After playing in the Capital Classic, Michigan has one more weekend tournament -- the March 27-28 Purdue Boilermaker Invitational -- remaining on its schedule before opening doubleheader play March 31 at Eastern Michigan University.

Capital Classic Next Test for Wolverines
Michigan softball resumes its season with a trip to the west coast for the 16-team Capital Classic hosted by California State University at Sacramento. Four nationally-ranked teams -- No. 9 Michigan, No. 15 Oregon, No. 20 Nebraska and No. 23 Iowa -- headline the 1999 tournament field.

Michigan vs. Capital Classic Field

Baylor -- Pool play opponent for Wolverines. . . . Baylor holds a 2-1 lead in the all-time softball series, with all three games played in the 1984 Baylor Tourament. . . . Web site: www.BaylorSportsNet.com.

Indiana State -- Michigan won the only meeting with Indiana State, posting a 7-0 victory at the 1996 Tennessee Tournament. . . . Web site: web.indstate.edu/athletics/.

Iowa -- Ranked No. 23 in USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. . . . Iowa carries a 44-29 lead in the series vs. Michigan but has beaten the Wolverines just four times in the last 10 games (1997-98). . . . U-M pitchers vs. UI: Jamie Gillies 3-0 (1 SHO). . . . Web site: hawkeyesports.com.

Kansas -- Would be a first-time Michigan opponent. . . . Web site: www.jayhawks.org.

Nebraska -- Ranked No. 20 in USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. . . . Michigan carries a 5-4 lead in the all-time series, losing the last game vs. the Cornhuskers 3-2 at the 1998 NFCA Leadoff Classic. . . . U-M pitchers vs. NU: Marie Barda 0-1. . . . Web site: huskerwebcast.com.

Ohio -- Michigan carries a 2-1 record vs. Ohio. The Bobcats won the last meeting, a 3-1 win at the 1997 Purdue Boilermaker Invitational. . . . Web site: www.ohiobobcats.com.

Oklahoma State -- Oklahoma State leads the series vs. Michigan 5-1. . . . The teams met twice in 1998 season, splitting the two games. OSU eliminated U-M from the NCAA Women's College World Series with a 3-1 victory. . . . U-M pitchers vs. OSU: Jamie Gillies 0-1. . . . Web site: www.okstate.com.

Oregon -- Ranked No. 15 in USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. . . . Michigan has won two of the three meetings vs. the Ducks, the last a 4-3 win at the 1995 Arizona State Classic. . . . Wolverine sophomore shortstop Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) is the first U-M player from the state of Oregon. . . . Web site: www.goducks.com.

Portland State -- Pool play opponent for Michigan. . . . Will be a first-time softball opponent for Michigan. . . . Web site: www.vikings.pdx.edu.

Rutgers -- Michigan and Rutgers have met twice on the softball field -- a March 21, 1983, doubleheader in South Carolina -- with the Wolverines winners both games. . . . Web site: athletics.rutgers.edu.

Sacramento State -- Host school for Capital Classic. . . . Sacramento State carries a 3-2 record vs. Michigan, including a win in the last game: 1-0 at the 1997 San Diego State Campbell/Cartier Classic. . . . The teams have met once before in a CSUS tournament -- a 1-0 Michigan win in the 1994 Cellular One Capital Classic. . . . Web site: www.csus.edu/atic/sports.html.

Southeast Missouri State -- Would be a first-time Michigan opponent. . . . Web site: www2.semo.edu/athletics.

Southern Illinois -- Pool play opponent for Wolverines. . . . Michigan has never beaten Southern Illinois in two past meetings, losing the last game 1-0 at the 1997 Florida State Lady Seminole Invitational. . . . Web site: www.siu.edu/~softball.

Southwest Missouri State -- Michigan is 2-1 vs. Southwest Missouri State, with the Bears winning the last meeting, 2-1, at the 1997 Tennessee Tournament. . . . Web site: www.sports.smsu.edu/sb.

Michigan Takes Speedline Title
Spring break was a successful one for the Michigan Wolverines, who scrapped their way to a 10-game win streak and the March 4-7 Speedline Invitational title. It was the Wolverines' first season tournament title since winning both the Boilermaker Classic and NFCA Leadoff Classic in 1998. The Wolverines won eight straight games at the Speedline, including three via shutout and another three by one run.

Pool Play: U-M 4, Florida Atlantic 1; U-M 4, Georgia 3; U-M 9, Mississippi State 3; U-M 5, Florida State 0; U-M 3, Hofstra 0.

Championship Playoffs: U-M 2, Illinois-Chicago 1 (9 inn.); U-M 4, Mississippi State 3; U-M 8, South Carolina 0.

600th Career Win for Coach Hutchins
A 3-0 shutout of Hofstra on March 5 gave 15-year Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins her 600th career coaching victory. Hutchins, who coached a year at Ferris State in addition to her 15 seasons at U-M, is the 26th person at any NCAA divisional level to reach the 600-win milestone. She carries a 603-268-1 head coaching record, including a 580-257-1 record with the Wolverines. Hutchins is 28 games shy of coaching her 900th collegiate game, heading to the Capital Classic with 872 games as a college head coach.

