Michigan Softball: Awards Banquet

from MGoBlue.com
http://www.mgoblue.com/softball/article.aspx?id=137556

U-M Toasts Seniors, Hands Out Awards at Annual Banquet

May 12, 2008

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A day after learning that it had earned the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host a regional for the seventh straight year, the University of Michigan softball team celebrated its season in progress and looked forward to another push in the postseason at the team's annual team banquet Monday (May 12) at the Junge Family Champions Center.

The program honored five seniors and handed out awards to five of its players, including senior Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS), who was named Most Outstanding Player, as well as sophomore Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) and freshman Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS), who shared Most Outstanding Pitcher honors. Taylor also earned Most Outstanding Freshman.

Rounding out the individual accolades, sophomore Angela Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) received the Leo and Edna Drewett Academic Award, while junior Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./East HS) earned the Maize and Blue Award.

Samantha Findlay has been the catalyst for Michigan's offense this season, leading the team in batting average (.395), runs scored (51), home runs (21), runs batted in (67) and slugging percentage (.868) while splitting time between first and second base. A unanimous All-Big Ten Conference first team selection, Findlay has placed her name among the all-time Wolverine greats and established new U-M career standards in home runs (62), RBI (217) and walks (151). She also has matched her own single-season mark in home runs.

Nemitz is just the second pitcher in U-M program history to kick off her career with back-to-back 20-win seasons. She owns a 21-3 record and has set career-high marks with a 0.85 earned run average, 10 shutouts, 202 strikeouts and a .164 opponent batting average. Named to the All-Big Ten first team as a utility player, Nemitz has also stepped up offensively, boasting a .277 average at the plate with 19 RBI and six extra-base hits.

The 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Taylor has been an immediate force in the circle with a 27-3 record while posting a 0.72 ERA with 12 shutouts and 250 strikeouts. She has held opposing batters to a .168 batting average while giving up just 27 extra-base hits. Taylor is the winningest freshman pitcher in the history of Michigan softball -- a program that has produced eight different All-America pitchers since 1987. The U-M rookie earned All-Big Ten first team accolades and lists among the 10 finalists for USA Softball's Collegiate Player of the Year honor.

Angela Findlay has grown stronger as the 2008 season progressed, improving her batting average in the season's second half by 113 points and pacing the squad with a .426 average during its 20-game Big Ten slate. She ranks among the Wolverines' leading hitters with a .331 batting average, 35 runs scored and 24 RBI. She has also excelled off the field, boasting the Wolverines' highest GPA en route to the Drewett Award.

A consummate team player, Ewing is having a career year, listing third among the Wolverines' leading hitters with a .333 average to go with 33 runs scored, 17 RBI and 16 stolen bases -- tallying personal bests in all categories. Ewing earned All-Big Ten second team honors for the first time in her career and was named the Wolverines' recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

Michigan enters the NCAA Tournament with a 48-6 record, having reached the 40-win total for the 14th season in a row. Michigan hosts a four-team NCAA Regional Friday through Sunday (May 16-18) and will face off against Wright State on Friday (May 16, 7 p.m.) at the Wilpon Softball Complex, home of Alumni Field.