Michigan Wolverines news: Softball reaches Big Ten title game, plus a recruiting miss

The Michigan softball team advanced to the Big Ten championship game on Saturday, plus more in our Michigan Wolverines news roundup.
Michigan's Lauren Derkowski (18) pitches during a softball game between the Oklahoma State Cowgirls and Michigan in the finals of the Stillwater Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, May 19, 2024. Oklahoma State won 4-1.
Michigan's Lauren Derkowski (18) pitches during a softball game between the Oklahoma State Cowgirls and Michigan in the finals of the Stillwater Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, May 19, 2024. Oklahoma State won 4-1. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

The magical run for the Michigan softball team continued on Friday as the Wolverines held off a rally from Purdue to win 4-2 in the Big Ten semifinals, punching their ticket to the championship game for the second year in a row.

The Michigan Wolverines opened the week as the No. 8 seed. They defeated Wisconsin 3-2, before knocking off top-seeded and fifth-ranked Oregon.

On Friday, Michigan scored four runs in the third inning thanks to a three-run homer from Lilly Vallimont. It was her fifth home run of the season.

Lauren Derkowski got the win after four strong innings in which she allowed two runs on three hits. Erin Hoehn came on in relief in the fifth inning but was able to get out of a jam. She pitched three scoreless innings to get credited with the save.

The Wolverines will attempt to win their second straight Big Ten softball tournament title on Saturday against UCLA at 4 PM EST on the Big Ten Network.

Michigan Wolverines miss on a 2026 recruiting target

Michigan football was a finalist for three-star defensive lineman Alexander Haskell. The decision came down to Penn State and the Wolverines.

The crystal balls favored the Nittany Lions, and the 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end from Philadelphia wound up committing to the in-state team. He's ranked No. 757 overall in the 2026 recruiting class, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.

Michigan advances in NCAA women's lacrosse tournament

The Michigan women's lacrosse team posted a 17-6 win over Akron in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday. Jill Smith scored four points in the win to set the program record. Calli Norris also had five goals to pace the Wolverines in the win.

Michigan will play in the second round on Sunday against Northwestern at 2 PM CST on ESPN+.

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