Lappo Configures Career Weekend
Michigan junior catcher Karmen Lappo (Muskegon, Mich./North Muskegon HS) put together a career weekend at the Speedline Invitational (March 4-7). Not only did Lappo capture the tournament's Most Valuable Player award -- her first all-tournament award as a Wolverine -- she drilled her first-ever U-M home run. Lappo played in six Speedline Invitational games, earning five starts directing the Michigan pitchers from behind the plate. She finished the tournament batting .250 (4-for-16) and connected on her first U-M home run -- a grand slam in the first inning of Michigan's 8-0 championship victory vs. No. 13 South Carolina (March 7). Lappo totaled five RBI -- her first as a Wolverine -- and a double in the tournament. Lappo heads to the Capital Classic carrying a .313 batting average (5-for-16).

Conrad Smashes Michigan Hits Mark
Traci Conrad (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way HS) put her name at the top of the Michigan career hits list with a record-breaking single vs. Hofstra March 6 at the Speedline Invitational. Conrad, who has 279 hits over her four Michigan seasons, surpassed the old mark of 275 established by Sara Griffin last season (1995-98). Conrad already holds Michigan's career runs record (180) and is among the top three all-time in at bats (729), doubles (43), batting average (.383) and stolen bases (58).

Wolverine Career Hit Leaders
1.	279	Traci Conrad	1996-present
2.	275	Sara Griffin	1995-98
2.	272	Kellyn Tate	1995-98
4.	244	Patti Benedict	1990-93
5.	240	Alicia Seegert	1984-87

Davie Moves up to Second on RBI List
Michigan senior Catherine Davie (Westlake Village, Calif./Westlake HS) is making the most of her final collegiate season. The left fielder sits atop the Wolverine hitting statistics with a .373 average (25-for-67), totaling 13 extra-base hits among her team-leading 25 hits. She also has a Michigan-best 19 RBI, pushing her career total to 135 RBI -- second on the all-time U-M list. Over a 10-game stretch (Feb. 27 to March 6), Davie recorded nine games with an extra-base hit, including a pair of doubles vs. Providence March 2. Davie totals a team-high 10 doubles, one triple and two home runs, including a grand slam March 5 vs. Mississippi State. Davie, who collected all-tournament honors at the Speedline Invitational, needs three hits to reach 200 for her Michigan career. She will become the ninth Michigan player to reach the 200-hit milestone.

Michigan Career RBI Leaders
1.	184	Sara Griffin	1995-98
2.	135	Catherine Davie	1996-present
3.	131	Tracy Carr	1993-96
4.	124	Patti Benedict	1990-93
5.	115	Traci Conrad	1996-present

Davie Leading Wolverine Offense
After a slow start in the season's first five games, senior Catherine Davie used the Feb. 26-28 NFCA Leadoff Classic to bolt to the top of the Michigan offensive stats. Davie completed the five-game weekend going 9-for-19 (.474) with three extra-base hits and seven RBI. Davie collected her 12th career home run with a game-winning two-run, two-out right field shot in the bottom of the eighth inning vs. No. 18 Arizona State (Feb. 26). Davie's eighth-inning RBI double vs. No. 23 Hofstra (Feb. 27) broke open a scoreless game while her ninth-inning single scored the Wolverines' fifth and final run against the Flying Dutchwomen. With a team-best nine RBI, Davie has 125 RBI for her career, moving into third place on the Michigan career list.

Michigan Career RBI
1.	184	Sara Griffin	1995-98
2.	131	Tracy Carr	1993-96
3.	125	Catherine Davie	1996-present
4.	124	Patti Benedict	1990-93

Doubles Record Taking Hit
Two Michigan seniors are putting the hit on the school's career doubles record. Left fielder Catherine Davie and first baseman Traci Conrad are second and third, respectively, on the Wolverines' all-time doubles list behind record-holder Sara Griffin (58, 1995-98). Davie, who has 10 doubles this season, heads to the Capital Classic with 49 doubles, while Conrad, who has hit four doubles, totals 43 two-baggers for her career. . . . Davie is on track to better her season-best doubles total. She finished with 14 doubles in both the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Michigan Career Doubles
1.	58	Sara Griffin	1995-98
2.	49	Catherine Davie	1996-present
3.	43	Traci Conrad	1996-present
4.	40	Tracy Carr	1993-96
5.	37	Jenny Allard	1987-90

Barda Breaks Out in Circle
After a year adjusting to collegiate-level pitching, sophomore Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS) is making great strides in contributing to the Michigan pitching game this season. Barda, who put together a 5-2 record over 15 appearances a year ago, has a 5-1 mid-March record over 13 appearances and 52 2/3 innings of work. An all-tournament award winner, Barda threw four wins in the Speedline Invitational and recorded a career-first save in a 4-3 semifinal victory vs. Mississippi State (March 7). Barda tallied a career-high six strikeouts vs. Hofstra (Feb. 27). She carries a team-best 1.20 ERA with 32 strikeouts through the early portion of the 1999 season.

