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Michigan Softball: 2016 Women’s College World Series Primer

By Erik Schlitt

Oct 17, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines fan cheers durning the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 17, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines fan cheers durning the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Michigan Wolverines women’s softball team is once again returning to the NCAA college World Series looking for their first championship since 2005.

After last weekends exciting Super Regional victories over Missouri, the Michigan Wolverines women punched their ticket to the 2016 World Series. The final round of the NCAA tournament begins this Thursday on the ESPN networks.

The NCAA college World Series consists of eight teams split into 2 brackets. Over the next four days, the four teams in each bracket will play multiple games, double-elimination style, until one winner in each bracket is left standing. Those winners will then face off in a best of three series starting Monday.

Michigan is in bracket #2 and their first game is Thursday, June 4th, at 9:30 on ESPN2 against LSU. The result of that game will determine if they play on Friday or Saturday and whom their next opponent would be.

The Detroit News did nice layout of the schedule:

"BRACKET 1ThursdayGame 1: Florida State vs. Georgia, noon (ESPN)Game 2: Auburn vs. UCLA, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)FridayGame 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)SaturdayGame 7: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, noon (ESPN)Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 7 p.m. (ESPN)SundayGame 11: Game 5 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m. (ESPN)Game 13 (if necessary): Game 11 rematch, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)BRACKET 2ThursdayGame 3: Alabama vs. Oklahoma, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)Game 4: Michigan vs. LSU, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)FridayGame 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)SaturdayGame 8: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. Game 5 loser, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)SundayGame 12: Game 6 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)Game 14 (if necessary): Game 12 rematch, 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)CHAMPIONSHIP SERIESBracket 1 winner vs. Bracket 2 winnerGame 1: Monday, June 6, 8 p.m. (ESPN)Game 2: Tuesday, June 7, 8 p.m. (ESPN)Game 3 (if necessary): Wednesday, June 8, 8 p.m. (ESPN)"

Michigan’s skipper Carol Hutchins is the winningest softball coach in NCAA division I history with 1,458 victories. Hutchins is looking to secure her second World Series championship (previously won with Michigan in 2005), and she has brought with her a group of players that have a legitimate shot to do that.

Fresh off becoming Michigan’s first-ever USA collegiate softball player of the year, star second baseman Sierra Romero is looking to put an exclamation point on a stellar career. Romero is a four-time all-american, 3 time Big Ten player of the year, the only player in NCAA history to record 300 runs, 300 RBI, and 300 hits, and has been the World Series three times but has yet to win a championship. Over the next week, Romero and her teammates will look to change that.

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Going into the 2016 World Series, the #2 ranked Wolverines will be considered the favorites to win it all after #1 Florida failed to advance last weekend. Coached by Hutchins and led by Romero, Michigan is in great shape to bring home the hardware.

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