The Michigan softball team’s offense has woken up.
After a sluggish start to the year, the Wolverines’ bats have exploded in recent weeks, propelling them to second place in the Big Ten standings. And while improvements from players up and down the batting lineup have contributed to their success, no one has epitomized this trend more than freshman outfielder Ella Stephenson.
After recording just 10 hits through her first 26 games, Stephenson came alive just in time for conference play. Her 19 hits in 18 games against Big Ten opponents are tied for second on the team and have earned her two conference Freshman of the Week awards.
Stephenson has become not only the star of Michigan’s instrumental freshman class, but one of the best hitters on the entire team.
“Sometimes it just takes a little bit of experience and game time for your game to really blossom when you’re a freshman,” Wolverines coach Bonnie Tholl said March 31, after Stephenson’s breakout series against Indiana. “And I think we’re seeing (Stephenson’s) game blossom right now.”
In three games against the Hoosiers, Stephenson picked up six hits, including a career-high three-hit performance in the series finale. Her six total RBIs led the team — all after contributing just two hits and two RBIs in the eight games prior.
While her sudden success may have seemed like a stroke of luck after a quiet series the following week, Stephenson quickly reestablished herself against Iowa.
She tallied five hits across Saturday’s double-header against the Hawkeyes, and then added two more in Tuesday’s matchup with Michigan State. In her last 11 outings, Stephenson has six multi-hit games — two more than any other Michigan batter.
The freshman has been timely with her hits, too, most notably roping a three-RBI double down the left-field line in the fifth inning of the Iowa series opener. The double came right when the Wolverines needed it, cutting a four-run deficit to one and sparking the Wolverines’ eventual comeback win.
“I’m just going up there nice and loose and trying to square up the ball,” Stephenson said Tuesday. “I’m not trying to do too much, and I think that’s been a key to my success at the plate.”
Stephenson’s recent success hasn’t just been at the plate, though. In right field, she’s been put into action increasingly often as of late and has consistently made plays. Her singular error on the season is tied for the least of Michigan’s usual starters, and the mistake came almost two months ago.
And it hasn’t just been the routine plays, either. On Saturday against the Hawkeyes, Stephenson had a chance to show off her range when, in the sixth inning, a batter popped up into foul territory in right field. She sprawled face-first into the outfield turf and made a highlight-reel diving catch, eliciting a roar out of the home crowd and getting the Wolverines one out closer to victory.
Among a Michigan freshman class that has played a big role in the Wolverines’ recent success, Stephenson has emerged as its most reliable and most productive rookie on both sides of the ball.
“She is just showing her true talent; that’s what I really think,” Tholl said Tuesday. “This is somebody who’s game-savvy. In another couple years, I’ll probably call her a professional hitter.”
After the 26 games that made up Stephenson’s rough start, she held a batting average of .147. Now, 18 games later, it’s up to .244.
Stephenson’s game has woken up in recent weeks. And with her, Michigan has followed.