Personal: Derkowski is the daughter of Dave and Michelle Derkowski. Her mother, Michelle, played collegiate softball at Methodist University. Lauren majored in industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan, where she balanced academics and athletics as a student-athlete. She considers graduating with her engineering degree while competing at the highest level in collegiate softball to be her proudest accomplishment. Derkowski lists University of Michigan assistant coach Jen Brundage as someone who has made a significant impact on her life. She also looks up to her sister, Julia, whom she considers one of her idols due to her dedication and work ethic. Outside of softball, Derkowski enjoys exploring and meeting new people. She has a passion for trying new foods, traveling, and listening to music. As a child, she played the trombone and developed a love for adventure that carried into adulthood. One of her most unique achievements is visiting every Disney park in the world. A particularly memorable moment in her life came when she met President Barack Obama at the White House at the age of 10—a moment she describes as truly starstruck.
College Experience: Derkowski was a four-year letterwinner at the University of Michigan, where she made 142 appearances in the circle with 102 starts from 2022 to 2025. Over her collegiate career, Derkowski compiled a 60-40 record with 12 saves and a 2.34 earned run average. She recorded 661 strikeouts across 667.0 innings pitched. Derkowski was a three-time NFCA All-Great Lakes Region honoree and earned First-Team honors as a senior. She helped lead the Wolverines to two Big Ten Conference Tournament championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2025, she was named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player after posting a 3-0 record with a 1.11 earned run average and 12 strikeouts over 19.0 innings. She closed the regular season with back-to-back shutouts against Minnesota and opened the same season with shutout wins over South Florida and Illinois State. As a junior, Derkowski was named First-Team All-Big Ten after making 40 appearances, including 33 starts. She finished the season with a 19-10 record, a 2.29 earned run average, 222 strikeouts, three shutouts, and three saves. That same year, she earned Second-Team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region recognition. She was also honored as the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player again, going 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 19.0 innings. During the 2024 season, she was named both NFCA and Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 with a 0.88 ERA in a three-game series at Penn State. She later earned another Big Ten Pitcher of the Week accolade for securing three wins against Oakland and Purdue from March 19–25. As a sophomore, Derkowski received Second-Team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region honors after posting an 18-14 record over 37 appearances, including 30 starts. She finished with a 2.12 ERA, five shutouts, 223 strikeouts, and two saves. Notably, she became the first pitcher in Michigan history to throw back-to-back no-hitters when she blanked Purdue on April 14–15, 2023, a feat that earned her Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors. She also tallied a season-high 14 strikeouts in an eight-inning win over Cal State Fullerton on March 2, 2023, and earned her first collegiate save in a 7-6 win over Louisiana on February 17, 2023. Derkowski began her Michigan career in 2022 by pitching in 19 games with five starts. She ended her freshman season with a 3-3 record, a 2.19 ERA, and 43 strikeouts over 44.2 innings.
