The Michigan Daily -Wednesday, April 17, 2002 -17 'M' needs Schock swinging into big weekend SCHOCK Continued from Page 13 Big Ten on Sunday. But first the team travels to Kalamazoo today for a doubleheader against West- ern Michigan (7-6 Mid-American Conference, 12- 15 overall). Although the Wolverines have important Big Ten matchups on the horizon, Schock doesn't plan on letting up against the Broncos this after- noon. "I play the same (against) every team," she said. "It doesn't matter if it's an Iowa, a Penn State or a nonconference team. I try to go in there with the same mindset every time." , But Schock also admitted that the midweek game is an opportunity to prepare for the big weekend. "To go out there and play like you always play is key, but at the same time, if any of the players have kinks that they want to work out, it's a great time to do it," Schock said. Michigan will need all of the kinks worked out before it heads to Evanston and Iowa City. North- western (6-4 Big Ten, 15-10 overall) sits just two spots behind Michigan in the-conference standings. The Wildcats have lost three in a row, but after fin- ishing 8-12 in the conference last year, some Big Ten teams have been surprised that first-year coach Kate Drohan has Northwestern playing so well. Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has expected the Wildcats to have a strong season. "They didn't surprise me," Hutchins said. "I knew they were good. I think with a coaching change sometimes there's kind of a new vigor in the program, and I think they've got some of that." Michigan's Sunday double header against Iowa (8-2, 25-14) could break the tie at the top of the Big Ten standings. The Hawkeyes currently share the lead with the Wolverines and have won three straight, including a- sweep of Penn State. Iowa's two Big Ten losses came at the hands of Ohio State. Schock tried to downplay the magnitude of the four-game stretch. "It's as big as every other weekend, but as far as our stats go, of course it's going to be huge - we're tied for first with Iowa," she said. "But every game is huge." As if facing two of the top teams in the confer- ence wasn't enough to handle this weekend, the Wolverines also have to squeeze in time to study for finals. Schock said a two-hour mandatory study table on the way to and from games and sympathetic professors help, but that it's still difficult. "It's one of the hardest times of the year," Schock said. "Trying to prepare for the tests and softball is really hard." But Schock should be able to handle it. After all, she likes pressure. t [III . DANNY r IVOLOSHOK~/Dily Junior pitcher Marissa Young throws the nasty stuff this weekend against Wisconsin. She has a staggering ERA of 0.95 so far this season. High usage doesn't wear down pitchers JOBS"!! Spring/Summer Term Apply now at the Law Library- *non-Law Students " Law Students " S.I. Students Minimum pay is $8.50 per hour! Apply at the hiring table outside room 5-180 in the Law Library's underground addition. AA/EOE By Bob Hunt Daily Sports Writer Last Saturday, Michigan coach Carol Hutchins had to make a tough decision. With the Big Ten lead on the line, the Wolverines - with Nicole Motycka on the mound - had fallen down three runs to Minnesota in the third inning, and the Gophers were pushing for more. Hutchins pulled Motycka out of the game and put in ace Marissa Young, even though it meant $at she would pitch at least 17 innings in three days. "When we brought (Young) in, I told her we can win this game," Hutchins said. The move worked. After a couple of walks, Young shut down the Gophers, and the Wolverines rallied in the fifth inning to win 5-3. While Young may have not looked her best on Sunday, los- ing 2-0 to Wisconsin, her heroics helped to earn her fourth Big Ten Pitcher of the Week Award this season. However, the question still remains: How much can her arm take? "The good thing about underhand pitching is that it's a more natural motion than overhand baseball pitch- ing" said Michigan assistant coach Jen- nifer Brundage, who works with the pitchers and plays on the U.S. Olympic Team. "Marissa grew up playing travel ball, where she'd throw three or four games in a day." Young - as well as other college pitchers - may have pitched a great deal of innings in club and high school softball, but throwing against the Iowa Hawkeyes is a little different than going up against the San Jose Strikers Under- 18 team. As the staff ace, Young has appeared in 28 of Michigan's 40 games, starting in 20 and going the distance in 17. But she is just fifth in the Big Ten in innings pitched. The conference leader, Wiscon- sin's Andrea Kirchberg, has complied 30.2 more innings than Young and has started 25 of the Badgers' 38 games. But Kirchberg's numbers pale in com- parison to NCAA records. Back on May 11, 1991, Kelly Brookhart of Creighton and Janet Womack of Utah went head to head in a 31-inning duel with both pitch- ers on the mound for the whole game. "These pitchers can throw and throw and throw," Hutchins said. While Young will not have to throw those kind of innings, how much time she spends on the mound will depend on the play of Motycka. Filling in for All- Big Ten second-team pitcher Marie Barda, Motycka has had a tough role coming in right away but has pitched well. At times, though, she has gone through some growing pains, and she has shown a tendency to be hard on her- self in tough situations. "She's learned from some good times, ad she's learned from some bad times;' Brundage said. "It's kind of what you'd expect from freshman. She's got a lot thrown on her all at once, and she's doing the best she can to cope with it. Actually, I think she's doing a great job." Motycka has started as many games as Young, but Young has had to come into relieve her in eight of those starts. Against Minnesota, Motycka had some control problems and allowed two lead- off walks to cross the plate. Because Motycka, unlike Young, is not astrikeout pitcher, getting ahead in the count is imperative for her. "The games where she is most suc- cessful are when she gets ahead," Brundage said. "She throws that first strike, and then she can throw junk. should be primed and ready for a run to the Women's College World Series. If not, Young could be pitching like her days in the youth club leagues. "She'll throw as much as we have to use her." Hutchins said. "Every game is really important in the Big Ten, and we're trying to win." I Apply for a summer internship working on an episode of Music In High Places, starring Unwritten Law. You could receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Nashville, where you'll attend a university program in the entertainment business. Then have a chance to fly to Los Angeles and Yellowstone National Park to help produce the show. Find out how to get an internship, without the help of your dad's friend's cousin, at mastercard.com.