The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537777
2024-25 YEAR IN REVIEW ROOKIES OF THE YEAR MALE SPORT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR TATE CAREY, BASEBALL The Windsor, Ontario, native had a highly decorated first season at Michigan, earning first-team Freshman All-America honors by the Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Big Ten All-Freshman Team recognition. The right-handed pitcher finished the campaign with a 9-0 record, standing as the third freshman in program history with nine-plus victories. His season was highlighted by a no-hitter against Akron, and he posted a 3.63 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP. Appearing in 18 games with seven starts, Carey toed the slab for 57 innings and totaled 51 strikeouts. Carey became just the third Wolverine to earn first-team Freshman All-America honors, joining Jacob Cronenworth in 2013 and Jake Bivens in 2015. Lauren Putz, recognized as a first-team Freshman All-American by D1Softball, finished top three on the team in every offensive category with a .392 batting average, 69 hits, 29 extra-base hits, 51 runs and 48 RBI. She started all 60 games for the Big Ten Tournament champions, including 45 at DH and 15 at first base. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY Right-handed pitcher Tate Carey earned first- team Freshman All-America honors by the Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and finished with a 9-0 record, a 3.63 ERA and a no-hitter against Akron to his credit. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY FEMALE SPORT ROOKIE OF THE YEAR LAUREN PUTZ, SOFTBALL The Phoenix native and utility player was recognized as a first-team Freshman All-American by D1Softball, and she was also tabbed to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Putz was sensational not just for a freshman but stood out as one of the Wolverines' top players. She finished top three on the team in every offensive category with a .392 batting average — the top mark for a Michigan freshman since Lexie Blair in 2019 (.406) — and totaled 69 hits, 29 extra- base hits, 51 runs and 48 RBI. Putz started all 60 games, including 45 at DH and 15 at first base. She had 21 multi-hit and 13 multi-RBI contests. After leading the U-M field hockey program to the Big Ten Tournament title in 2024, Marcia Pankratz announced her retirement in April after 25 years at the helm. Under her direction, the Wolverines won the NCAA championship in 2001 and a total of 18 Big Ten regular-season or tour- nament titles. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY FEMALE SPORT COACH OF THE YEAR MARCIA PANKRATZ, FIELD HOCKEY Because of the great achievements of the field hockey program over the last three decades, the Michigan community was sad to see Pankratz retire in April. The Maize and Blue were among the top teams in the na- tion during her two separate stints totaling 25 years at the helm, with U-M winning the 2001 national championship, 10 Big Ten regular-season crowns and eight conference tournament titles under her watch. No women's program at U-M had won a national title before her Wolver- ines did so with a 2-0 victory over Maryland in 2001. Pankratz was the head coach from 1996-2004 and she returned in 2009 to lead the Wolverines during the last 16 campaigns. In 2024, Michigan posted 15 wins, finished third in the Big Ten regular- season standings, won the Big Ten Tournament title and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. To win the conference tournament, Michigan avenged regular-season losses to No. 19 Indiana, No. 5 Maryland and No. 1 Northwestern. AUGUST 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 33