- Michele Granger
-
Medal record Women's softball Competitor for the 
United StatesOlympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Team competition Michele Granger (born 15 of January, 1970) is an American former four-time First Team All-American left-handed softball pitcher and Olympic champion from Placentia, California. She played four seasons, over 5 years, for the California Golden Bears from 1989-1993. She currently holds 20 pitching records for the Bears and ranks top-10 in several career categories all-time in the NCAA Division I.
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Valencia High School
Granger was a standout pitcher from 1985–1988 and still holds national top-10 records for career ERA (0.10), no-hitters (36) and strikeouts (1,635). On two occasions she also struck out a game record 21 batters over 7 innings during her 1986 and 1987 campaigns. Against La Mirada High School on June 2, 1988, Granger ended her career tallying 40 strikeouts in the Southern Section 3-A softball semifinals.
As a sophomore, Granger would also make her first Team USA roster during the summer of 1986 and competed at the World Championships under head coach Ralph Raymond.[1] She remained a member until after the 1996 Olympics.
University of California-Berkeley
1989 On February 16, Granger tossed her first career no-hitter against the New Mexico State Aggies, a 8-0, 5-inning perfect game.
Owing to an inflammation in her pitching hand, Granger withdrew for the season midway to recover.
1990 Resuming her freshman season, Granger twirled 5 no-hitters, led her team with 0.35 ERA and posted the best strikeout ratio in the nation to garner All American status and All Pac-10 honors.
1991 Granger threw four more no-hitters and one perfect game. She broke and set California season records for wins (33), strikeouts (463) and shutouts (25), all of which now rank second all-time for the Bears. And she repeated her hold on the best strikeout ratio for that year and was again honored All American and All Pac-10.
For one of her no-hitters, Granger set a school and NCAA record for strikeouts in a single 7-inning game when she whiffed 21 batters in a 3-0 win over the Creighton Bluejays on March 22, 1991.
1992 Adding 6 more no-hitters, two perfect games and all season honors, Granger would break her own shutout record by pitching 26, which was second all-time only to Debbie Nichols' NCAA total of 36 in 1988.
That year Granger led her team to the only Women's College World Series appearance during her career. She responded by shutting out the USF Bulls in their opening game but eventually suffered their second loss 2-0 to defending champions the Arizona Wildcats.[2]
1993 As a senior, Granger posted 8 no-hitters (one a perfect game) and for the final time repeated all season honors. She broke her own strikeout total with 484, which led the nation—as she had all three years prior—and set a new NCAA season record, bettering Lisa Ishikawa's 1984 total of 469. On February 22 she had broken Shawn Andaya's career record in a 8-0 shutout of the Northwestern Wildcats.[3] Granger would reach a NCAA record total of 1,640 and now sits at eight most for career strikeouts.
On March 28 Granger threw her 85th career shutout over the Sacramento State Hornets to claim a new Division I record. At the close of the season she would have a grand total of 94, now second best all-time.
Granger set another single game record in a 12-inning battle with the Oregon Ducks on March 30, posting a career best 26 strikeouts to crack the record of 25 held by Debbie Doom. This record now stands second all-time for the NCAA.
1996 Olympics
Granger prepared to compete in the inaugural softball tournament to be held in Atlanta, Georgia while working and living in Alaska. After completing the exhibition tour, she would throw the first pitch ever in the Olympics in a 10-0 win over Puerto Rico.
On July 30, she would post her second win in the gold medal game in which Team USA defeated China 3-1. In 16 innings, Granger had two wins, gave up two earned runs and collected 25 strikeouts, all while three-months pregnant.[4]
1998 & Beyond
For her illustrious career, Granger was inducted in the California Golden Bears Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility.[5]
She nabbed her second and third Hall of Fame entries on the same night, November 9, 2006, by being inducted into the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and International Softball Federation (ISF) Softball Halls of Fame.[6]
She worked on the coaching staff of the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers softball team and currently volunteers at Sierra College while coaching high school softball.[7]
References
- ^ http://www.usasoftball.com/folders.asp?uid=157
- ^ http://web1.ncaa.org/ncaa/event.do?championship=400015&division=400015400012&event=400423
- ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138264/index.htm
- ^ http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/gr/michele-granger-1.html
- ^ http://www.calbears.com/genrel/043098aaa.html
- ^ http://httwww.asasoftball.com/communications/getStory.asp?nid=1304
- ^ http://placerherald.com/detail/171184.html
Categories:- 1970 births
- Living people
- College softball players in the United States
- California Golden Bears athletes
- University of Tennessee
- Olympic softball players of the United States
- Softball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States
- Olympic medalists in softball
- Female softball players
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