Michigan bounced back from its loss to Northwestern in last week's Louisville tournament (which would be considered a non-conference game), by routing the Wildcats 11-4 in the teams' Big 10 opener in Evanston. The Wolverines showcased their youthful talent, with contributions from three freshmen, hitters Roya St. Clair and Angela Findlay (the sister of slugger Samantha Findlay) and pitcher Nikki Nemitz. For this year's Michigan softballers, their slogan may have to be modified from "Go Blue" to "Baby Blue!"

In Pac 10 opening action, Arizona State bedeviled UCLA, 6-0, and the University of Arizona blanked Washington by the same score.