Wolverines Add Zache Sisters from Transfer Portal
8/18/2026 1:00:00 PM | Softball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan softball head coach Bonnie Tholl announced today (Tuesday, Aug. 18) the addition of pitcher Berkley Zache and utility player Riley Zache to the Wolverine program from the transfer portal. The sisters, natives of Niles, Mich., both started their collegiate careers at Oklahoma and come to Michigan with multiple years of eligibility remaining.
"We are excited to bring elite talent from the state of Michigan back home to the University of Michigan," said Tholl. "Riley offers great athleticism with experience on the infield and in the outfield. She is so well-rounded that she excelled as a catcher in high school as well. She is ready to compete and flourish as a Wolverine.
"Berkley also has an incredibly high ceiling, and her fierce competitiveness will shine as part of our pitching staff. She is a proven winner and has a great blend of physical tangibles that make her so effective."
The Zaches played prep softball at Saint Joseph High School in South Bend, Ind., about 30 minutes away from their hometown, and in 2022, helped lead Saint Joseph to the Indiana Class 3A state championship. Riley graduated with 18 -- of a possible 25 -- offensive school records, while Berkley holds the single-season records for strikeouts, ERA, no-hitters, consecutive scoreless innings and shutouts.
Berkley Zache, a right-handed pitcher, appeared in 14 games in relief for Oklahoma as a freshman (2026), posting a 2.28 ERA across 15.1 innings with 14 strikeouts and a 1-0 record while allowing no earned runs in 11 of her 14 outings.
A 2023 MaxPreps first-team All-American, she was a three-time all-state honoree at Saint Joseph HS and three-time All-Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) selection, earning conference MVP honors in 2024. Berkley was 44-4 over a three-year prep career with a sterling 0.22 ERA, 714 strikeouts and a .063 batting average against. In the 2022 state championship game, she boasted 20 strikeouts and no walks en route to a 1-0 win in nine innings. She played travel ball with Virginia Unity, where she was a two-time PGF All-American and helped her team to two top-five finishes at the PGF National Championships.
A utility player, Riley Zache appeared in nine games for Oklahoma as a freshman (2025), going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI before redshirting last season due to injury.
Like her sister, she was a three-time all-state honoree at Saint Joseph High School, earning first-team honors as a junior (2023) and senior (2024) and a second-team nod as a sophomore (2022). Riley was also named Indiana's 2024 Johnny Bench Award winner as the top catcher in the state and a three-time All-NIC first team selection. She posted a career .503 batting average with 192 hits, 155 runs and 138 RBI as well as a .545 on-base percentage and .960 slugging percentage on 50 career doubles, 13 triples and 33 home runs. She played travel ball with Tennessee Mojo and Beverly Bandits, helping the Bandits to a fifth-place finish at the 2023 PGF National Championships and a 2022 Top Gun Invitational championship.
The Zache sisters round out Michigan's five-player transfer class, joining pitcher Sydney Schwartz, infielder Kira Day and catcher Abby Ptak.
• Day, Ptak Join Wolverine Program from Transfer Portal (6/23/26)
• Wolverines Add Transfer Pitcher Schwartz to 2027 Roster (5/26/26)
