Michigan – The Wolverines are looking to get to their 10th College World Series, but like Arizona State, their first since 2009. Like many years in the past, Michigan set itself up for a strong regular season by playing a tough preseason schedule that included 12 NCAA tournament teams, including the Judi German Classic, where they defeated Arizona State squad 1-0.

One thing that the Wolverines have been known for is their powerful offense and that hasn’t disappointed in the 2011 season.  The team has three players, Ashley Lane (17), Dorian Shaw (12) and Amanda Childester (12), who have hit double-digit home runs.  Childester also leads the team with 72 RBI, while Lane has 64 and Shaw 45.  The team is very balanced, however, as six players have hit over .300.

Despite not starting the majority of the games, Jordan Taylor continues to be the leader of the pitching staff.  The team got a scare when Taylor was out for an undisclosed injury, but Stephanie Spiereman stepped up to the plate as she has all season and filled in admirably.  Taylor leads the team in ERA with 1.29 and has compiled a 29-3 record.  Her counterpart, Spiereman, has put up similar stats at 18-1 and 1.90 ERA.  The fact that the two have had successful seasons is something that might scare other teams.

Notre Dame – The Irish got off to a blistering start, going 15-2 to start the season.  Since a loss on March 29th, Notre Dame has gone 28-2, with their losses being to Louisville.  Unfortunately the second loss knocked them out of the Big East Tournament and denied them a shot at another Big East tournament crown.

Heather Johnson swings the big stick for the Irish, as she has smacked 12 homers and 62 RBI through the regular season.  Her 66 hits are second behind Alex Maldonado, who leads the regulars with a .420 average, 71 hits, 14 doubles and 19 steals.  Dani Miller finished the season second in home runs with 10, while finishing third in RBI with 35.

Laura Winter is the team’s ace.  She compiled a 24-3, while putting up a 2.22 ERA.  Like many other top pitchers, she also had a ridiculous strikeout total, fanning 208 batters, while only walking 22.  But the Irish haven’t had to rely solely on the stud freshman, as senior Jody Valdivia has put up some impressive numbers in the circle as well.  She has a 10-4 record, 2.81 ERA and 110 strikeouts

Kentucky – The Wildcats earned their third consecutive at-large bid after posting a 36-14 record.  The Blue and White have matched a program record with 36 wins and have been among the nation’s ranked teams for 13 consecutive weeks reaching its highest ranking in school history at No. 15.

The bats have come alive for a program-record 62 home runs led by junior Brittany Cervantes (14) and seniors Samantha DeMartine (10) and Megan Yocke (10). The trio is the first in school history to chart 10 or more homers in a season.   Cervantes leads the team in RBI, as well with 49.  She also is tied for the team lead in doubles with nine with Meagan Aull.  Aull boasts a .368 average, a team-high 63 hits, 36 RBI and 17 steals.  Kara Dill, who hits .389, leads the team with 19 steals.

Chanda Bell leads the team with a 13-6 record and 1.96 ERA.  Her 191 strikeouts are 123 more than the next pitcher.  Rachel Riley has an 11-5 record in 18 appearances.

Western Michigan – The Broncos won their fourth conference title and first since 2003, as they won three games on Sunday to clinch their berth in the NCAA Tournament.  They may be one of the only, if not the only, teams that come into the tournament with a losing record, as they have a 22-28 record.

Tara Buchanan leads the offense with eight home runs and is second on the team with 27 RBI.  Lexi Jager is second on the team in home runs with seven but leads the team with 29 RBI.  She is also tied for the lead in stolen bases with five.  Gracie Barstad leads the team with 11 doubles and has a team-high .363 average.

Meredith Whitney leads the team with a 14-13 record and 3.40 ERA.  She also has a team-high 160 strikeouts