fballers aim for
two Titanic wins
by David Schechter
Daily Sports Writer
The University of Detroit Titans might be the oil can the Michigan
softball team has been looking for to loosen its squeaky joints.
The Wolverines boast a career record of 18-3 over the Titans and hope
to widen that gap with two wins in today's doubleheader at Detroit. With
the Big Ten schedule commencing this weekend, Michigan is looking to
run and hit themselves out of their recent sluggish play.
Coach Carol Hutchins isn't taking the Titans lightly though. "U of D
has probably their best team ever. They're a very confident team. But
what we need to do is get ready for the Big Ten season, and this is our last
pre-season game, and we want to get on a role and sweep them."
However lopsided the opponent, Hutchins refuses to take any competi-
tor lightly. "Softball is a funny game. Anyone can beat anybody on any
given day," she said.
And so the Wolverines will attack U of D with their standard game
plan -consistent defense and hopefully some explosive offense.
"As opposed to just playing against Detroit, we need to play and get
ourselves going, and not worry about Detroit, but play just as we would,
any other opponent," Hutchins said.
Team captain Jenny Allard agrees. "I take this game as a step toward
Big Tens. Even though Detroit is not a powerhouse, they are a potential
threat. We need to go in and get both these games."
Senior Sara Dyksterhouse looks at today's game in a similar light.
"They usually ploy us pretty hard. We usually play pretty close with
them. We need to get in two good games where we can really explode of-
fensively so we can be ready for this weekend."
Minnesota will challenge the Wolverines in Ann Arbor on Friday and
Saturday. Michigan would like to enter the Big Ten schedule with two
solid wins under its belt. Consistency is something the team is trying to
regain as they have been up and down on a competitive roller coaster, los-
ing when they're favored, winning when they're not.
Michigan has struggled both offesively and defensively and hopes a
thourough thrashing of the Titans can set them straight.
The Michigan Daily -Wednesday, April 4, 1990 - Page 9
SOFTBALLER DYKSTERHOUSE DESERVES SPOTLIGHT:
Senior moves out of shadows
by Sarah Osburn __________
Daily Sports Writer
Every team has its stars - the
players that win the awards, get
named captain and get the recogni-
tion. Team-oriented players are
needed for a team to be successful,
skilled, and consistent. Sara Dyk-
sterhouse, a senior on the Michigan
softball team, is this type of player.
"Jenny (Allard) has won a lot of
well deserved awards and Sara has a
lot to do with it," softball coach
Carol Hutchins said. "It happens in
all sports: you always have an un-
sung hero, and Sara happens to be
the unsung hero of our team."
Dyksterhouse doesn't seem to
mind playing in the shadow of Al-
lard. "I'm not really too interested in
individual goals, as long as the team
does well and we win the Big Ten,"
she said. "To be here three years, and
come in second every year is frustrat-
ing. I just want to finish it with a
win."
But saying that Dyksterhouse is
playing in anybody's shadow is mis-
leading. In the Wolverine's some-
what disappointing start, she has
stood out as the most reliable player
on the team. She returned from the
spring break trip batting close to
.500 and currently boasts an average
of .444. She also leads the team in
RBIs.
According to Hutchins, her
first-year student, and has held onto
it ever since.
A highly recruited player out of
Jenison High School, Dyksterhouse
was a three-time all-conference selec-
tion and was twice named female
conference athlete-of-the-year. In her
senior year, she was named to the
all-state team.
Michigan was her first choice
based on academics and location.
"It's far enough away from home,
but my family can still make it to
my games," she said.
"The first two years were really a
big adjustment," Dyksterhouse said..
"I had trouble adjusting to the bat-
ting here. If you hit .300, you're do-
ing well. But that means that you
aren't going to hit the ball 7 out of
ten times. This can get frustrating
and I lost some of my confidence."
Hutchins attributed Dykster-
house's hitting struggles in her first
couple years to this loss of confi-
dence.
"Not only did she lose confidence
in herself, but I think that she also
thought the staff was losing
confidence in her," Hutchins said.
"Once she found out that we hadn't
M
lost our confidence in her, things
started to improve. It's nice to see
her hitting so well now."
With all of her experience, a suc-
cessful senior season will hopefully
grant her the post-season recognition
she deserves. "The last three years
have been kind of disappointing,"
Dyksterhouse said. "Last year wasn't
as bad. I made second team all-Big
Ten, but this year I'd like to make
first team."
The Kinesiology major has no
plans of giving up softball after this
year. She plans to squeeze it in
around her profession in cardiac re-
habilitation.
"But I am going to slow pitch,"
she stated. "My body is just getting
too old for this!"
Dyksterhouse
prowess hasn't just been on offense.
"She has been a rock at first base,"
she explained. "She has been solid
and consistent, and she is what
makes our slap defense work."
Though Dyksterhouse has really
made a strong showing thus far in
her senior year, she has been a valu-
able player since her first season.
She earned a starting position as a
Distinguished Lecture Series
0 DR. REGINALD JONES
U-
"Psycology and African Americans:
the Decade Ahead"
Wednesday, April 4, 4:00 p.m.
1270 Business Administration Bldg.
2 Reception immediately following the lecture
WU This series is sponsored by the Center for Afroamerican and
LUi African Studies, the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, and the "
Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs
Carmen Otte
Embry-Riddle University
NASA trainee
Carmen Otte and
her favorite
space vehicle.
When Aeronautical Engineering junior Carmen
Otte talks about her 1982 Volkswagen Jetta,
it's only natural that she begins with space.
"I like its size, especially the trunk. A big trunk
is important when you go away to school and
have to carry practically everything you own.
"And I love Jetta's space inside. It's roomy,
comfortable. Last year I drove 200 miles
each way to a summer job at NASA. I'm glad
I was in my Jetta."
Of course, there's more to Carmen's Jetta
than space. "My car has over 200,000 miles on
it. It doesn't cost much to operate and it's good
looking. I think Volkswagens are excellent cars
for college students."
Since Carmen hopes to design spacecraft
someday, we had to ask her what kind of vehicle
she envisions in the future.
"That's easy. A red Volkswagen Cabriolet
convertible. I've already got one picked out
for graduation."
The VCI College Graduate Finance Plan makes owning
or leasing a Volkswagen easier than ever before. And
you may not need a credit history to qualify. Visit your
authorized Volkswagen dealer for details.
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