Studying on sacred ground

U-M ROTC cadets and midshipmen raise the American flag in Normandy, France.

Stepping onto the cliffs and beaches of Normandy, enlisted ROTC cadets at U-M recently embarked on a profound journey to process the reality of D-Day. For the first time, students representing the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force trained together on the historic battlefields.

  1. Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II talks to staff at University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Photo: Marcin Szczepanski/Michigan Engineering

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  2. Two young women exit the Michigan Union, ca 1954. Black and white.

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  3. The raspberry rally and other Girl Scout cookies are displayed on a plate in extreme closeup.

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  4. Graphic of a pistol under lock and key; yellow background.

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  5. Professor Mika LaVaque-Manty dressed in Michigan PhD robes with flags and other regalia behind him on stage at Hill Auditorium.

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  6. Graduate student instructors picket in front of the Michigan Union on a beautiful sunny day.

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She’s a total baller

Since 1985, U-M Softball Coach Carol Hutchins has consistently racked up championships and broken records at U-M and in the NCAA. Though she recently retired upon completion of her 39th season with the Wolverines, Hutch’s presence remains on campus with the April 2023 dedication of Alumni Field at Carol Hutchins Stadium. (Captions are sourced from this story by Michigan Athletics’ Leah Howard.)

  • Full circle

    “Hutch is a force who elevated not only the sport of softball but generations of female athletes as a staunch advocate of equality,” says Michigan Ahletic Director Warde Manuel. (As a U-M student, Manuel used to water Hutch’s practice field.) “She has been a tireless fundraiser for societal causes, including the American Cancer Society, and I know that she will continue to impact lives beyond the game of softball. Carol Hutchins is a legend.” (Credit: Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography.)

    Carol Hutchins and AD Warde Manuel at 4/23/23 dedication of Carol Hutchins Stadium.

  • Her name ‘in lights’

    Constructed in 1982 as Varsity Diamond, renamed in 1992 to Alumni Field, and incorporated into the Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex in 2007, the home of Michigan Softball will hereafter be designated as Alumni Field at Carol Hutchins Stadium. The venue will continue to reside in the Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex, flanked by the Donald R. Shepherd Softball Center. (Credit: Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography.)

    Hutch speaks at the 4/23/23 dedication with scoreboard in the background and her name "in lights."

  • Get the point?

    Hutchins is the winningest coach — male or female — in Michigan Athletics history. She has served under nine athletic directors since arriving at Michigan in 1983 when she joined the staff as an assistant coach under Bob DeCarolis. The intensity she displays in this pic from a 1987 contest against Western Michigan never waned throughout her impressive career. (Credit: Robert Kalmbach Collection, Bentley Historical Library.)

    Hutch looking very intense in a 1987 contest with Western, Mich. Black & white.

  • Dedicated to you

    On March 31, 2000, Hutchins moved to the top of the all-time win list for U-M coaches with win No. 638, a 1-0 victory vs. Indiana in the conference season-opening game. On Feb. 28, 2007, she became just the seventh coach in NCAA softball history — and the sixth in Division I — to reach 1,000 career wins. She became the first collegiate coach to 1,500 wins with an 11-3, six-inning win over Kent State on March 19, 2017, and similarly, the first to 1,600 with a 6-2 win at rival Ohio State on April 13, 2019. This photo comes from the stadium dedication on April 23, 2023. (Credit: Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography.)

    Hutch holds a softball as the team follows her in the stadium on 4/23/23.

  • Face off

    This dramatic moment with the ref comes from a 1985 game against Indiana. Could he have known then that Hutch would become the winningest coach in NCAA softball history? She held the top spot for more than two years after surpassing former Fresno State coach Margie Wright’s longtime record of 1,457 in 2016, and reclaimed the mantle in 2022 with a win against Northern Kentucky to pass Arizona’s Mike Candrea’s record of 1,674 career wins. (Credit: Robert Kalmbach Collection, Bentley Historical Library.)

    Hutch gets in the ref's face in a 1985 game vs. Indiana.

  • Gonna take you higher

    “To all the women of Michigan softball, the alumnae who built this program since 1978, I am so honored to have been a part of your lives and journeys,” said Hutch during the April 23, 2023, dedication. “You don’t go to Michigan for four years; you go to Michigan for life. As a coach, my greatest joy and the ultimate reward has not been measured in wins and championships. Success is measured by the many, many people who fill your life.” (Credit: Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography.)

    Team hoists Hutch after the Northwestern game on 4/23/23.

  • The Natural

    Hutchins never suffered a losing season and guided the Wolverines to numerous records, including a 65-7 campaign in its 2005 NCAA championship season, which culminated with a dramatic 10-inning win over UCLA in game three of the WCWS championship series. (Credit: Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography.)

    Hutch pitches the ball on 4/23/23.

  • Succession

    Hutchins’ squads captured 22 Big Ten regular-season titles from 1995-2021, including nine in a row from 2008-16, and 10 Big Ten Tournament crowns, sweeping the conference championships seven times. Michigan has qualified for the NCAA Tournament 29 times, including each of the last 27 years, and made 12 appearances in the NCAA Women’s College World Series. Hutch is pictured here in 1997 with longtime assistant and now-head coach Bonnie Tholl. (Credit: Robert Kalmbach Collection, Bentley Historical Library.)

    Hutchins with her successor, Bonnie Tholl, who was named head coach of the U-M softball program on Aug. 24, 2022, after spending 29 years as the Wolverines' top assistant.

  • Bring it home

    Hutchins was named Big Ten Coach of the Year on 18 occasions and garnered eight NFCA Regional Coach of the Year and a pair of NFCA National Coach of the Year (1995, 2005) honors. In 2016, she was named the inaugural recipient of espnW’s Pat Summitt Coaching Award, presented to the coach who “exemplifies the character and courage” of the legendary basketball coach who led the Tennessee Lady Vols. (Credit: Daryl Marshke, Michigan Photography.)

    Hutchins steps on home plate to cheers of her team on 4/23/23.

  • Hooch would be proud

    Hutch’s late pooch, Hooch, seems to really enjoy some game action back in 1998. In addition to a coaching legacy, the pooch’s person also founded the Michigan Softball Academy in 2010 in conjunction with the program’s annual “Pink Game.” The one-night, on-field clinic for adults raises funds for the American Cancer Society. The Wolverines have raised more than $1.5 million since the program’s original Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk participation in 2007. (Credit: Robert Kalmbach Collection, Bentley Historical Library.)

    Hutch's pooch Hooch in 1998.