College Softball News

Michigan Softball announces 2014 schedule

Michael Kasiborski, University of Michigan Athletics

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Head coach Carol Hutchins of the University of Michigan softball team announced the 2014 competition schedule for the reigning Big Ten champions today (Nov. 5), highlighted by 15 games at the Wilpon Complex, home of Alumni Field. U-M has 55 games on the schedule in all, including six non-conference tournaments to start the season.

The season begins on Saturday, Feb. 8, against Florida at the University of South Florida Tournament (Feb. 8-9). Florida earned a berth to the eight-team field of the 2013 Women’s College World Series along with U-M. The schedule features two more 2013 WCWS teams: Texas (March 8) and a rematch with Washington (March 6), the team that the knocked the Maize and Blue out of the WCWS. Both games will take place at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif.

The home slate for the Wolverines kicks off on Tuesday, March 18, against Bowling Green. U-M fans will get to see the off-season upgrades at Alumni Field for the first time at the home opener, including a new video scoreboard and AstroTurf outfield surface.

Michigan will play home series against Big Ten foes Indiana (March 21-23), Ohio State (April 4-6), Minnesota (April 18-20) and Wisconsin (May 2-4), with a single game against in-state rival Michigan State (Friday, April 11). Michigan will travel to East Lansing for two games against MSU (April 12-13) to complete the three-game conference series.

Hutchins and the team will host the fifth edition of the “Michigan Softball Academy” on May 1 to raise funds for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer organization.

This season’s Big Ten Tournament will be hosted by Northwestern (May 9-11).

The 2014 schedule includes 12 teams that earned a spot in the NCAA Softball Tournament, including a Super Regional rematch with Louisiana-Lafayette at the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational (Feb. 14-16). The Wolverines and Ragin’ Cajuns will play twice during the tournament (Feb. 14-15), and it will mark U-M’s first visit to Lafayette. The two teams have played in Ann Arbor five times and at neutral sites 11 other times. In 2013, the two teams battled in a tight Super Regional series with Michigan wining game one, 4-3, in eight innings and game three, 2-1, to claim a spot in the WCWS.

Michigan won the Big Ten title for the sixth consecutive season in 2013 and returns 16 letterwinners, including Big Ten Player of the Year Sierra Romero and All-Big Ten first team performers Sara Driesenga, Caitlin Blanchard, Sierra Lawrence and Lauren Sweet.
Contact: Michael Kasiborski (734) 763-4423

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