The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 - 7Az
Drop the base: Michigan's walk-up songs
By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Wrtiter
Due to the snowstorm
Tuesday, the Michigan baseball
team's home game against
Eastern Michigan has been
pushed to Wednesday. The
game will also be the fans' only
chance this week to catch the
Wolverines' walk-up songs.
The walk-up song, a mix of a
pep talk, cheerleader and tone
setter for the players and crowd,
can vary in genre and words,
but they all ready everyone in
the stadium for the at-bat. All
of them are unique and worth
a listen, but we've broken down
the top five to enjoy.
No.5:Senior catcher Cole
Martin - "Money and the Power"
by Kid Ink
"Now Martin had a dream,
I've been dreamin' about gold.
Tell 'em I just wanna shine, and
I gotta let it show." So begins
the first verse of rapper Kid
Ink's "Money and the Power."
Michigan's Martin also has a
dream every time he steps up
to the plate, to shine and maybe
bring some power of his own.
With a bubbling and
fast-paced beat that blares
throughout the bleachers, the
2013 single powers the paying
customer to life with the lower
half of the order due up. Hitting
a team-leading .353 in Big Ten
play, the song appears to be
helping Martin get hot at the
plate after a slow start on the
road. With only a few weeks left
of his collegiate career, Martin
is looking to finish strong in his
pursuit of money and power.
No.4:Freshman infielder
RamseyRomano - "Jump
Around" by House of Pain
The classic 90's hip-hop
centerpiece, you're the Maltese,
I'm a pitbull off his leash, all this
peace talk can cease."
A lethal threat for power,
average and speed, the pitbull
rarely fails to unleash the
crowd with his walk-up song or
on-field play.
No.1: Sophomore infielder
Jacob Cronenworth - "The
Stroke" by Billy Squier
After Maezes' at-bat, the
drum-clap pattern of Billy
Squier's 1981 hard-rock hit
"The Stroke" perks the ears
of all in attendance. Using the
perfect pace to slow the game
down but keep everyone alert
in anticipation and a bass level
that gets the sound system's
money's worth, Cronenworth
strolls to the plate coolly and
calmly.
As he makes his way to the
batter's box, many behind him
rise to their feet, participating
in a ritual any Michigan baseball
fan will recognize. It starts as a
dugout gimmick, but without
fail, the simple movement of
bringingoutstretched arms over
their heads for a unifying clap
quickly spreads to the fans and
workers at Ray Fisher Stadium.
No matter the situation, the
stadium is alive by the time
Cronenworth stares down the
pitcher.
Cronenworth has brought
a stroke of his own with a .318
batting average and a team-
leading.477 sluggingpercentage
in Big Ten play. Ultimately,
"The Stroke" is what a walk-up
song should be: A classic, fun
and familiar song that pounds
the speakers to get the crowd
into the game, while focusing
Cronenworth with a simple
steady rhythm.
As Billy Squier sings, the song
"could be a winner boy, you
move mighty well."
Sophomore infielderJacob Cronenworth not only has an energizing walk-up song in "The Stroke," but his dance moves are even more entertaining, we suspect.
song is a near-perfect match
for the California native. The
easy-going Romano enjoys a
good time, and no one provides
that better than House of Pain.
From the horn intro to the hook,
Romano's song brings life to the
crowd, causing many to, in fact,
jump around - if only for one
at-bat.
Unfortunately for Michigan
fans, Romano will have to, as
the song says, "pack it up, pack
it in" for the rest of the season.
In a 3-2 loss to Iowa on March
28, two broken bones in his
hand will require him to take a
medical redshirt on the season.
A house of pain indeed.
No. 3:Freshman outfielder
Jackson Lamb - "Small Town
U.S.A." by Justin Moore
Lamb hailsfromTemperance,
Mich., a town of just over 8,500
residents on the southeast
corner of the state, but Lamb is
just as happy to call it "Small
Town U.S.A." Coming to Ann
Arbor and playing for a Big Ten
team can easily get hectic, so
Lamb leans on the slow-paced
2009 Justin Moore country hit
to remind the freshman of his
simple, charming roots.
