Four Wolverines Earn NFCA All-Great Lakes Region Accolades
5/15/2025 2:05:00 PM | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Michigan softball team placed four players on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region teams, the organization announced Thursday (May 15). Senior pitcher Lauren Derkowski, sophomore outfielder Jenissa Conway and junior second baseman Indiana Langford were named to the all-region first team, while freshman designated player Lauren Putz earned second-team honors.
The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first-, second- and third-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all student-athletes now become eligible for the 2025 NFCA Division I All-America squads. The 2025 NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced on Wednesday, May 28.
Derkowski, who earns all-region first-team honors after back-to-back years on the second team, is 17-12 on the season with wins in five of Michigan's last six games and similarly leads the Wolverines with a 2.56 earned-run average, six complete-game shutouts, five saves and 160 strikeouts. She was named the Big Ten Tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second straight year after going 3-0 last weekend with a 1.11 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 19 innings.
Conway and Langford both joined Derkowski on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team and were All-Big Ten first-team honorees. Conway was a unanimous selection to the first team after posting a .432 batting average in Big Ten play with a .932 slugging percentage -- on seven doubles and 10 homers -- and a .481 on-base percentage. Her overall season batting average of .376 is a 140-point improvement over her rookie-season average (.236). She leads Michigan with 17 home runs and 49 RBI.
Langford leads the Wolverines with a career-high .409 batting average, an 80-point jump from her 2023 average (.329) when she earned All-Big Ten second-team honors. Langford has batted leadoff over the last 43 games and owns a team-best .481 on-base percentage. She also boasts career highs with 67 hits and 48 runs scored.
Putz, who was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and the top 25 list for the 2025 NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year, ranks second on the team with a .381 batting average and .462 on-base percentage. She ranks top 15 among the nation's freshmen leaders in several offensive categories, including runs per game (.88), total hits (64) and doubles (14) -- of which she leads all Big Ten freshmen -- and slugging percentage (.708).
Michigan will kick off NCAA Tournament play against UCF on Friday (May 16) at 1 p.m. CT at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas.
