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10A - Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
RODRIGO GAYA/Daily
Senior Samantha Findlay has continued to lead the Michigan softball team after a move from first base to second in the off-season.
F indlay flourishes in new spot
Senior moves to
second base after
three years of solid
play at first
By RUTH LINCOLN
Daily Sports Writer
For the first time in her Michi-
gan career, Samantha Findlay isn't
picking up her first baseman's mitt
on game days.
The senior, who was a three-year
starter at first for the Wolverines
and a two-time First Team Great
Lakes All-Region Team honoree
at the position, made the switch to
second base this season.
To bolster the Michigan softball
team's outfield presence, Michigan
coach Carol Hutchins decided to
move last season's second base-
man, sophomore-Molly Bausher, to
centerfield. She also moved former
center fielder senior Alessandra
Giampaolo to leftfield.
"She's our fastest player,"
Hutchins said of Bausher. "We
thought we needed some team
speed out there with some range.
Alessandra is certainly a great out-
fielder, but her range is not as good
as it used to be. She's had a lot of
injuries."
The newly designed outfield
opened up second base for Find-
lay. In fall practices, the Lockport,
Ill., native spent some practices at
second and knew that she might be
needed there in the spring.
After playing second base in
youth softball and in high school,
the transition has been seamless.
She first took the position at the
Time Warner Invitational Feb. 15-
17 and has been solid since. With
just two errors (.984 fielding per-
centage), Findlay has quickly found
her niche.
"She has a great savvy for the
game," Hutchins said. "I didn't
think it would be a huge adjust-
ment for her, and I think she's done
a real nice job of just staying with-
in herself."
EventhoughFindlaywasregard-
ed as one of the top first basemen in
the conference, she's put aside her
record to help her team.
"We're just doing whatever it
takes to win, and if that's the best
lineup, then we'll adjust," Findlay
said. "I've just learned to accept my
role and go with it."
Findlay has adjusted by covering
more ground and increasing her
vocal presence on the field. Playing
deeper than at first, she faces more
bouncing ground balls that can be
difficult to field.
But her experience in the infield
has proven invaluable.
"She's simply said, a tough kid,"
Hutchins said "She plays second
base a lot like she played first base
- with a lot of passion because she
has a passion for this team."
Freshman Dorian Shaw has
taken over at first base. Sharing her
breath of knowledge and experi-
ence, Findlay has helped acclimate
Shaw to the position.
"Sam being a senior and playing
first for her first three years, she
knows what to tell me at differ-
ent times," Shaw said. "She might
know if a hitter is especially strong
to rightfield or she'll tell me when
she's moving up the middle. She
does a really good job communi-
catingwith me."
In the infield, Findlay has made
an impact no matter how far away
she is from the dugout. As one of
two senior starters, the co-cap-
tain's demeanor and presence has
set a tone for the team.
"She's done a great job of help-
ing her teammates." Hutchins said.
"She's been the consummate team
leader and the unselfish team-
mate."
DANCE FLOOR
From Page 9A
He's blunt, and it's awesome.
Imagine if Alexander had played
against Michigan this season. His
analysis would have been some-
thing along the lines of "They
sucked."
If CBS gave us more Joe Alexan-
der and fewer commercials of Brit-
ney Spears trying to hook up with
Doogie Howser, the world would
be a better place.
JUNIORS,
From Page 9A
the beginning of the season.
Despite flourishing during
the non-conference schedule,
Skrba struggled early in the Big
Ten season. Her numbers dipped
from eight points per game at
the beginning of the year to five
points per game halfway through
the season.
Much of that was because she
wasn't used to running sets. With
Borseth's system, Skrba needed to
learn to make reads and adapt to
the motion offense.'
Taking those lessons and
BOREN
From Page_9A
Rodriguez said this wasn't a
case of a player losing his love for
the game.
Boren was Scout.com's 42nd-
overall prospect (five stars) in the
class of 2006. Competing recruit-
ing site Rivals.com rated him
POMMEL
From page 9A
sophomore Mel Santander said.
