Upcoming Schedule
Wolverines Prep to Defend Title
Michigan is making its third appearance in the prestigious NFCA Leadoff Classic and heads into the 1999 tournament as defending Gold Division champions. The Wolverines upended Oklahoma State, 8-1, in the 1998 championship game and posted a 5-1 record over the three-day tournament. Michigan placed third in the 1997 NFCA Leadoff Classic.
The 1999 NFCA Leadoff Classic
Sponsored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the 1999 Leadoff Classic features 13 Top 25-ranked teams in the 24-team field. Among the field are six teams that competed in the 1998 NCAA Women's College World Series -- national champion Fresno State, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Washington.
The NFCA Leadoff Classic format consists of six four-team pools. Following pool play Friday and Saturday, the top team from each pool, along with two at-large teams, will advance to the Gold Championship bracket. The remaining four second-place teams and four at-large teams will be placed in the Silver Championship bracket. The remaining eight teams will be assigned to the Bronze Championship bracket. All brackets will be single elimination/consolation.
The Leadoff Classic will be played at the South Commons Stadium and Complex in Columbus, Ga. The tournament site is adjacent to the venue used for the 1996 NCAA Women's College World Series and the softball championships at the 1996 Olympic Games.
Complete tournament information can be accessed at the NFCA website, www.nfca.org.
Michigan and NFCA Leadoff Classic Field
Arizona State -- Ranked No. 18 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Michigan's tournament-opening opponent. . . . U-M beat ASU, 2-1, in the 1998 NFCA Leadoff Classic behind the pitching of All-American Sara Griffin (1995-98), who is now a graduate assistant coach with the Sun Devils. . . . ASU leads the all-time series, 5-4. . . . Web site: www.thesundevils.com.
Boston College -- Boston College begins its season at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. . . . Eagles are a first-time Michigan opponent. . . . Web site: www.bceagles.com.
Central Michigan -- Michigan and Central Michigan are old rivals in a series dating back to April 22, 1978. . . . The Wolverines beat CMU twice in 1998 to move ahead in the all-time series, 27-26. . . . Web site: www.cmich.edu.
Colorado State -- Michigan and Colorado State have met just once, with CSU a 2-1 winner in the 1991 tournament game. . . . Web site: www.csurams.com.
Connecticut -- Connecticut opens its season at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. . . . The Huskies and Wolverines have not met since the 1994 Cellular One Capital Classic in Sacramento, Calif. Michigan beat Connecticut, 3-2, to go ahead 2-0 in the softball series. . . . Web site: www.uconnhuskies.com.
DePaul -- Ranked No. 11 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Michigan and DePaul last met in the championship game of the 1998 NCAA Regional 3 Championship. U-M beat DePaul, 3-0, for the title. . . . Michigan is 4-0 vs. the Blue Demons. . . . Web site: www.depaul.edu/~godepaul/.
Florida State -- Ranked No. 21 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Michigan leads the series, 4-1, last facing Florida State in the 1996 Lady Seminole Invitational. . . . Former Wolverine All-American Michelle Bolster (1985-88) is a fourth-year assistant coach with FSU. . . . Web site: www.seminoles.com.
Fresno State -- Ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . The defending NCAA champions hold a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series vs. Michigan. . . . Fresno State no-hit the Wolverines in an 8-0 win at the 1998 NCAA Women's College World Series. . . . Web site: www.gobulldogs.com.
Hofstra -- Ranked No. 23 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Pool play opponent for Michigan. . . . The Feb. 27 game will be the first-ever between Hofstra and Michigan. . . . Web site: www.Hofstra.edu/Sports.
Louisiana State -- Ranked No. 9 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . The Wolverines are 1-0 vs. LSU, beating the Tigers, 3-2, at the 1998 SDSU/Campbell-Cartier Classic. . . . Web site: sports.lsu.edu.
Massachusetts -- Ranked No. 10 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Michigan carries a 4-2 advantage in the series vs. the Minutewomen. . . . The last time the two teams faced each other was a 3-0 Michigan win in the 1995 Lady Seminole Invitational. . . . Web site: www.umass.edu/athletics.
Michigan State -- In-state and Big Ten Conference rival Michigan State split the 1998 doubleheader vs. Michigan. . . . The Wolverines carry a 50-19 record against the Spartans. . . . U-M head coach Carol Hutchins is a 1979 MSU grad and former Spartan softball player. . . . Web site: www.msuspartans.com.
Missouri -- Michigan and Missouri have met just three times on the softball diamond, with the Tigers holding a 2-1 advantage. . . . Michigan beat Missouri, 3-2, in the last meeting March 4, 1998. . . . The active Wolverine roster has one Missouri native: third baseman Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS). . . . Web site: www.mutigers.com.
Nebraska -- Ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Nebraska handed U-M its only loss in the 1998 NFCA Leadoff Classic (3-2). . . . The Wolverines lead the series, 5-4. . . . Web site: huskerwebcast.com.
Nicholls State -- Michigan has never lost the Nicholls State in the three series games. . . . U-M posted a 1-0 victory vs. NSU in its opening game of the 1998 NFCA Leadoff Classic. . . . Web site: server.nuch.edu/~sports/sports.html.
Northeast Louisiana -- The teams have met just one time, a 3-0 Michigan win in the 1996 San Diego State Spring Classic. . . . Web site: www.nlu.edu/athletics/welcome.html.
