The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Alex Sobczak of Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Additionally, U-M signed Rochester, N.Y., pitcher Leah Crockett. "I don't care what they did in high school, we need them to help us," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "We didn't bring them here to be freshmen — we brought them here to help us win." A utility player that was routinely stationed in centerfield or at shortstop for Pacifica High School, Canfield was a four-year starter and helped lead her team to the 2014 state title. This past season, she earned Division I All-California Inter- scholastic Federation (all-state) honors. "She reminds me of Amanda Chidester [2009-12]," Hutchins said. "She's a big hitter who is pretty athletic. I don't know where she'll play, but we always found a place for Chidester her freshman year — she played a little outfield, a little second base, catcher — and Faith is like Chidester that way." A 2014 and 2015 San Diego Union Tribune All-Academic Team honoree with 4.00 and 4.04 grade-point averages, respectively, Peters, an outfielder, was a four-year starter for Mt. Carmel High School, hitting .516 in her senior season. "An offensive weapon, she is a short-game slapper, but she has a great softball résumé and is a kid that will keep getting better and better," Hutchins said. A power hitter, Sobczak hit 17 home runs her sophomore year, third all-time for a single season in Michigan history, before opponents starting pitching around her — she was intentionally walked 18 times in her senior campaign. A dominant pitcher that spearheaded the Penfield pitching staff for five sea- sons (into her junior-high years), Crockett was named the All-Greater Rochester Softball Player of the Year by the Democrat and Chronicle. In her career, she struck out 616 batters, including 252 in 119 2/3 innings this past season while posting a 1.05 ERA. "Leah is a big powerful kid, but definitely comes to us as a raw player," Hutchins said. "She will really have to hone her pitching skills,, and nobody can do that better than [pitching coach] Jen Brundage." Tennis — With top-10 players Katharine Fahey (No. 5) and Brienne Minor (No. 9), plus Canadian Teona Velehorschi, Michigan sits third nationally in Ten- nisRecruiting.net's team rankings for 2015. Minor is ranked the No. 1 player in Illinois, out of Mundelein, and is the No. 3 player in the Great Lakes region. In 2014-15, she accumulated a 50-11 overall record, including a 14-9 mark against the recruiting web site's top-25 players (blue-chippers) and a 20-1 record against five-star recruits (the next best 48). Fahey was 32-6 overall this past year, including a 14-0 mark against five-stars. She is the No. 1 player in New Jersey. Velehorschi is originally from Romania but calls Windsor, Ont., home. She is ranked the No. 18 Under-18 singles player in Canada by Rogers Junior Rankings. "Teona is a big, strong girl with a big serve," Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein