Michele Granger
Encyclopedia
Michele Granger 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.
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. She remained a member until after the 1996 Olympics.
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
.
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
. 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.
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.
Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility.
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.
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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former four-time First Team All-American left-handed softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
and Olympic champion from Placentia, California
Placentia, California
-Local: Placentia is a Charter city with an elected city council and professional city manager. Placentia City Council*Mayor- Scott W. Nelson*Mayor Pro Tem- Jeremy Yamaguchi*Council Member- Joe Aquirre*Council Member- Constance Underhill...
. She played four seasons, over 5 years, for the California Golden Bears
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
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.
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 SchoolLa Mirada High School
La Mirada High School is a high school in La Mirada, California. It is a member school of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. Built in 1960 as one of three high schools in the district...
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
Team USA
Team USA is a wrestling faction brought together as part of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's X-Cup Tournaments, which involved a team of X Division superstars from various countries representing their nation in an international wrestling competition.-America's X-Cup:Team USA was created and led...
roster during the summer of 1986 and competed at the World Championships under head coach Ralph Raymond. She remained a member until after the 1996 Olympics.
University of California-Berkeley
1989On February 16, Granger tossed her first career no-hitter against the New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State Aggies
New Mexico State University's teams are called the Aggies, a nickname derived from the university's agricultural beginnings. Since 2005, they have competed in the Western Athletic Conference. The mascot is known as "Pistol Pete". NMSU's colors are crimson and white. The current athletics director...
, a 8-0, 5-inning perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
.
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
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
. She broke and set California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
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
Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...
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
Women's College World Series
The Women's College World Series is the final portion of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for college softball in the United States. The tournament format consists of two four-team double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket then compete in a best-of-three title game 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
Arizona Wildcats
-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
.
1993
As a senior, Granger posted 8 no-hitters (one a perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
) 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
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's Division I sports teams. The mascot is Willie the Wildcat...
. 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
Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks refers to the sports teams of the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are part of the Pacific-12 Conference in the Division 1 of the NCAA. With seventeen varsity teams, the Oregon Ducks are best known for their football team and Track and Field...
on March 30, posting a career best 26 strikeouts to crack the record of 25 held by Debbie Doom
Debbie Doom
Debbie Doom was a former All-American pitcher for, among others, UCLA Bruins and the United States' National Softball Team just prior to the major boom in the sport's popularity both in America and worldwide...
. 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, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
while working and living in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. After completing the exhibition tour, she would throw the first pitch ever in the Olympics in a 10-0 win over Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
On July 30, she would post her second win in the gold medal game in which Team USA
Team USA
Team USA is a wrestling faction brought together as part of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's X-Cup Tournaments, which involved a team of X Division superstars from various countries representing their nation in an international wrestling competition.-America's X-Cup:Team USA was created and led...
defeated China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
3-1. In 16 innings, Granger had two wins, gave up two earned runs and collected 25 strikeouts, all while three-months pregnant.
1998 & Beyond
For her illustrious career, Granger was inducted in the California Golden BearsCalifornia Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility.
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.
She worked on the coaching staff of the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
Lady Volunteers softball team and currently volunteers at Sierra College
Sierra College
Sierra College, a California community college, has its main campus located in Rocklin, California. Rocklin is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, approximately twenty minutes from the state capital of Sacramento and east of San Francisco. The campus lies within the watershed...
while coaching high school softball.