ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan softball team received National Letters of Intent from five student-athletes during the early signing period, head coach Carol Hutchins announced Thursday (Nov. 11). The quintet -- third baseman/pitcher Maddie Erickson, infielder Avery Fantucci, infielder Janelle Ilacqua, infielder/outfielder Indiana Langford and infielder/outfielder Madi Ramey -- will join the Wolverines next fall and make their collegiate debut during the 2023 softball season.

"I call this our Zoom class of 2022," said Hutchins. "It certainly was a unique recruiting year. Some of them we had seen prior to the pandemic shutdown, some a little later. They're from all over the country. There's a lot of great athletes -- we have four shortstops in the group -- and they're capable of playing several different positions. They're all very versatile. That's probably the biggest word that will describe every one of them.

"We're excited about signing all of them. They all chose Michigan; that will always be my favorite trait. I think there's a lot of potential there to have great careers, make our program better and make a big impact. The ceiling is high for this class."

Erickson, a native of Wilsonville, Ore., was named the state's pitcher of the year and a first team all-state selection after her first full season last year after injury and COVID-19 delayed the start of her prep softball career. She posted a 0.47 earned-run average for Wilsonville High School with 139 strikeouts and a .107 opposing average while batting .615 with six homers and 22 RBI. She has excelled in numerous other sports in high school, including discus and shot put, wrestling and soccer, in which she helped lead her Wilsonville team state semifinals win Wednesday night (Nov. 10).

"I like that she's a basher," said Hutchins. "Maddie can really hit the ball. That's the comment I've gotten from everybody who has seen her play; it's her ability to smoke it. She is really versatile. She's a good corner -- and we're going to need another corner -- and I think she really has the ability to pitch at this level."

Fantucci, an Atlanta, Ga., native, garnered three all-state first team accolades and is a three-time regional player of the year for Marist School, which was the Georgia Class AAAA state runner-up in 2019. She already owns Marist's school record with 163 career hits and boasts a .450 career average with 142 runs and 101 RBI. She has struck out just 19 times in 407 total plate appearances. Her EC Bullets travel-ball team captured a Triple Crown National championship in 2018 and finished runner-up in 2019. Fantucci is also a first team all-state selection and regional player of the year in basketball. She is the nation's No. 6-ranked recruit, and fourth-ranked middle infielder, according to Extra Inning Softball.

"I just happened to be in Georgia recruiting at a big tournament and was told that I should check Avery out," said Hutchins. "She was still just a young kid. But I spotted from afar and I immediately thought, 'Wow, is she athletic.' She made an immediate impression. She's a highly-ranked prospect in that class, and she brings a lot to the table. She's got Michigan roots, and she's a great fit academically here -- aspires to be in the Ross School (of Business). We've been recruiting her for quite a while, so we're excited to finally welcome her to campus."

Ilacqua, a native of Fort Mill, S.C., is a two-time all-state and all-region selection as a varsity player at Catawba Ridge High School since seventh grade. She boasts 160 career hits, with 19 home runs, and 150 stolen bases. Ilacqua plays travel ball with the Tennessee Mojo Fisher squad, contributing to a Triple Crown National Championship (2020) and a PGF Nationals runner-up finish (2021). She also is an all-region middle hitter in volleyball at Catawba Ridge. She is the nation's No. 32-ranked recruit, and 22nd-ranked middle infielder, according to Extra Inning Softball.

"I can tell Janelle will be the leader of the class," said Hutchins, "They already have her be the one to ask me all the questions. She's another kid who has Michigan ties; her parents and grandparents are from Michigan. She had an interest in us, so we started tracking her. She's just a great addition to the group and has the ability to be a daily player for us. She's very driven and athletic, and I think her ceiling is high."

Langford, a native of Carlsbad, Calif., was named the Palomar League Rookie of the Year in 2019 and a first team all-league honoree for Poway High School. She plays travel ball with the BSC Bengals Briggs squad and, in 2019, contributed to a PGF Platinum national championship and was selected all-tournament. This fall, she's hitting .439 with a .566 on-base percentage. She is a San Diego CIF champion in the 4x400 relay, placed third at the state championship in the 4x400m and sixth in the 4x100m and helped break Poway's school record in the former (3:51). She is the nation's No. 36-ranked recruit, and 25th-ranked middle infielder, according to Extra Inning Softball.

"(Former Wolverine) Natalie Peters coached Indy at Poway High School and mentioned her to us," said Hutchins. "She came out to camp, and boy, we saw her one time and followed her the whole rest of the summer. She's just a fantastic athlete right out of the mold of Abby Ramirez -- fast, gutsy, can play middle infield, can play outfield. To me, she's an electric type of player."

Ramey, a native of Allen Park, Mich., garnered first team All-State honors last season as a shortstop for Allen Park High School. She was a nominee for the 2021 Detroit High School Sports Award and named to the MLive and All-News-Herald Dream Teams as well as the Detroit News Top Softball Players list after posting a .475 batting average as a junior with nine home runs, 14 stolen bases and 53 RBI. Off the field, she is a three-time all-state academic honoree.

"Madi Ramey is a good Michigan kid, who grew up going to our camps," said Hutchins. "She's a ball player. She's a middle infielder, but she can play a lot of positions, and she's a lefty hitter. She comes from Allen Park, which is home to Amanda Chidester. We've known Madi for a long time, and we're very excited to have her in the program."