a 10 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 7, 2004 Using speed, Doe sets the table-- By Jamie Josephson Daily Sports Writer Whoever says softball games are slow most likely has never met fifth-year senior Meghan Doe. As one of the fastest players on Michigan's softball team, Doe has 16 of the club's 36 steals so far this sea- son. In Michigan's 4-1 win against Indiana on Saturday, Doe collected her 50th career steal, tying her for fourth place on Michigan's career-steals list. "Coach (Carol Hutchins) has sent me more than usual," Doe said. "Basically I need to get on base to steal. I've been working on my slides to avoid tags at second base." The sliding practice has paid off. She has been caught stealing just three times thus far this season. Hutchins has been sending Doe more often because freshman Rebeka Milian, who bats second behind Doe, draws the infield in when she slap-bunts. With the infield in, Doe has a better chance to steal successfully. Doe's other offensive weapon is the slap-bunt that Milian uses. Illustrating Doe's versatility, Hutchins explained that if the defense is pulled in, she tries to slap the ball past them. Conversely, if the defense backs up, she can lay down a bunt. "She's a play-maker," Hutchins said. "Her job is to get on base and make things happen - to pull the other team out of position." Though Doe bats from the left side, she is naturally right-handed. At 14, she started hitting left-handed because her coaches wanted to take advantage of her quickness. From the left, Doe has even less distance to run from home plate to first base. "I just try to set the tone of the game," she said. "Ide- ally, I try to get on base every time, so hitters behind me can move or score me." Lately, Doe has been doing her job well. She had a six-game hit streak until Michigan's game against Indi- ana on Friday. The starting center fielder's defensive play is just as impressive as her hitting prowess. Doe has committed just one error so far this season. Doe also stands out in the dugout as one of the team's two captains. Hutchins said that Doe's strength as a cap- tain is her ability to demonstrate "leadership by exam- ple" to her teammates. "Meghan is one of the greatest kids I'll ever coach," Hutchins said. "She has always understood what this program is all about." Echoing her coach's sentiments, Doe does not make light of her responsibilities as captain. "I try to lead the team both on and off the field," she said. "I teach the underclassmen the ways of the pro- gram and to take pride in everything they do." Doe's personal pride for playing for Michigan is no less apparent. "This program has defined who I am," she said. "I've grown up so much. I owe it to my coaches and players who have taught me all I have known on and off the field." This year is Doe's fifth at Michigan, and she will be sorely missed after the conclusion of the current season. Hutchins said she admires her hustle, experience, confi- dence and good attitude are nothing short of admirable. "The mark of an athlete is to be able to face adversi- ty," Hutchins said. "(Doe) is one of the most resilient kids. She bounces back, and that's a great quality in an athlete. I would take a team full of Meghan Does." 0 As the leadoff hitter, Meghan Doe's role is to get on base and give her teammates opportunities to drive in runs. WEBER Replacing Fox no easyCn.m Pg task for backstop duoCategory Weber a By Megan Kolodgy Daily Sports Writer Michigan catchers Jeff Kunkel and Matt Rademacher have their work cut out for them. The duo is working on filling the sig- nificant void created when Jake Fox, the squad's standout catcher last season, was drafted in the third round last sum- mer by the Chicago Cubs. To Fox, an All-American and Eastern Michigan's team MVP last at M season, batted .357 and hit Te 15 home runs his junior season. The Without Fox behind the - plate finishing off a four- year career at Michigan, the younger catchers are working together to com- pensate for the loss. "I don't think anyone's going to replace Jake Fox," redshirt freshman Rademacher said. "I mean, those are pretty big shoes to fill. We just do what we can. But I think what we're doing right now, what we've got, is working for us." Judging by the duo's performances last weekend in the Wolverines' four- game series split with Big Ten power- house Minnesota, Rademacher could be right. Although Kunkel is typically the starter, and was behind the plate in both of Michigan's victories, both play- ers have important roles on the team. Covered club spor the Daily V: Instead of studying freshman year Iverson ts for Did time in jail following bowling-alley brawl Edge Iverson Category: After feeling disrespected ... Weber