CAMDEN, N.J. (Nov. 14, 2016) – Rutgers University-Camden already knew that Michelle Schlichtig-Hastings was a Hall of Fame talent on the softball diamond. Her talents were recognized by another organization recently when the Scarlet Raptors' two-time All-American pitcher was inducted into the Camden County 2016 Sports Hall of Fame Oct. 27 at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill
 
The event was presented by the Camden County Board of Freeholders.

 

Schlichtig-Hastings joined Anthony Black, Toni Byard-Jenkins, former Rutgers-Camden men's basketball coach Bill Culbertson, Danielle Dayton, Michael Elder, Glenn Foley, Michael Glavin, Al Harris, Margie Mannion and the late Timothy Lenahan as inductees to the Hall of Fame.  Culbertson, who coached the Scarlet Raptors from the 2003-04 season through the 2005-06 campaign, was a legendary Camden High School star who played collegiate ball at both the University of South Alabama and the University of Pittsburgh before playing three years of professional basketball overseas.
 
Schlichtig-Hastings, who will begin her third season coaching the Rutgers-Camden softball team with the 2017 campaign, set the bar for all pitchers following in her footsteps with the Scarlet Raptors. As Michelle Schlichtig at the time, she only pitched at Rutgers-Camden for three seasons, after spending her freshman year at Fordham University. During those three seasons, from 2004-06, the Scarlet Raptors won two New Jersey Athletic Conference titles, were an NCAA regional runner-up for two straight years and capped their amazing run with a 47-5 record and the NCAA Division III national championship in 2006. They remain as the only Rutgers-Camden athletic team to ever win a national title.
 
Rutgers-Camden went 118-24-1 during Schlichtig's three seasons on the mound. Coupled with her 42-32-1 coaching record, she has helped the Scarlet Raptors compile a 160-56-2 record during her five seasons at the school. She has contributed to 32.3 percent of all the wins in the history of the 38-year old program.
 
Schlichtig, who was inducted into Rutgers-Camden's Athletic Hall of Fame as a part of the 2006 National Championship Team that was honored in 2011, not only set Rutgers-Camden pitching records that have stood the test of time, but most of her marks dwarf the next-closest number. Consider that Schlichtig's 82 career victories are 34 more than the runner-up spot in the all-time program record book. Out of all Rutgers-Camden pitchers with a minimum of 100 innings pitched, her career ERA of 0.75 easily beats the next-best ERA of 0.99. Her 906 strikeouts nearly double the second-place total of 488. She held opponents to a .146 batting average over her career. The next lowest mark is .169. Her 40 shutouts are more than twice the second-place amount of 19.

 

Schlichtig also holds program pitching records for most pitching appearances (107), starts (94), complete games (84), saves (6) and at bats (2,278). A stellar hitter as well, her .369 career batting average is the second-highest in program history for all players with the NCAA minimum of 200 at bats. Her .59731 slugging percentage is barely behind the program's second-best mark (.59748) and she is third all-time with a .449 on-base percentage. She also ranks fourth all-time in hits (165), only 28 behind the all-time leader despite being the only player in the Top 4 to play just three seasons in a Rutgers-Camden uniform. She ranks second in total bases (267), runs (110) and walks and is tied for second in both home runs (19) and doubles (39). She ranks third with 104 RBIs, while being the only three-year Raptor of the four players in the 100-RBI club.
 
During her senior season in 2006, Schlichtig hurled four no-hitters, with two of them being perfect games. She captured her second consecutive honor as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-American. She also was a three-time All-Region and All-New Jersey Athletic Conference selection, a two-time NJAC Pitcher of the Year (2005 and 2006) and earned honors as the NJAC Player of the Year in her first Rutgers-Camden season (2004). She also was a DIII Honda Award finalist in 2006.
 
During her Raptor career, Schlichtig compiled 42 games with double-digit strikeouts, including a high of 17 during a 6-0 no-hitter against Swarthmore on April 8, 2004. She didn't walk a batter in that game and only missed a perfect game when the 21st batter reached on an error. Overall, she hurled a record seven no-hitters at Rutgers-Camden, with two of them being perfect games.
 
Prior to playing at Rutgers-Camden, Schlichtig attended Fordham University for one year on a full athletic scholarship. At Fordham, she earned the Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year honor as well as being named First Team All-Atlantic-10 and First Team All-Region.
 
Schlichtig not only has compiled an outstanding collegiate resume, but also has been a highly-successful player and coach on the high school level.  During her scholastic career at Haddon Heights High School, she was a First Team All-State selection in 2001 and 2002. She also was selected First Team All-South Jersey from 2000-2002 and named Courier-Post Player of the Year in 2002.

Schlichtig led Haddon Heights to a New Jersey Group II State Championships a player in 2001. The Garnets also won South Jersey Group II championships in 2000 and 2001. She was inducted into the Haddon Heights Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.
 
Schlichtig coached two seasons at Paul VI High School in 2007 and 2008 before returning to her alma mater and establishing Haddon Heights as a state softball powerhouse. She posted a 105-45 record in her six years as Haddon Heights' head coach, including four Colonial Conference Championships (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), two South Jersey Championships (2012 and 2013) and the New Jersey State Championship in 2013. That 2013 team earned her honors as the Courier-Post Softball Coach of the Year.

Schlichtig was inducted into the Haddon Heights Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

Schlichtig graduated from Rutgers University-Camden in 2010 with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology. She has been a Professional Fastpitch and All-Skills Instructor since 2006.