The song seems to be a better
fit on a dock by the lake, but
Lamb's choice is a refreshing
change of pace. The long
twang' of the opening chord
reverberates throughout Ray
Fisher Stadium, as the crowd
takes a deep breath to relax.
With a break from the manic
game, Lamb settles in for
another battle in the 'ole ball
game. Though the song slows
down Lamb's mind, it also may
be slowing down his bat too.
He's hitting just .178 at home to
lower his overall season average
to .213.
With 19 regular season games
left, the former Michigan Mr.
Baseball will look to return to
the small-town tools that got
him to Ann Arbor.
No.2: Sophomore infielder
Travis Maezes - "Square Dance"
by Eminem.
As a lifetime southeast-
Michigan native, Maezes'
decision to choose an Eminem
song wasn't surprising, but the
choice of "Square Dance" over
other smash hits is worth an
investigation. The 2002 song is
one of the rapper's few political
songs, but Maezes utilizes the
resounding opening instead.
The electronic piano and string
instruments fuse together to
make even the squarest of fans
dance, as Eminem pipes in:
"People! It feels so good to be
back. Ladies and gentleman,
introducing the new and
improved you know who."
As the leadoff hitter with a
.388 on-base percentage and
a team-high 15 steals, fans
welcome Maezes back to the
plate with a hearty applause{
each time the batting order
resets. But by the time you-
know-who settles into his
stance, Eminem has shifted
gears: "Never been the type to
bend or budge, wrong button to
push, no friend of Bush. I'm the
Fancia rallies
team for cancer
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lverines walk in captain.
"My goal is to involve many
lay for Life one people as possible, and I started
with my own team," Francia said.
y after game in Michigan combined with the
Ohio State women's lacrosse team to form
one of the largest teams at MRelay
and has raised more than $5,000
By MINH DOAN for the event.
Daily Sports Writer "This is our first year doing
fundraising," Francia said. "But
two hours after the I think next year, we can do even
an men's lacrosse team better. I was happy that everyone
ed to Ann Arbor after contributed - it was a great
to rival Ohio State, it found experience."
n another field. While the money donations
on this field, there would be were important to the team, they
ng. were there to honor their own,
had a quick turnaround which included Root.
ur game, and we all came Earlier this year, the team
a support," said junior adopted Root through the Friends
tr Mike Francia. of Jacklyn, which places children
Wolverines participated in with pediatric brain tumors on
Relay event at Palmer Field sports teams near their location.
urday to honor those who Root suffered from a brain
ssed away from cancer, as tumor, but when he had surgery to
cancer survivors. kill the tumor, he ran into another
y For Life, an event held problem. Root suffered from
American Cancer Society posterior fossa syndrome, which
s of a 24-hour walk to prevented him from speaking or
noney for cancer research, moving the right side of his body.
cludes performances and Originally, Root had beaten the
tnies. syndrome and was cancer free for
for Michigan, Relay For four months, but he relapsed and
as a chance to honor two of was putinto hospice early last year.
wn: Francia and nine-year- And during the Wolverines'
les Root. Spring Break trip, they received
tn Francia was nine, he was the bad news that Root had
tws that no one wants to passed away. So it was only right
e had cancer -specifically, that they did something to honor
in's lymphoma. him, and Relay For Life was the
two years, Francia went perfect opportunity.
h treatment for his cancer "We have a special connection
continuing to play lacrosse with Miles," Francia said. "With
ver he felt healthy enough. his passing recently, it's been
if there was one thing that an emotional time and we're
ked forward to every year, definitely out here reeling for
the Relay For Life event Miles. The support of everyone
his hometown of Wilton, out here is great to see."
The event was not only a Returning to Ann Arbor after
to raise money for the very the loss, the Wolverines' minds
that hurt him, but it was were all over the place. But Relay
'hance to meet other people For Life brought them back
ame position. together. And after the emotional
when the team decided to year they've been through with
Relay For Life team, it was Root, it wasn't hard to get the
ght for Francia to be the team to come.