Oklahoma -- Ranked No. 11 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Michigan took a 9-3 series lead with a 7-3 victory vs. Oklahoma in the 1998 NFCA Leadoff Classic. . . . Web site: www.ou.edu/athweb.
Oklahoma State -- Ranked No. 15 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Oklahoma State leads the series with Michigan, 5-1. . . . The Wolverines and Cowgirls split their two 1998 meetings. U-M beat OSU 8-1 to win the Gold Division championship of the NFCA Leadoff Classic while the Cowgirls eliminated the Wolverines from the NCAA Women's College World Series with a 3-1 victory May 23. . . . Web site: www.okstate.com.
South Carolina -- Michigan and South Carolina are tied 4-4 in the softball series following the Wolverines' 1-0 win in the 1997 NCAA Women's College World Series. . . . Web site: www.uscsports.com.
Southern Illinois -- The teams have met twice, the last game a 1-0 Southern Illinois win in the 1997 Lady Seminole Invitational. . . . SIU leads the series 2-0. . . . Head coach Kay Brechtelsbauer has 599 career wins and is poised to become the 25th coach to record 600 career victories. . . . Web site: www.siu.edu/~softball.
Southwestern Louisiana -- Ragin' Cajuns are a Michigan pool play opponent. . . . Michigan and Southwestern Louisiana have met three times, all in NCAA postseason tournament play. . . . USL is 3-0 vs. Michigan, the last win a 5-0 victory in the opening round of the 1995 NCAA Women's College World Series. . . . Web site: www.ragincajuns.com.
Stanford -- Ranked No. 14 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Michigan has faced Stanford just once, taking a 6-1 victory in the 1997 SDSU/Campbell-Cartier Classic. . . . Web site: www.gostanford.com.
Washington -- Ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches preseason poll. . . . Washington beat Michigan twice Feb. 19 (8-0, 6-3) at the Louisville Slugger Classic to take a 4-3 lead in the all-time series. . . . Web site: www.gohuskies.com.
Pair of Single Games Open March
Michigan takes a brief break from tournament action to play a pair of single games on March 2 in Tampa, Fla. The Wolverines face Big East members St. John's (11:30 a.m.) and Providence (1:30 p.m.). Both teams opens their respective 1999 seasons with the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 28-March 6, taking a break to face Michigan. . . . Providence and St. John's are each first-time Michigan softball opponents. . . . Providence web site: www.friars.com. . . . St. John's web site: www.stjohns.edu/athletics.
Two Sides to First Weekend
After opening the 1999 season and Louisville Slugger Classic 0-3, Michigan came back with back-to-back wins to finish second in the Feb. 19-21 tournament at Gainesville, Fla. No. 4 Washington handed the Wolverines 8-0 (6 inn.) and 6-3 losses Feb. 19. Virginia Tech powered a 6-2 win in the Feb. 20 opener before Michigan came back to record a 5-0 shutout vs. the Hokies in game two. The Wolverines completed the weekend with a 4-2 victory vs. No. 20 Florida Feb. 21.
Hot-Hitting Davie
Once the cold weather rustiness was brushed aside, left fielder Catherine Davie (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) fired up her offensive game. The senior finished the season-opening weekend hitting .400 with a double and triple among her six hits. Davie was a perfect 3-for-3 vs. No. 20 Florida, picking up an RBI with a third-inning double down the left field line. . . . Davie recorded her 40th career double vs. Florida at the LSC, moving her into a tie for third place with Tracy Carr (1993-96) on the Michigan career doubles list.
Freshmen Solid in First Weekend
A pair of Michigan freshmen passed their first collegiate weekend test with flying colors. Starting second baseman Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Mater Dei HS) compiled a .316 batting average over her 19 at bats, tying Catherine Davie and Traci Conrad for the team hits lead with six. Kollen smacked a pair of singles in each of the Feb. 19 Washington games, finishing 4-for-7 against the No. 4 Huskies.
Pitcher Kate Eiland (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS) made three starting appearances in the circle for Michigan, compiling a 2-1 record. Included was a 5-0 shutout vs. Virginia Tech in which she struck out a season-high six Hokies. Eiland carries a team-best 2.42 ERA with 13 strikeouts.
A Brush with History
Michigan's 0-3 start to the 1999 season marked the first time the Wolverines had lost three games in a row since mid-March 1997 at the South Florida Speedline Classic. It is the first three-game season-opening winless streak since a 0-2-1 start to the 1997 season.
Doublin' Conrad
First baseman Traci Conrad (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS) powered a pair of doubles over the season-opening Louisville Slugger Classic, moving her career total to 41. Conrad is now second on the Wolverine all-time doubles list and is chasing the Michigan record 58 doubles set by Sara Griffin (1995-98). . . . Conrad hit safely in four of the five games at the Louisville Slugger Classic, including a 2-for-4 day vs. Florida Feb. 21.
Steal Away
Michigan put its speed to good use in its first season tournament, stealing 11 bases in 12 tries. By comparison, the Wolverines stole only three bases in their first five games in 1998. Tammy Mika (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) totaled a team-high three stolen bases, nearly matching her total of four from last season.
Edging Close to Win No. 600
The two Michigan victories in the Louisville Slugger Classic improved Wolverine head coach Carol Hutchins' career win total to 590. She is No. 26 behind Southern Illinois' head coach Kay Brechtelsbauer (599) in the NCAA all-division career wins list. . . . The two coaches -- each poised to post career win No. 600 -- could meet during this weekend's NFCA Leadoff Classic championship bracket play.
Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems