Derkowski, junior third baseman Maddie Erickson and senior outfielder Ellie Sieler. The Wolverines also return sophomore outfielder Ella Stephenson, who earned All-Big Ten second team honors, and was joined on the All-Big Ten freshman team by sophomore catcher Ava Costales.
• Michigan graduated its home run leader from last year, All-Big Ten honoree Keke Tholl, but returns the rest of its top batters for the 2025 season. Erickson led the team with a .352 batting average in addition to posting 12 doubles and 12 home runs. Sieler ranked second on the team in batting average, posting a .341 average from the leadoff spot while senior infielder Ella McVey posted a .313 batting average from the No. 9 spot.
• Michigan returns three pitchers from its 2024 staff which combined for a 2.69 earned-run average, seven shutouts, 375 strikeouts and a .230 opposing average. Derkowski, who earned both All-Big Ten first team and NFCA All-Great Lakes Region second team honors, led U-M with 19 wins, three shutouts, and 222 strikeouts. Sophomore RHP/UT Erin Hoehn posted a 15-5 record with 91 strikeouts and a .238 opposing average in her rookie campaign. Derkowski ranked 14th nationally in total strikeouts and 61st in strikeouts-per-seven-innings (7.3).
• U-M welcomed a talented seven-member freshman class with four of the Wolverine newcomers included in the Extra Inning's Class of 2024 national prospect ranking -- including three in the top 20. All are likely to see action this season, in particular, utility player Lauren Putz and RHP/utility Haley Ferguson seeking extended starting time.
• The Wolverines also brought in sophomore RHP Reganne Bennett, the 2023 Michigan Softball Gatorade Player of the Year, this season from the transfer portal. Bennett appeared in six games as a pitch, posting a 4-0 record with a 0.86 ERA and 21 strikeouts, last season at South Carolina. She also registered a .286 batting average with four homers and 12 RBI over 13 games at designated player.
• Michigan posted a 6-0 record in fall ball action, outscoring its opposition 58-4 with wins over Toledo, Detroit Mercy, Oakland, Central Michigan and Bowling Green. U-M earned three shutout wins with a fall team batting average of .388 with 27 extra-base hits and a 0.60 team earned-run average.
• Derkowski, McVey and Sieler will serve as Michigan's co-captains in 2024-25. Derkowski is in her second year as a Wolverine team captain.
• Bonnie Tholl is in her third season at the helm of the Wolverine program after previously serving 29 years as Carol Hutchins' top assistant coach. In her fourth season, Tholl led the Wolverines to a 43-18 record in 2024, winning 33 over their final 42 games. The Wolverines captured the Big Ten Tournament title and reached the regional championship. Tholl and Jennifer Brundage, Amanda Chidester and Faith Canfield were named the NFCA's Great Lakes Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
• The Wolverines' 2025 schedule features six teams that reached the NCAA tournament a season ago, including three-game series against new Big Ten foes UCLA and Oregon, ranked No. 5 and No. 23, respectively. The NFCA preseason poll includes five Big Ten teams, while Michigan sits just two spots outside of the top 25. The Wolverines will also face No. 3 Florida over their opening weekend at the USF Tournament. Michigan went 2-0 against the Gators last season.
