In addition to closing its regular-season schedule, Michigan will recognize the graduating members of the two softball programs between the Saturday games. Wolverines Traci Conrad (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS), Catherine Davie (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS), Tammy Mika (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) and manager Blanca Lebron (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty HS) will be recognized along with IU seniors Khara Good and Jaime Thedford.

Wolverines Capture 1999 Big Ten Title
For the second consecutive year and sixth time in the past eight seasons, Michigan softball lays claim to the title "Big Ten Conference champions." Michigan used a combination of its 7-4 victory vs. Wisconsin May 2 and Michigan State's two wins vs. Minnesota (May 1-2) to win the Big Ten championship. U-M has been the top team in the conference throughout the 1990s, winning the league's season crown in 1992, '93, '95, '96, '98 and '99. . . . The softball team's conference championship is the sixth league crown won by a Wolverine team in the 1998-99 academic year (men's cross country, football, men's gymnastics, women's gymnastics, softball, women's indoor track and field).

The Week's Competition: Wolverines vs. Hoosiers

Indiana (17-37, 3-18 Big Ten) -- A young Indiana squad finishes its 1999 schedule at Michigan looking to put an end to a 13-game season losing streak. . . . The Hoosiers are led at the plate by senior Khara Good (.318) and freshman Brooke Monroe (.292). . . . Pitchers Teresa Martinez and Alison Cooke bring identical 8-14 records into the weekend series. . . . Michigan leads the softball series vs. Indiana 40-26, with an eight-game win streak intact. . . . IU coach Diane Stephenson earned the Hoosiers' first All-America citation in the 1981 season, the year Michigan's Carol Hutchins was an assistant coach with the Indiana program. . . . Hutchins is 37-19 vs. Indiana. . . . Wolverine pitchers vs. the Hoosiers: Marie Barda 0-0, Kate Eiland 0-0, Jamie Gillies1-0. . . . IU web site: www.athletics.indiana.edu.

Race for Big Ten Tournament Spots Heats Up
With Michigan set to host the May 14-15 Big Ten Softball Tournament at Alumni Field, the race for the remaining four spots in the postseason tournament looks to come down to the final weekend of league play.

The format for the 1999 Big Ten Softball Tournament has changed from the first four tournaments. For the first time, the top five teams in the season standings will advance to the tournament, with the fourth- and fifth-place teams opening action with a play-in game May 14. The winner of the play-in faces No. 1 seed Michigan and the loser is eliminated. Games two through five follow a double-elimination format, while game six is a winner-take-all championship game with the prize the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Big Ten Conference Standings (May 3)

 Place, Team          W-L   Pct.
 1. MICHIGAN+        18-3   .857
 2. Minnesota        12-7   .632
    Michigan State   12-7   .632
 4. Penn State       13-8   .619
 5. Iowa             11-8   .579
 6. Wisconsin        10-8   .556
 7. Purdue            8-12  .400
 8. Northwestern      7-13  .350
 9. Ohio State        5-16  .238
10. Indiana           3-18  .143

 + Big Ten season champion

 Wednesday (May 5) Games
 Iowa at Minnesota (2)
 Northwestern at Wisconsin (2)

 Saturday-Sunday (May 8-9) Series
 Indiana at Michigan (3)
 Ohio State at Minnesota (3)
 Penn State at Wisconsin (3)
 Michigan State at Iowa (3)
 Purdue at Northwestern (3)

Michigan's Melissa Gentile (O'Fallon, Mo./Wentzville HS) sent game one into extra innings with a seventh-inning solo home run to leftfield. UW scored twice in the top of the ninth to post its first-ever win over the Wolverines, 3-1. In the nightcap, Badger Lindy Barth's three-run home run in the sixth gave Wisconsin the doubleheader sweep, the first Big Ten doubleheader loss suffered by Michigan since April 9, 1995, and the first home doubleheader loss since May 1, 1994.

Trailing 3-0 after one-half inning, the Wolverines took charge in game three, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good. Second baseman Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Mater Dei HS) led the 12-hit Michigan offense with three hits while scoring three of the Wolverines' seven runs. Michigan's win not only thwarted a Wisconsin series sweep but gave U-M the 1999 Big Ten season championship.

Barda Tallies Second Season Save
Pitcher Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS), in the midst of a career-best season, recorded her second save of the 1999 season in the Wolverines' Big Ten championship-clinching 7-4 victory over Wisconsin (May 2). The sophomore entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth and retired the next two batters to end the inning. After back-to-back singles to open the seventh, Barda closed out the game with a pair of strikeouts and a popout for the save. Carrying a team-best 19-2 record, Barda posted her career-first save March 7 vs. Mississippi State (W, 4-3). She has tossed two one-hitters in 1999 and leads the team with a 1.20 ERA. . . . Barda is one win away from recording her 25th victory as a Wolverine. She enters the final regular-season weekend with a 24-4 career mark.

