The No. 23 Michigan softball team is bringing home some new hardware.
Eight Wolverines earned All-Big Ten honors via the 2022 Big Ten Postseason Honors, announced Wednesday. Michigan picked up two selections to the First Team All-Big Ten and three to the Second Team, as well as one selection to each of the All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams.
Senior first baseman Lexie Blair was the first player selected to the first team. Upon returning from injury, Blair shifted positions from the outfield to first base, where she rejuvenated the Wolverines offense, mashing .351/.406/.526 on the season. The honor is Blair’s third consecutive All Big-Ten First Team selection.
Senior right hander Alex Storako earned the other first team slot for Michigan. Storako tossed 162.1 innings for the Wolverines this season, recording an ERA of 1.77 and racking up 21 wins and 261 strikeouts — good for fourth, fourth, and second in the conference, respectively. This is the second year in a row that Storako has garnered first team honors.
Michigan players selected to the second team include senior catcher Hannah Carson, graduate second baseman Melina Livingston and junior outfielder Audrey LeClair. Carson anchored the Wolverines’ defense, while ranking top two for Michigan in OPS, home runs, RBIs and hits. Livingston developed from a pinch-hit role at the start of the season to an everyday starter, recording a .937 OPS and four home runs. LeClair left her mark this season, recording the Wolverines’ second best batting average at .356, and stealing ten bases.
Michigan’s five selections among the first two teams are good for second in the conference, tied with second-place Nebraska and trailing only No. 11 Northwestern.
On the defensive end, graduate outfielder Kristina Burkhardt earned All-Defensive team honors for her work in center field where she avoided a single error all season. Freshman outfielder Ellie Sieler got the All-Freshman nod, largely due to her hot bat during conference play to the tune of a .322 batting average against Big Ten opponents. She also contributed defensively, consistently making athletic plays in left field.
Junior outfielder Lexi Voss was also selected as the Wolverines’ representative for the Sportsmanship Award.
With only the postseason left to play, all of these honorees will be expected to step up as Michigan attempts to string together runs in both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.