By KELLY HALL
Daily Sports Writer
Wednesday, a combined 64
years of coaching experience
will be on display in Mt.
Pleasant, Mich.
Michigan softball coach Carol
Hutchins has
collected 1,307 Michigan
wins for the
Wolverines at Central
since she Michigan
became head
coach in 1985, Matchap:
aasn 16 Michigan 33-6
amassing 16 Central
Big Ten titles, Michigan
10 Women's 26-12
College When:
World Series Wednesday
appearances 4 P.M.
and one Where:
national Margo Jonker
championship. Stadium
During Margo
Jonker's 31
years as head coach of the
Chippewas, she's earned
more than 1,000 wins, 11 Mid-
American Conference titles and
has appeared in the College
World Series before. Both
are members of the National
Fastpitch Coaches Association
Hall of Fame.
The long history of each
coach has helped lead to an
even longer history between the
two schools. Central Michigan
has squared off at least once
against the Wolverines every
year in Michigan's 37 softball
seasons except for one, and the
Wolverines lead the all-time
series, 48-30.
Wednesday, on the field
dedicated to Margo Jonker, No.
3 Michigan hopes to extend
its 19-game winning streak.
The Wolverines have been
untouchable in the Big Ten, and
with a perfect 12-0 conference
record, they're in a great
position for a non-conference
tune-up before a matchup with
the Big Ten's second-place team,
Minnesota.
Michigan (12-0 Big Ten, 33-6
overall) shut out the Chippewas
11-0 in a five-inning mercy-
rule victory April 22 last year,
Senior outfielder Lyndsay Doyle and the Wolverines should have an easy time earning their 20th consecutive win.
and Central Michigan might
struggle just as much this
season.
But the Chippewas (5-2
MAC, 26-12 overall), have some
depth in the lineup to make
things interesting. Junior third
baseman Trista Cox has a .362
batting average in the clean-
up spot and leads the team in
hits, runs and RBI. Shortstop
Carol Ann Sexauer, who has a
batting average of .329, follows
her. The rest of the lineup is
less intimidating with the other
batters straggling behind.
Central Michigan's offense
will undoubtedly struggle
against Michigan pitching if it
continues its recent hot stretch.
Junior left-hander Haylie
Wagner, who's been named Big
Ten Pitcher of the Week twice
in 2014, boasts an earned-run
average of 0.95 and is 19-0
this season. No matter what
pitcher the Chippewas see on
the mound, it won't make the
game any easier. The pitching
staff is ranked No. 8 in in the
NCAA with a combined ERA
of 1.54, and both junior Sara
Driesenga and freshman Megan
Betsa have broken out of small
ruts that Hutchins attributed to
confidence issues.
Even when a Michigan
pitcher allows a hit, though,
the defense is right behind her.
The Wolverines committed zero
errors against Michigan State in
three games this past weekend
and have committed zero errors
in seven of their last nine games.
"The defense came up huge
today, several times, and I
just trusted that they're going
to do what they're going to
do," Drisenga said Saturday
after freshman first baseman
Abby Ramirez and senior first
baseman Caitlin Blanchard
caught line drives and doubled
the runner off first. "That was
huge for my confidence."
But what the Chippewas
lack in offense, they make up in
pitching. Right-hander Rachel
Knapp could get the start in
the circle on Wednesday. The
freshman is 8-2 thus far, with
an ERA of 2.07. The Chippewas
can also rely on right-hander
Morgan Yuncker, who tossed a
four-hitter in a win against Kent
State on Saturday.
Central Michigan can
normally depend on its pitching
to compensate for its offense,
but Michigan batters lead the
country with a combinedbatting
average of .363. Sophomore
shortstop Sierra Romero not
only leads her team with an
average of .515, but she tops the
nation as well.
Playing a NCAA chart-
topping team isn't easy for
anyone. The Chippewas will
have to play their best ball of the
season to keep their home record
clear of more than one loss and
avoid becoming just another
team Michigan has mercied.
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