Stealin' the Bases
Michigan is using its team speed to its advantage, compiling 39 stolen bases in 45 attempts (87 percent) through the first 20 games. Leading the steal parade is freshman second baseman Kelsey Kollen (Cerritos, Calif./Mater Dei HS) who has nine stolen bases in 10 attempts. Three times Kollen has stolen two bases in a game, the last coming Feb. 26 vs. Arizona State. Senior Tammy Mika (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS) follows with six stolen bases (6-for-7), pushing her career total to 31 stolen bases (31-of-39).

Solid in the Circle
The three Michigan pitchers -- Marie Barda, Kate Eiland (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS) and Jamie Gillies (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) -- have combined for a 1.76 team ERA and .229 opponent batting average over the season's first 20 games. Eiland carries a team-best 7-2 record (1.40 ERA) over 11 appearances and seven starts. Barda has fashioned a team-best 1.20 ERA with a 5-1 record in 13 appearances. She has thrown 32 strikeouts. Junior Gillies is 3-2 in eight appearances (3.32 ERA). Eiland and Barda have each thrown a season-high six strikeouts -- Eiland vs. Virginia Tech (Feb. 20) and Barda vs. Hofstra (Feb. 27). Gillies and Barda each have career-first saves in 1999 -- Gillies against Providence (March 2) and Barda vs. Mississippi State (March 7).

Setting Up the Offense
Sophomore Melissa Taylor (Deerfield, Mich./Summerfield HS) is using her No. 9 spot in the Michigan batting order to set up the top-of-the-order offense. Michigan's second-leading hitter, with a career-best .365 batting average, Taylor put together a 10-game hit streak over the Feb. 28 to March 7 stretch, going 14-for-27 (.519). Once Taylor is on base, she has scored seven runs -- fourth-best among the Wolverines -- and stolen four bases. She has four multiple-hit games, including a 3-for-3 showing vs. St. John's (March 2) in the second game of her career-long hit streak.

Maize 'n Blue Diamond Gems
Kim Bugel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS) used patience at the plate to match her career best with two walks vs. Providence March 2. It was the fourth game of her Wolverine career Bugel has recorded a pair of walks.

Kelsey Kollen heads to her home state for the March 18-21 Capital Classic carrying a Michigan-best eight-game hitting streak. Compiled over the March 4-7 Speedline Invitational, Kollen is 13-of-28 (.464) during the past eight games. Included is a perfect 4-for-4 game vs. Florida State March 5.

Freshman Mary Conner (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion HS) collected her career-first RBI -- a game-winner -- with a ninth-inning sacrifice fly vs. No. 17 Illinois-Chicago in the March 6 Speedline Invitational quarterfinals. Conner's sacrifice fly scored Tammy Mika from third base for the 2-1 extra-inning victory.

Catherine Davie matched her career game-high with four RBI in the Wolverines' 9-3 win vs. Mississippi State March 5. All four Davie RBI came via her career-first grand slam home run. It marked the third time Davie has recorded a four-RBI game as a Wolverine.

Junior Pam Kosanke (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central HS) continues steady play at third base and at the plate. A starter in 153 of 154 Wolverine games in her career -- 80 at third base and 73 at shortstop -- Kosanke is batting .258 (16-of-62) with two doubles, eight RBI and a pair of stolen bases. She has four games with two hits and has twice collected two RBI this season.

Sophomore Chrissy Garza (Southgate, Mich./Southgate Anderson HS) has earned eight starts among her 15 games in 1999, five times starting as the designated player and three times in right field. She has recorded her career-first hit (vs. Southwestern Louisiana Feb. 26) and RBI (vs. Arizona State Feb. 26) and is a perfect 2-for-2 in the stolen base category.

Rebecca Tune (Aloha, Ore./Jesuit HS) recorded the 13th and 14th two-hit games of her Michigan career with 2-for-3 performances against Arizona State (Feb. 28) and Mississippi State (March 5). The two-year starting shortstop tallied a season-high two RBI vs. Georgia (March 4).

Freshman designated player Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Salem HS) has 11 starts in 13 games. She powered her Michigan-first double and RBI against Florida (Feb. 21).

Michigan softball played its 1,100th varsity game with the March 4 Florida Atlantic game, a 4-1 Wolverine victory. The Wolverines are 743-363-1 (.672) over 22 varsity seasons.

Karmen Lappo will celebrate her 21st birthday on Friday (March 19), the second day of the March 18-21 Capital Classic in Sacramento, Calif. The Wolverines have pool play games vs. Southern Illinois and Portland State scheduled on Friday.

All 17 players on the Michigan roster have seen game action during the season's first 20 games.

USA Today /NFCA Coaches Poll
Michigan Weekly Rankings

Poll	Date	    Rank	Pts.
Pre	January 27  5th	        498
1	March 3	    14th	280
2	March 10    tie-9th	383

Michigan 1999 Record When...

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

Current Win Streak: 10 games

Scoring by Innings
Inning	Michigan	Opponent
1	14	5
2	8	6
3	16	6
4	8	9
5	13	6
6	10	4
7	3	7
Ex.	11	6
Total	83	49

Contact: Amy Carlton, Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423

Last updated: Wednesday, 17-Mar-1999 02:19:39 EST