Great Year Softball!!!!
Can someone write up a post at some time with who is leaving/returning/incoming recruits?
Returning next season-
1 Amy Knapp SS SR
2 Brandi Virgil OF JR
4 Taylor Hasselbach 1B/3B JR
8 Ashley Lane 2B SR
10 Sara Driesenga RHP SO
11 Lyndsay Doyle OF JR
15 Nicole Sappingfield OF JR
16 Katie Luetkens UT JR
17 Haylie Wagner LHP SO
18 Jaclyn Crummey OF SR
19 Becca Garfinkel C SO
20 Mandy Gardner 1B JR
21 Stephanie Speierman RHP SR
25 Lauren Sweet C/OF SO
44 Caitlin Blanchard C JR
Departing-
3 Amanda Chidester 1B
5 Bree Evans OF
12 Stephanie Kirkpatrick 3B
14 Hilary Payne LHP
MGoSoftball is the recruitnik.
Right now, 2 players have signed letters of intent: Sierra Lawrence is a speedy middle infielder from Norcross, Georgia. Sierra Romero is a power hitting middle infielder from Murrieta, California.
They can both play anywhere in the field, according to Hutchins. The article implies that they will announce a couple more signees after the season ends (Michigan can't officially say anything until the letters are signed). All I can tell is what I can read between the lines of the official release on the Michigan website:
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/111411aaa.html
I agree that there is a good chance that Lauren Sweet moves from catcher to outfield. I'm guessing the outfield will be Sappingfield in left, Doyle in center and Sweet in right. I also figure one of the freshmen takes over at third and there are a few possibilities at first: either Lane moves from second to first and the other incoming freshman plays second, or we see Taylor Hasselbach (or Mandy Gardner) move into the lineup at first base. I'm guessing Hasselbach is our first baseman next year.
I will defer to Mgosoftball's judgment; he probably knows more than I do about such things.
Not to steal MGS's thunder, but here are the current Michigan commitments that I know of, and it is a very, very, good group (google for more individual info):
2012:
Sierra Romero (SS/2B, Murrieta, CA, Vista Murrieta)
Sierra Lawrence (SS, Norcoss, GA, Greater Atlanta Christian)
Lauren Connell (Not yet signed) (3B/C, West Lafayette, IN, West Lafayette)
2013 (Not yet Signed):
Kelly Christner (OF, Tinley Park, IL, Andrew)
Abby Ramirez (SS/C/2B, Chicago, IL, Trinity)
Megan Betsa (Pitcher, McDonough, GA, Union Grove)
2014 (Not yet Signed):
Tera Blanco (Pitcher, Orange County, CA, Marina)
Amanda Vargas (SS/3B, Orange County, CA, Tesoro)
Taylor Swearingen (3B /SS/2B /OF, Orange County, CA, Canyon, 4.5 GPA)
So this is the first time I've payed attention to softball... thanks to this board. I may be wrong, but it seemed like most of the current team is from Michigan... and most of those recruits are national... is this a new trend that more national recruits are interested in Michigan softball?
Right now, Michigan's roster is 8 from Michigan and 11 from the rest of the US (6 CA, 3 IL, 1 TX, 1 MD). That means that a typical recruiting class is 2 from Michigan and 3 from the rest of the US.
This is mostly speculation, but I think what you are seeing is the fact that Michigan owns recruiting in Michigan, and can wait to get in-state commits, while they want to wrap up commits from out of state as quickly as possible. So when you look at the early commits, you will only see the out-of-state players listed. The top in-state players will pick Michigan whenever they are offered.
Interesting comparison to football recruiting... pretty much the same strategy that Urban Meyer is trying at ohio, with the critical difference being, he doesn't have his own state nearly as locked up as he thought.
be missed. She nearly gave her life (literally) for this team.
The Sierra Twins will certainly have an immediate impact. I dont see Sweet moving to the OF. I think Sierra will head to RF, Colie takes command in CF and Lyndsay goes to LF.
At 1B, we still have Mandy Gardner. Coach had her at 1B earlier in the season. I am not sure what happened (possible injury?) but Chiddy quickly took over. So I think Mandy takes over for Chiddy.
Hail!
Congrats Ladies, very proud of your accomplishments!
- 4 straight B1G championships
- 1 Women's College World Series appearance
- 1 NCAA Super Regional Championship
- 3 NCAA Regional Championships
- 4 straight NCAA Tournament appearances
- 4 straight 40+ win seasons
What a great senior class! Thanks for all your hard work ladies!
Gonna be strange next year not seeing Bree Evans at the top of the lineup for Michigan.
Congrats to the Softball team, very good season. I thought they were going to force a game 3 for sure. Still, very good team.
Plus they are hot
Debatable...