Iverson Edge Weber 4 Quit the Daily sports staff at beginning of junior year Sat bench in Milwaukee Bucks outfit to spite interim coach Chris Ford DAY Michigan ichigan :3 p.m. e Fish The duo kept the Golden Gophers at bay, allowing Michigan to make an attempt at a win in the second game of the series. Kunkel, a redshirt sophomore, believes that he owes some of his suc- cess to a practice that is relatively unusual among catchers. Most catchers at Category: Worst ailment faced Weber Iverson Edge Weber Kidney stones during the middle of Michigan-Washington football opener in 2002 Current knee injury that will keep him out for rest of season 4 Category: Annual salary TONY DING/Daily Redshirt sophomore Jeff Kunkel was pushed Into the role of starting catcher when Jake Fox chose to join the Chicago Cubs. Kunkel's done the job, hitting .377. *1 As an engineer in the U.S. Air Force, the collegiate level wear knee savers, which lessen the tension that they put on their knees while staying in a squat inning after inning. Kunkel breaks thej mold in this respect. "To be honest, I think (knee savers) tend to make catchers lazy," Kunkel said. "And I like to be up instead of sit- ting down anyway." But he would still be strapping them on if he hadn't experimented with playing without them. "I wore them in high school, but one day I took them off and found outj it was more comfortable," Kunkel said. "Since then, I haven't put them back on." It is also up to these two to make1 sure that they are comfortable with every pitcher that Michigan coach Rich Maloney can send to the mound. Since the team carries an almost excessive number of hurlers (17), as several Northern squads do, this is quite a for- midable task. But both Kunkel and Rademacher are certain that their abili- ty to catch from each pitcher - and adjust to each individual style - is something they've excelled at. "During the offseason, we have to throw with everyone, so now we're pretty much comfortable with them Rademacher said. "And hopefully they're comfortable with us." Kunkel echoes these sentiments. "Every game we're catching some- body different'"Kunkel said. "So we see everybody and know what their stuff's going to do, what they like to throw." Kunkel is also a major contributor on the offensive end of the Wolverines' effort. He is currently third on the team in hitting at .377. In Sunday's come- back, he drove in two runs on a double. "I think all around, Jeff is a good catcher," Rademacher said. "He's shown that so far." $2,400 (including endorsements) $12 million (excluding endorsements) Category: Favorite NBA moment Weber Iverson Edge Iverson Weber Cheering Ricky Davis on TNT Being the 1996 NBA as Davis entered game against Draft's No. 1 overall pick his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers Iverson Category: Sample rap lyric Weber Iverson Edge Push You, you at Kinko's, selling your cassette singles / And yeah I jacked that line, but I ain't a new jack/ So don't talk smack, you're a quack like an Oregon Duck How you wanna die: fast or slowly? / Fast as a rolie, slow as a rolie-polie Edge Iverson q Category: Can't stop repeating ... there's no telling what you'll work on. (Seriously, we can't tell you.) Weber Pointless columns At this point I started to realize Allen Iverson is a hell of a lot realer than I am. Accepting defeat, I had to see the shoe that led to my downfall. So I headed over to my friend's place anc picked up one of those hideous red and black shoes. There it was splat- tered across the sole: "The Realist. What? Real-ist, not Real-est? As in, Allen Iverson is pragmatic and practical? I laughed uncontrollably. There is nothing sadder than a fallen champi on; and after all the time I spent worrying about becoming one, it Iverson "We talkin' 'bout practice" Edge Iverson turned out Iverson never even chal- lenged my title. Either Team Iverson decided to reposition Allen as practical, or they made a serious spelling blunder. Or maybe they just found out "The Realest" was taken. One of the other privileges of being The Realest is a month break between challengers (in other words, not until after graduation on May 1). Ifyou want to e-mail Jim Weber about any- thing else, he can be reached at jamesmw@umich.edu United States Air Force applied technology is years ahead of what you'll touch in the private sector, and as a new engineer you'll likely be involved at the ground level of new and sometimes classified developments. You'll begin leading and managing within this highly respected group from day one. Find out what's waiting behind the scenes for you in the Air Force today. To request more information, call 1-800-423-USAF or Log on to airforce.com. h Have You Graduated ,. . From Your m a