Jennie Ritter

Jennifer Darlene (Jennie) Ritter attended Dexter High School in Dexter, Michigan and later enrolled at the University of Michigan to play softball under head coach Carol Hutchins. Ritter pitched limited innings as a freshman but came into her own as a sophomore, producing an exemplary season in which she won 24 games, struck out 269 batters, the second highest single-season total in program history, and earned All-Big Ten honors.

Ritter’s defining moment as a Michigan Wolverine was her junior season. En route to leading U-M to a 2005 College World Series victory over defending champion UCLA, she earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Honors, claimed the Big Ten pitching Triple Crown (led league in wins, strikeouts and ERA), threw three no-hitters and a perfect game.

As a senior, she again earned all-conference and first-team All-American honors, and ended her collegiate career as Michigan’s all-time leader in strikeouts, shutouts, and innings pitched. Ritter graduated from Michigan in 2007 with a B.S.E in industrial and operations engineering, and won gold medals representing the United States in the 2007 World Cup of Softball and Pan American Games. She retired from professional softball in 2010.