10 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Ewing
sees her
dream
come true
By Amber Colvin
Daily Sports Writer
At last year's Women's College World Series cham-
pionship game, one spectator sitting in the stands had
M BASEBALL
Putnam's first career *
start is a family affair
a special interest in the
game. A high school senior
at the time, she sat next to
her dad and watched the
Michigan softball team
hoist the national champi-
onship trophy, the Wolver-
ines weren't just players to
her - they were her future
teammates.
Freshman Teddi Ewing
TODAY
Bowling Green
at Michigan
4 p.m.
Alumni Field
may have been in the stands then, but this year she
could be playing in the WCWS. The shortstop from
Olathe, Kan., is the one new player consistently in
Michigan's starting lineup, and so far she seems
pretty comfortable amongst the national champs.
"It was like a dream come true to come into a
program like this," Ewing said. "When they won, it
was really exciting to be able to come onto that."
And even though most of her teammates sport
national championship rings, fitting in hasn't been
a problem.
"I don't feel like a freshman," Ewing said. "I just
feel like part of the team."
With 16 games under her belt, Ewing has already
notched a home run, four RBI and a .213 average.
Ewing is stepping in for Jessica Merchant, last sea-
son's shortstop who has graduated. Merchant, a two-
time All-American, left Michigan with the most career
home runs in program history (43) and was fourth all-
time in RBI (155). And while her extraordinary stats
may be missed, her presence isn't completely gone.
After being crowned national champion with the
Wolverines and an impressive summer stint with the
By David Murray
Daily Sports Writer
Most people who have siblings know
that beating them at a sport, especially if
they're older, is a better feeling than win-
ning the Super Bowl.
Freshman pitcher Zach Putnam would
agree.
On Friday, opening day at the Fish, Put-
nam was given his first career
start at pitcher. It was signifi- -
cant enough that the highly
touted freshman was starting T
in Michigan's home opener. Bowli
But more noteworthy was the at M
fact that it came against his 3:0
older brother Dylan - Oak-T
land University's head coach.
"We fought a lot (when we
were younger)," Zach said.
"Until I was about 14 and I started kicking
his ass. He used to beat me up until then. He
is a really good athlete, so he was always a
little better than me in most things."
The Ann Arbor native held onto those
feelings from when his brother defeated
him in the backyard and took out his anger
on Jeff Kunkel's catcher mitt and Oakland's
innocent batters. Zach allowed just two hits
and fanned five batters over five innings,
garnering his first collegiate win in a 14-5
rout of his older sibling's team.
"It was a little bit ironic (to have my
first win against Oakland)," Zach said. "It
would have been exciting against anybody,
but it was extra exciting against Oakland."
Still, older brothers are never too happy
to lose to their younger brother.
"It was an interesting experience,"
Dylan said. "It was something that will
be very memorable. We tried to keep it as
objective as possible, so the guys on my
team could keep their minds clear and go
about their business as they always do. But
it will be something that we look back on
in
Vi
05
he
as a family for sure."
Zach's return from lingering injuries
marked a momentum change for the Wol-
verines and sent the Golden Grizzlies into a
tailspin. Putnam's victory was the first win
in a four-game weekend sweep of Oakland,
while Friday's loss was the Golden Griz-
zlies' fifth loss in a row.
Putnam, whose fastball has been clocked
in the 90s, caught the eye of many major
league scouts as a senior at
Pioneer High School, gar-
nering accolades such as
DAY Gatorade Player of the Year
g Green for the state of Michigan
chigan and Baseball America All-
P.m. American, among numer-
Fish ous other awards.
Despite interest from the
major leagues, Putnam made
the choice to go to Michigan.
"Zach is very talented," Michigan coach
Rich Maloney said. "He was our top recruit.
There is no doubt about it. He hadn't been
healthy 100 percent yet, and he showed
glimpses of what he might do in the future
for us, and it was pretty positive. He's a spe-
cial player, and he can flat-out hit. It is just
too bad that he hadn't been in the lineup
every day because he adds something that
not many people can bring to the table."
Zach's brother always knew that Zach
would encounter success, because he grew
up watching his work ethic firsthand.
"Anybody that works as hard as he does off
the field and on the field has to be successful
no matter how talented you are,' Dylan said.
"You add in the fact that he is very talented,
and he has a bright future in baseball."
Michigan (10-7) will look to carry its
momentum into today's game against
Bowling Green (9-10). The Falcons have
lost two games in a tow, but had no trouble
defeating Michigan's last opponent, Oak-
land, earlier in the season, 8-5. The game is
slated for 3:05 p.m. at the Fish.
MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily
Freshman shortstop Teddi Ewing has notched a home run and four RBI in 16 games this season.
USA Softball Elite Team last year, Merchant returned
to Ann Arbor to work as a volunteer assistant coach for
the team she starred on. She plans to pursue a career in
coaching, and according to Merchant, there's no better
place to get her first year of coaching experience.
"It's an adjustment," Merchant said. "I love to
play, obviously that's what I'd rather be doing, but
you've got to move on."
Merchant has been able to help Ewing as she
feels her way through her first season. Sometimes
the two train together at practice, and other times
Merchant will pull Ewing aside to tell her what she
can work on.
"Anytime she sees something I can change to get
better, she helps me," Ewing said. "She did unbeliev-
able when she played here so to have her here showing
me the ins and outs of the position is great. There's no
one better to have doing it."
Ewing's first chance to test her skills on the col-
legiate level came Feb. 17 against DePaul. The game
proved to be a memorable one; she collected her first
start at shortstop, first hit, first run and first RBI.
"Putting on the jersey was a really cool feeling,"
Ewing said. "Stepping on the field that first inning, I
was a little nervous. But once you get into the game
it's just like playing any other game."
She has started every game since, and Mer-
chant sees this as the beginning of a successful
college career.
"Teddi's a great kid" Merchant said. "She's
tough. Part of being a big-time Division I shortstop
is that you have to be mentally strong, and that's
what I want to work with her on. Once you have
that, you can have a great career. Teddi's going to
have a great career at Michigan, and she's going to
be a great shortstop for us."
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