Michigan adds South Carolina transfer Reganne Bennett

Despite returning most of last season’s Big Ten Tournament Championship roster, Michigan softball coach Bonnie Tholl found herself in the transfer portal to bolster next season’s roster.

On Tuesday, South Carolina transfer utility player Reganne Bennett announced her commitment to the Wolverines via X. Bennett, Michigan’s only transfer commitment so far, will join a six-player high school recruiting class as a newcomer to Ann Arbor this fall.

After playing both ways for the Gamecocks last season, Bennett was able to help the Wolverines in several ways this season. In the circle, she threw just 24.1 innings last year, but managed to stifle formidable offenses throughout the SEC, posting a 0.86 ERA on the season. Bennett joins a Michigan rotation anchored by right-hander Lauren Derkowski and will serve alongside right-hander Erin Hoehn as depth pieces behind the Wolverines’ ace.

At the plate, Bennett saw limited action, but showed signs of promising things to come. In 41 at-bats, she posted a stellar .952 OPS and hit four home runs, bringing a big bat to the table in Michigan’s contact-heavy lineup. With first baseman Keke Tholl being the only deviation from last year’s lineup, Bennett will be part of the competition to get that final spot.

Bennett comes to Ann Arbor with three years of eligibility remaining. While her contributions may not be essential to the team’s success this past year, she is certainly a key figure for the Wolverines going forward. Derkowski will leave a monstrous void in Michigan’s rotation after next season, and the Wolverines will lose two of their top hitters — outfielder Ellie Sieler and shortstop Ella McVey — to graduation. Given her contributions to a South Carolina team that made the NCAA Tournament this year, Bennett figures to be part of Michigan’s future plans.

And Bennett is no stranger to the state of Michigan. She played her high school ball in Novi – a suburb of Detroit – and won Gatorade Player of the Year her senior season. Her return to the Wolverine State is a homecoming of sorts, and she will look to achieve the same level of success in Ann Arbor as she did in Novi and for the Gamecocks.

Related articles