Baldus-Strauss said he thinks
horse is one event where even
the most impassioned cheering
can't spur the gymnasts to new
heights.
"On certain events, your ener-
gy goes up, like floor," Baldus-
Strauss said. "But (on) horse, you
have to have control and steadi-
ness."
To achieve that state of bal-
ance, many of the pommel horse
competitors use pre-routine ritu-
No matter what, I'm still in a
good place because all of the Final
Four picks Imade in my bracket are
alive.
That being said, I have a funny
feeling we're going to see just two
No.1 seeds make it out of this week-
end and on to San Antonio. Mem-
phis has the toughest road, with a
surging Michigan State squad in the
Sweet 16 and a matchup with Texas
or Stanford waiting in the Elite 8.
And I didn't write an entire
article about the sensation that is
Joe Alexander for nothing. Think
improving her physical play,
Skrba has become a more com-
plete player, averaging 8.2 points
in the previous five contests.
"I've become a more aggres-
sive, more patient, smarter and
just tryingto improve everyyear,"
Skrba said.
Since Borseth and the new
coaching staff took over, both
Skrba and Jones have made the
transition between the post and
the perimeter. While it has taken
some time for both sides to adapt,
the pair has settled much better
into their positions.
And even though they may be
listed as forwards, the two come
from different directions.
64th and gave him four stars. It
take didn't long for Boren to show
that talent on the field. Boren was
the first offensive lineman since
at least 2003 not to redshirt his
freshman year.
"Each year you've got to come
together," Boren said after the first
spring practice. "I think this year
might be a little more difficult."
Notes: Rodriguez said no other
als.
Woodward leaps high into the
air, tucking his knees all the way
to his chest, before planting his
feet in the furthest corner from
the horse. Goldberg meditates
for 10 seconds, running through
his routine in his head. Freshman
Chris Cameron gives the horse a
few resounding whacks before
retreating to wait, perfectly still,
for the judge's signal.
The ability to forget bad rou-
tines quickly is also a key to pom-
mel horse success. More than any
event, horse requires a gymnast
to be completely in the present.
Dwelling on mistakes, from either
about the ramifications of Alex-
ander's goofy trash 'stache going
head-to-head against UCLA fresh-
man Kevin Love's equally-foolish
chin strap in the Elite 8.
Well, I wouldn't have written all
this if I didn't think Alexander's
magic was going to continue.
We need him in the Final Four.
Just think about the future gen-
eration of ridiculous facial hair and
trash talk that he could spawn.
MARK'S FINAL FOUR: NorthCaro-
lina, Kansas, Texas, West Virginia.
"Stephany has been more of
an inside player, but she can go
outside - that's a luxury for her,"
Williams said. "And AJ's more of
a perimeter player now, but she 4
can go inside."
It was those different direc-
tions that helped limit the Rams
on offense. Combining for 12
rebounds, Skrba and Jones are
steadily developing a strong pres-
ence in the post.
But at the beginning of every
game, they're on the bench just a
call away.
"They're very versatile play-
ers for us," Williams said.
They're also a perfect combina-
tion.
player has left the team during
the spring. ... He plans to hold
the spring game April 12 at Saline
High School.
The offense will play the
defense, and the teams will get
points for accomplishments like
yardage, sacks and turnovers.
- Nate Sandals
contributed to this report
one second ago or a week before,
is a sure way to fall off.
"There's a weird balance of
being aggressive at the same
time as being calm," Goldberg '
said. "There's no other beast like
horse."
This season's horse squad has
finally found that balance. As a
team, the Wolverines won pom-
mel horse in their final three reg-
ular-season meets.
Winning the event at the
upcoming Big Ten Champion-
ships would put Michigan well on
its way to returning to the top of
the podium for the first time since
2000.
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OURMET BURRITO.
(NOT AN OXYMORON>
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MEXICAN GRILL
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