Michigan's team 40 takes on Michigan State in the rubber match at Wilpon Softball Complex on October 12 at 6:00 PM ET LIVE on FloSoftball.

"The environment in ANN ARBOR is as tough as any place we will play. Their crowd is educated and LOUD and they sit very close to the field. They have built a dynasty down there and it is always a challenge." says Michigan State Head Coach Jacquie Joseph.

Coach Carol Hutchins comments, "That's why we schedule these games; it's to get the young kids used to the fantastic gameday environment of Alumni Field. So, we're hoping to get a lot of people here on Wednesday night."



Expect to see some new faces on the field and especially in the circle. Both clubs will be rotating new pitchers in the circle as their No. 1 pitchers recover from injury. 

"You can expect us to COMPETE… we played last week here (East Lansing). We lost 7-4. We had two lead off walks and two errors and all four scored. So we were disappointed with that. We did square some balls up and earned all four of our runs, so we were happy with our progress on offense. We are playing as many freshman as we can to allow them to get as much experience as possible." Coach Jacquie Joseph comments. 

After Thursday's 7-4 loss, Coach Joseph responds, "I would like us to eliminate any and all self inflicted wounds on Wednesday. I would like to see us make quicker adjustments at the plate. I would like to minimize any pitching mistakes. We missed a couple of key pitches to Blanco and Christener, and they made the most of it. Michigan may have graduated two great players in C-Lo and Romo, but they can still HIT!"

The respect between the Spartans and Wolverines is mutual. Most people may not know that Coach Carol Hutchins is a Michigan State Alum.

I think it is just so great for our state and the kids who play softball in it to see us play each other in the fall. Both Hutch and I feel strongly about doing our part to grow the game any chance we get. - Coach Joseph, Michigan State

What to Watch For

Pitcher/ first baseman Tera Blanco enters her junior year as a seasoned Wolverine. Last year, she was third in team batting average .404 with 12 home runs, and 66 RBIs. Without a doubt, Blanco will be the big bat in the lineup. Expect her to move up in the lineup this year. 

Shortstop Abby Ramirez should play a bigger role on offense this year. She batted .380 with five steals and a .485 OB% last season. Ramirez should be snagging more bags this year to make up for the combined 36 stolen bases between Sierra Lawrence and Sierra Romero.

A key returner for the Spartans is outfielder/pitcher Celeste Wood who led the team in batting average and RBIs last year. Not only is she a run producer she can run the bases. She swiped 11 bases last year. Expect Wood to be the spark plug on offense.

First baseman Sarah Gutnecht is another key returner in the Michigan State offense. She was second on the team in batting average .366, 37 RBIs. Expect to see a confident Spartan offense on Wednesday. 

Newcomers to Watch

Hot 100 No. 92 catcher/third baseman Kelcey Carrasco /3B should make an immediate impact to Michigan State's offense. She's a power hitter who earned 1st Team All-Tulare County and East Yosemite League Player of the Year honors in 2015. Kelcey has really upped her skills and game behind the plate over the last year as well and is strong at blocking, framing and keeping runners from stealing bases. 



Hot 100 No. 78 infielder Madisen Uden has big shoes to fill at Michigan. Uden is no stranger to being at the top of her class. She earned All-State honors as one of the top players in Arizona. She set school record in walks, triples, and runs score. Uden will add power from the left side as well as versatility and depth in the infield for Michigan. At the plate she can hit to all fields and uses her speed to push singles into extra bases.

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