The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1005764
AUGUST 2018 THE WOLVERINE 37 BY JOHN BORTON M eghan Beaubien set the bar so high, Michael Jor- dan in his prime might have required a trampo- line to touch it. The Michigan freshman softball pitcher went 33-6 with a 1.16 earned run average in her first year for Carol Hutchins' crew. Beaubien became the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year, bolstered by her gaudy totals of 266 strikeouts in 217 innings and .135 opponents' bat- ting average. No pitcher in the nation won as many games, allowing Beaubien to go far beyond freshman awards. She was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association first-team All- American and is only the second Wolverine ever to pull that off as a freshman. The other? Sara Griffin, a three- time All-American and eventual Suzy Favor Award winner as the Big Ten's Athlete of the Year. For now, Beaubien is a more than deserving Michigan Rookie of the Year, in the determination of The Wol- verine. Despite her incredibly lofty achievements as a freshman, she al- ready knows how she wants to im- prove, personally and team-wise. That's domination and motivation, offering up a powerful combination in a rookie that tossed a dozen shut- outs and three no-hitters in her first taste of college ball. She even finished just two outs shy of a perfect game early in the season against eventual national champion Florida State, winding up with a two-hit shutout. "I just had a lot of fun with the whole year," she said. "Winning the Big Ten was a lot of fun. I enjoyed myself every week, going out there with my team." Winning the Big Ten wasn't easy, the Wolverines edging out Minne- FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR MEGHAN BEAUBIEN Beaubien posted a 33-6 record with a 1.16 ERA, 266 strikeouts and a .135 opponents' batting average en route to Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY SIZZLING START Left-handed Pitcher Meghan Beaubien Led The Nation In Wins And Was A First-Team All-American