Granger started her career at age 10 thanks to her Dad, Michael, who taught her a delivery that made use of her entire body, not just her arm. The instruction paid off and in the ensuing years Michele established herself as an outstanding pitcher. She was not only an outstanding pitcher, winning All-America honors six times, but she was an outstanding person who combined academics with athletics. Born January 15, 1957, Michele was senior class president and a student body vice-president vice president while in high school at Valencia High School, Valencia where she maintained a 3.5 grade point average. She was one of the most highly recruited high school athletes in the U.S.A her senior year and ultimately decided to attend the University of California at Berkeley. While at California, set the NCAA record for career strikeouts with 1,640 (a mark that has been surppassed) and finished with a career mark of 119-52. A four-time All-American, she holds school records for most victories (119), games pitched (183), complete games (155), innings pitched (1,202 2/3), strikeouts, no-hitters (25) and shutouts (94). After starring in the ASA youth program, Granger made her international debut in 1986 at age 16, leading the USA National Team to the ISF World Championship and a gold medal. She helped the USA win the World title in 1994 as well as the 1987 ISF Junior Girls’ World Championship in Oklahoma City, the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games, the 1994 South Pacific Classic and Superball 1995. In 1987, Granger pitched in the Junior Girls’ World, the U.S. Olympic Festival, the Pan American Games and the ASA Women’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship and is the only athlete to ever pitch in all of these prestigious events. She earned ASA All-America honors six times and her combined record in the Pan American Games, ISF World Championships and Olympic Games is 15-0. She compiled a 13-7 record (.650 winning percentage) in five U.S. Olympic Festivals with an ERA of 0.93. In 1986, 1987 and 1988, she won the Bertha Tickey Award as the outstanding pitcher in the national championship. In the 1988 ASA national championship in Pekin, Il she broke Hall of Famer Bertha Tickey’s record for consecutive strikeouts (11) with 16 straight, then broke her own record the next day with 18 in a row. She played in eight ASA nationals, compiling a record of 16-6 in seven of them. In her first three ASA national championships, she didn’t allow a run (earned or otherwise) in 68 consecutive innings. In 1996, Granger helped the USA win the first-ever gold medal in the Olympics, pitching the opening game and the gold medal game. After basically retiring after the 1996 Olympics, Granger attempted a comeback to try to make the 2000 Olympic Team. Her attempt was unsuccessful, however, and she retired as an active player after the 2000 season. Married to attorney John Poulos in 1989, the couple has four children. Besides being a mother, Michele has still been active in softball, giving pitching lessons to aspiring pitchers. From 2001-2001, she was the pitching coach at the University of Tennessee. She also served as the volunteer pitching coach at UC Davis and San Jose State.