Davie and Conrad Move Up Doubles List
Seniors Catherine Davie and Traci Conrad continued their assault on the Michigan, Big Ten and NCAA career doubles records with solid performances against Wisconsin (May 1-2).

Davie moved into a first-place tie with Sara Griffin (1995-98) atop the Wolverine all-time doubles list with 58. Davie powered two doubles in game two of the series vs. the Badgers (May 1), improving her team-leading season doubles total to 19 and tying Conrad for third place on Michigan's season doubles record list.

Conrad, who doubled in her first at-bat in game three of the Wisconsin series (May 2), upped her career doubles total to 57, keeping her in the U-M doubles record race. Conrad's 18 doubles in 1999 is her second-highest season total as a Wolverine (finished with 19 in 1998).

Michigan's doubling duo ranks among the top 17 in NCAA Division I doubles records -- Davie tied at No. 14 and Conrad No. 17 -- and is among the top five in the all-time Big Ten doubles listing.

Gentile Improves Home Run Record
Junior Melissa Gentile continues to re-set her school career home run record. The designated player in the Wolverines' lineup, Gentile sent a solo shot to leftfield in game one of the May 1 Wisconsin doubleheader. It was Gentile's second straight game with a home run and her second four-bagger of the season, moving her career total to 21. Gentile has played in 10 games, returning to the U-M lineup April 17 following back surgery in late fall 1998. . . . Gentile recorded her 100th career RBI May 2 vs. Wisconsin. She is the seventh Michigan player to reach the 100-RBI milestone.

Gillies Snares 40th Career Victory
A 7-4 relief win vs. Wisconsin (May 2) pushed the career pitching record of Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) to 40-12 (.769). She ranks seventh on the Wolverines' career wins list and is fourth on the alltime winning percentage chart. The victory over Wisconsin improved Gillies' season record to 16-4, which matched her season-high wins total of 16 posted in 1998. She has made a career-high 28 pitching appearances in 1999.

Davie Flirting with .400 Season
Catherine Davie is pushing to become the seventh player in Michigan softball history to finish a season with a .400 or better batting average. The senior leftfielder currently leads the Wolverines with a .398 batting average and has seen that average go above .400 five different weeks in the season. Davie was hitting a season-high .467 after nine games (Feb. 27) and has seen her average as high as .429 over the past month (April 3). . . . Davie is tied with Melissa Gentile for fifth place on the Michigan career batting average list with a .346 average over her 236 games.

Kollen Continues Hot-Hitting Freshman Season
Freshman Kelsey Kollen, who recorded back-to-back three-hit games in the May 1-2 series vs. Wisconsin, has become one of the most consistent Michigan hitters. Tied with senior Traci Conrad as the team's second-leading hitter (.383), Kollen is averaging a team-best 1.43 hits a game with 80 total hits. Her .397 on-base percentage coupled with 15 stolen bases and 47 runs scored makes Kollen a threat every time she reaches base. . . . Kollen enters the Indiana series hitting safely in 16 of the last 19 games, with a .413 batting average (31-for-75) over the April 7-May 2 stretch.

Kosanke in Pursuit of Season RBI Title
Third baseman Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) has found a niche as one of Michigan's top RBI producers in 1999. The junior totals a career season-best 42 RBIs for the year, trailing team leader Catherine Davie by five RBIs (47). She has 10 multiple-RBI games, with the latest a two-RBI performance in the Wolverines' 7-4 conference championship-winning victory vs. Wisconsin (May 2). Kosanke enters the Indiana series with 82 career RBIs, five shy of moving into the Michigan career top 10 in that statistical category. . . . Kosanke is hitting a career-best .320 and collected her 50th hit of the season April 17 vs. Northwestern. She is seven hits away from reaching 150 hits as a Wolverine.

Taylor Solid at No. 9 Spot
Some players might be annoyed at hitting in the ninth position, but Michigan rightfielder Melissa Taylor (Deerfield, Mich./Summerfield HS) relishes the role. Taylor has seen her batting average rise 87 points from a year ago to .362 -- fourth-best among U-M hitters -- and her career average go to .316. Taylor collected her 50th hit of the season with a single vs. Wisconsin in Michigan's Big Ten championship-winning May 2 victory. The sophomore enters the Indiana series with hits in seven of the last eight games.

Maize & Blue Diamond Gems

• Traci Conrad carries a four-game hit streak, the longest current streak by a Wolverine hitter, into the Indiana series. Earlier in the season, Conrad put together an 18-game hit streak, spanning March 19-April 10, which is the longest by a Michigan player this season.

