UF women's basketball coach Durand retires

FINDLAY – Michele Durand, who has been the University of Findlay's women's basketball coach for four seasons, is stepping down and retiring from coaching.Durand, who also led the women's basketball programs at Bluffton and Ohio Northern, coached for 34 years, and piled up 511 wins. Her teams won five regular season conference titles, two conference tournament championships and made four NCAA tournament appearances.At Findlay, Durand went 57-59, which included a 20-win season in 2024-25.The Oilers are coming off a 16-13 campaign. "We are incredibly grateful to Coach Durand for the passion and energy she poured into the Findlay women's basketball program," said Director of Athletics Jim Givens in a press release from the school. "Her deep commitment to the personal and athletic growth of our student-athletes was always at the heart of her work here at UF."Givens said the search for Durand's replacement has already begun. "Midway through April already, I am working diligently to find the new leader of our program," he said."It is important that we be thorough but move to expedite the process so that whoever takes over can begin building relationships to retain and recruit our current and future Oilers." BASEBALLThe University of Findlay baseball team – which will enter today's road game with Saginaw Valley State in first place in the Great Lakes Midwest Athletic Conference North Division – is looking to get back to its winning ways.The Oilers have done plenty of winning this season. They have a 24-13 overall record and are 15-5 in conference games.UF won 24 games all of last season, and was 16-14 in the G-MAC.Still, UF will be looking to shake off a couple of losses to Ashland from Sunday.The Eagles, in second place the G-MAC North, split a four-game set with the Oilers, which included a sweep in Sunday's doubleheader. Findlay swept Friday's twin bill at Fifth-Third Field.Ashland sits with a 12-8 division record, with 12 conference games remaining.The Oilers game today with the Cardinals, with a 4 p.m. first pitch in Utica, Michigan, is a non-conference game. Findlay will resume G-MAC play this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders at Hillsdale.Findlay's offense is led by senior centerfielder Casey Maruniak, who his hitting .316 with six homers and 47 RBIs. Junior right fielder Luke Senften is among the league leaders in batting average, hitting .375 with four homers and 41 runs batted in.On the mound, the Oilers are led by a pair of starters in Carson Mellott and Ethan Moore. Mellott – a left-hander who played at Tiffin Columbian -- is 5-1 with a 4.36 earned run average. Moore, a 6-foot-6 right hander, is 4-1 with a 4.23 ERA.Coming out of the bullpen for the Oilers is Colin Becker, who has four saves, a 4-1 record, and a 3.14 ERA. SOFTBALLThe University of Findlay softball team got some excellent pitching Sunday, in a pair of 7-0 wins over Kentucky Wesleyan.It was a solid weekend for the Oilers, who won three out of four and pushed their overall record to 29-9 and 12-3 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.They will look for win No. 30 (and 31) when they host another conference opponent, Ohio Dominican, in a doubleheader today. The first game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.The Oilers sit in a second place tie in the G-MAC North Division with Ashland, which has an identical league record. Findlay and Ashland trail only Tiffin University, which is 14-2 in conference games.Offensively, Findlay is led by shortstop Annika Bredel. Bredel, a two-time first-team all-G-MAC selection, has delivered 53 hits – 10 of which have been homers – and a .417 average this season.Bredel has already set career highs for hits and homers.Findlay also has the G-MAC's top hitter in centerfielder Anna Jones. Jones is hitting .469 with two homers and nine doubles.UF's Alexys Antal, a senior, leads the pitching staff with a 14-2 record and 48 strikeouts.