Background
Merchant was born in Wayland, Michigan.
Merchant was born in Wayland, Michigan.
She is currently an assistant coach with the Minnesota Golden Gophers softball team She previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts. She played professional softball in the National Pro Fastpitch league (NPF) for the New England Riptide (2005, 2007-2008) and Connecticut Brakettes (2006).
Merchant also played college softball for the Michigan Wolverines softball team from 2002 to 2005.
She enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2001. She played college softball for the Michigan Wolverines softball team under head coach Carol Hutchins from 2002 to 2005.
As a freshman in 2002, she started all 61 games at shortstop. As a sophomore in 2003, she compiled a perfect 1.000 fielding average against conference opponents.
She was a second-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American in 2004, a third-team All-American in 2005, and a first-team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region player in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
She compiled a.500 batting average and eight RBIs at the International Cup and was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Merchant remains one of Michigan"s all-time leaders in multiple categories, including games played - career (254 - 4th), doubles - career (48 - 6th), home runs - career (49 - 3rd), slugging percentage - career (595 - 5th), runs - season (67 - tied for 2nd), home runs - season (21 - tied for 2nd), RBIs - season (63 - 5th). Professional softball
Merchant was selected by the New England Riptide in the 2005 NPF Senior Draft.
She played four years of professional softball in the National Pro Fastpitch league.
She played for the Riptide in 2005, 2007, and 2008, and for the Connecticut Brakettes in 2006. In 2006, she compiled a.354 batting average for the Brakettes with 12 home runs and 31 RBIs in 113 at bats.
Coaching career
During the 2006 season, Merchant served as a volunteer coach at Michigan under Carol Hutchins. In September 2006, Merchant was hired as an assistant coach under Elaine Sortino at the University of Massachusetts.
In four years at UMass, she helped guide the team to a 164-47-2, four Atlantic 10 championships, and four National Collegiate Athletic Association tournaments.
In August 2010, Merchant was hired as an assistant softball coach at the University of Minnesota. In 2012, she helped the infielders to a fielding percentage of.971, the best fielding percentage for any infield in the Big Ten Conference.