• Catherine Davie put together a 6-for-12 weekend vs. Wisconsin, including a pair of doubles and two runs scored, in three consecutive two-hit games. It is the fourth time this season Davie has recorded three consecutive multiple-hit games. . . . Davie and Kelsey Kollen have each tallied 23 multi-hit games this season, collecting two or more hits in 41 percent of the 56 games played.

• Tammy Mika, hitless in the May 1-2 Wisconsin series, remains two hits shy of tallying the 150th hit of her Michigan career and seven RBIs short of her 100th as a Wolverine. The senior centerfielder played in her 75th Big Ten game May 2 vs. Wisconsin.

• Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) recorded her 12th two-hit game of the season with a 2-for-3 performance May 2 vs. Wisconsin. The shortstop has six times posted two-hit games vs. Big Ten opposition this season.

• Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) is third on the Michigan season RBIs list with 33 and needs four hits for her 50th of the season.

• Michigan hitters have compiled 89 doubles this season, the third-highest season total by a Wolverine squad. The team record is 94 doubles by the 1995 squad.

Michigan Career Record Watches (through 5/2/99)

Career Hits Leaders

 333* TRACI CONRAD, 1996-present
 275  Sara Griffin, 1995-98
 272  Kellyn Tate, 1995-98
 246  CATHERINE DAVIE, 1996-present
 244  Patti Benedict, 1990-93
 240  Alicia Seegert, 184-87

* also Big Ten Career Record

 184  Sara Griffin, 1995-98
 163  CATHERINE DAVIE, 1996-present
 133  Tracy Carr, 1993-96
 133  TRACI CONRAD, 1996-present
 124  Patti Benedict, 1990-93

  21  MELISSA GENTILE, 1997-present
  18  CATHERINE DAVIE, 1996-present
  14  Sara Griffin, 1995-98
  11  Alicia Seegert, 1984-87
   7  Jessica Lang, 1994-97

  58  Sara Griffin, 1995-98
  58  CATHERINE DAVIE, 1996-present
  57  TRACI CONRAD, 1996-present
  40  Traci Carr, 1993-96
  37  Jenny Allard, 1987-90

 216* TRACI CONRAD, 1996-present
 160  Kellyn Tate, 1995-98
 148  Sara Griffin, 1995-98
 141  CATHERINE DAVIE, 1996-present
 126  Michelle Silver, 1992-95

*Also Big Ten career record

.389  TRACI CONRAD, 1996-present
.384  Sara Griffin, 1995-98
.360  Alicia Seegert, 1984-87
.357  Kellyn Tate, 1995-98
.346  MELISSA GENTILE, 1997-present
.346  CATHERINE DAVIE, 1996-present

  63  Diane Hatch, 1979-82
  60  TRACI CONRAD, 1996-present
  50  Patti Benedict, 1990-93
  45  Kellyn Tate, 1995-98
  44  Michelle Silver, 1992-95

 Poll  Date         Rank   Pts.
 Pre   Jan. 27       5th   498
  1    March 3      14th   280
  2    March 10     T9th   383
  3    March 17     10th   393
  4    March 24      8th   433
  5    March 31      7th   438
  6    April 7       6th   478
  7    April 14      6th   501
  8    April 21      6th   497
  9    April 28      4th   532

At home                           9-3
On road                          12-1
Neutral                          25-5-1
Tournament                       23-5-1
Vs. Ranked (season)              13-4-1
On Monday                         0-0
On Tuesday                        4-0
On Wednesday                      7-1
On Thursday                       3-0
On Friday                         6-3
On Saturday                      16-4
On Sunday                        10-1
Scoring first                    31-6-1
Opponent scores first            15-3
U-M scores in 1st inning         20-4
Opponent scores in 1st inning     8-2
U-M leading after 3 innings      32-4
U-M tied/trail after 3 innings   14-5-1
U-M leading after 6 innings      36-1-1
U-M tied/trail after 6 innings    8-8
Extra-inning games                7-2-1
Shutouts                         16-1
One-run games                     7-3
Two-run games                     7-2
Five+-run games                  19-1
Scoring less than 3 runs          5-5-1
Scoring 3 or more runs           41-4
Getting less than 6 hits          5-2-1
Getting 6 or more hits           41-7
Team steals 2 or more bases      14-4

Inning      1   2   3   4   5   6   7  Ex  Total
Michigan   61  43  43  26  39  43  25  19   299
Opponent   16   8  10  19  26  12  17   9   117

Last updated: Monday, 03-May-1999 21:59:45 EDT