The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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52 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2026 BY ANTHONY BROOME S ophomore outfielder Lauren Putz was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection for her performance dur- ing the 2026 season, the conference an- nounced on May 8. Putz, who was named to the league All-Freshman Team last year, hit .446 in Big Ten play with an .851 slugging per- centage and .564 on-base percentage, while recording 16 extra-base hits with 6 home runs with 30 RBI and 29 runs scored. Entering NCAA Regional play, she was hitting .442, which was a 56-point im- provement from her freshman campaign, and had 21 home runs and 77 RBI on the year, marks which are 2 homers and 6 RBI shy of Sierra Romero's single-season re- cords (set in 2013 and 2015, respectively). "It's just knowing what to expect and just taking what I learned from last year and putting it to work and trying to be better every single day," Putz said on the "Conqu'ring Heroes" podcast on April 9. "The offseason was definitely a lot of hitting and a bunch of different drills and talking to my hitting coach [Amanda Chidester]. I was trying to go in-depth with all the details so it's nat- ural to me when it comes to the games and practice." Putz, a Phoenix, Ariz., native, had ties to the Maize and Blue long before step- ping on campus. Her father, J.J. Putz, played baseball at Michigan from 1996- 99 and pitched 12 seasons in the Ma- jor Leagues, earning an All-Star nod in 2007 with the Seattle Mariners. Her mother, Kelsey [Kollen] Putz, played softball at U-M (1999-2002) and was a two-time NFCA All-American and three-time All-Big Ten first-teamer (1999, 2001-02). Taking her softball talents to Ann Ar- bor out of high school made all the sense in the world. "You grow up a Michigan fan," Putz said. "That's all you know. When both your parents went there, you're born a Michigan fan. When I was younger, my dream was to go to Michigan. "When I was getting recruited, I was going to all these different visits, but I came on campus and I was like, 'Wow, this feels like home.' It is a second home to me. I feel like there wasn't really a question of whether I was going to go to Michigan." Despite the obvious U-M ties, Putz's parents never tried to push her recruit- ment in any direction. "I made the decision all by myself," she said. "They were obviously really excited about it. I think my dad was a little bit more excited about it because he's more of a devoted Michigan fan than my mom is. My siblings were excited, too. "It's been a fun little family legacy type deal here." Putz is in the sport management pro- gram and sees that as the natural next step for her whenever her softball ca- reer, which still has a postseason and two more years remaining, is over. "There are a bunch of girls on my team who are in the same classes as me, and it makes going to school a little bit more fun and a little bit easier," Putz said. "Being on campus is great academi- cally. It makes you want to go to class. The professors are great, and they're very ac- commodating when you're in season. Ev- erything is pretty much perfect here." ❑ ❱ OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE Softball's Lauren Putz Named First-Team All-Big Ten Through the regular season and Big Ten Tournament play, Putz (shown with head coach Bonnie Tholl) had racked up 21 home runs (fourth in the conference) and 77 RBI (third). PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY