6E - Fall 2014

Sports

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com


ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Michigan coach Erik Bakich's team improved all season and will bring back nearly all of its key contributors next year.
Michigan baseball
ison its way back
IS n SWG GC

AY 25, 2014 - Only
one team gets to end
each season on top,
so for all but one team, the say-
ing "Wait'til next year" is little
more than a cushion to the blow
of defeat.
But after a second season
under coach
Erik Bakich, ZACH
Michigan SHAW
baseball has
something On Baseball

through the up and down sea-
son, the evidence of Bakich's
vision was clear.
It was clear following Sat-
urday's season-ending loss to
Nebraska, when a reflection of
the season quickly turned into
an analysis of things to come.
It was clear after a 7-1 win
at Central Michigan on May 6,
which for manyteams would
have been little more than a
meaningless non-conference


brewingfor win.
2015. "There will come a time
The team lost in every way where these games will be just
possible, failing to get above as big as the conference games,"
.500 until May. But by the time Bakich said. "Our team will be
the Wolverines finished behind playing for at-large bids and the
only No. 9 Indiana and No. 23 opportunity to host regionals,
Nebraska in the Big Ten Tourna- and people across the country
ment and ended the season with will be looking at how we do in
30 wins for the first time since every one of our games."
2010, the youth that had lost so It was clear after a 5-1 win
many early games became the against Ohio State on May 10,
team's greatest strength. as many of the 2,064 fans who
Now, with up to 27 of 32 play- attended the game - the largest
ers returning next season and crowd since 2010 - lined up for
another top recruiting class autographs followingthe game.
coming in, Bakich has the pieces "We want this to be the
necessary for his vision of suc- expectation," he said. "There
cess to become reality. will come a time, very soon, that
this atmosphere won't just be for
* * * rivalry games, but every game.
That each serieswe play will be
he 2014 season beganp a packed house, and teams will
with nothing but agony #'hate coning to play here notcjust
for the Wolverines. On because of our team, but because
Feb.14, Michigan opened its of our fans."
season by blowing late-game The vision was always aimed
leads of three and four runs in at the future. But as the season
consecutive extra-inning losses concluded Saturday, it seemed
to Texas State and Washington. like the future is closer than
The next week was no better: before.
The Wolverines dropped three Next year's team will return at
one-run games to Houston. least three of four pitchers who
Freshman right-hander Keith started in last weekend's Big Ten
Lehmann and freshman left- Tournament. Its top nine pitch-
hander Brett Adcock were 0-2 ers in earned-run average will
with a 12.70 earned-run average be back. And junior right-hander
in bullpen work in the team's Matt Ogden, who missed the
opening eight games. entire season due to injury and
But over the course of the sea- led lastyear's team with an 8-1
son, the pair rose up the ranks to record and a 2.28 earned-run
become late-season starters and average, willbe reintroduced.
combined to go 11-5 with a 2.82 Additionally, the Wolverines
ERA with 93 strikeouts in their return roughly 80 percent of
first seasons. their offense, including sopho-
The rest of the team followed more shortstop Travis Maezes,
suit, finishing12-5 with an a .308 career hitter who was
underclassmen core leading the named to the Big Ten All-Tour-
charge. nament team with a conference-
The improvements weren't best .706 on-base percentage.
enough for a title. Not yet. But Fulfilling the potential of

young players is one of college
sports' greatest mysteries. Get-
ting contributions from under-
classmen was relatively easy
for Michigan, but getting those
contributions to form team
leaders and stars is completely
different.
That's why last weekend's
tournament - in which 23 of the
Wolverines' 28 hits and every
single extra-base hit came from
players who will return next year
- provedtobe apromisingsign.
ButfBakich's vision asks for a
little more than promise.
In his introductory press con-
ference in 2012, Bakich used the
word "championship" 18 times,
making his goal clear from day
one.
Going173-70 from 2005-08,
the Wolverines won three con-
ference titles and made four
NCAA tournament appearances
in a row.
But things unraveled at a star-
tling pace, leading to the worst
two-year stretch in the pro-
gram's history in 2011-12, which
ultimately brought Bakich to
Michigan.
With his second straight
highly ranked recruiting class
and the majority of his team's
core coming back net year,
Bakich is looking o rebuild the
pillar of success that had crum-
bled upon his arrival.
fter the home finale
against Ohio State, as
the line for autographs
stretched from left field to
behind home plate, it became
clear that fans are buying into
the future too. Knowing this,
Bakich smiled and looked at the
infield shimmering in the sun,
envisioning the evenbrighter
future ahead.
"We're looking to have a
big crowd on every occasion,"
Bakich said."We want our team
to be successful enough to which
we can get 3,000, 4,000, 5,000
in here watching us play. It's like
what I tell the guys, 'they won't
be able to build these seats fast
enough."'
Think it sounds ambitious
now? Just wait 'til next year.

SOFTBALL
Remembering Michigan's
escape to the Super Regional
By JUSTIN MEYER "We've had five or six trips sixth, though, and the Wolverines
Daily Sports Writer to the ER on this trip. I thought headed to the top of the seventh
it was a heat thing at the start, down a run. Blanchard batted
MAY 22, 2014 - When but it turns out we have a flu bug first, but she grounded out tonshort,
Michigan stumbled through the going through our team. It hasn't bringing Lawrence to the plate
last part of the regular season, stopped. It's still going through again.
coach Carol Hutchins called it a us." Lawrence drilled the first pitch
bad time to play bad softball. A Michigangotouttoaroughstart she sawfor her second consecutive
talent-laden team with power at in the first game when freshman solo home run, but the wheels
the plate and speed in the infield pitcher Megan Betsa gave up a would continue to fall off for
seemed destined to head home two-run homer in the top of the Arizona State. Senior designated
early this spring. first. In the bottom of the inning, player Taylor Hasselbach took
One Sunday, though, changed though, Sappingfield reached on a advantage of the very nextpitch.
the way the Wolverines' season single with Romerofollowingat the Mowins (Calling the game for
would be remembered. plate. ESPN): "And there's a deep fly
Over 1,600 miles from Ann Escobedo (On Saturday, May ball, and that is gone! Michigan
Arbor, in a sweltering heat 17): "I have heard a lot about takesthe lead! Back-to-backhome
wave, the Wolverines' path went (Romero) all over the media. I am runs off of one of the best pitchers
through a talented San Diego goingto stick to my plan. Ilam not in the country."
State team and an Arizona State going to adjust to someone that is Hasselbach: "I just never gave
squad that they eliminated from doing great. I am doing great too, up. I just saw the ball and got
the Women's College World so I might as well stick to what I excited and hit it."
Series last spring. am doing." Hutchins: "That's what seniors
But in the winner's bracket A few pitches later Romero sent do. If you come to the NCAA
of the double-elimination a shotbarely over the left-field wall Tournament and your seniors
tournament, Sun Devils senior that tied the game. The dugout don't show up, you won't be in it
right-hander Dallas Escobedo exploded, but it looked like Romero very long. They're the ones that
blasted pitch after pitch past the was struggling just to summon the have to lead the way."
Wolverines and put their hopes of energy to round the bases. Michigan owned a 5-4 lead
a Super Regional appearance into "She gives us confidence when heading into the bottom of the
serious doubt. she swings. I can tell you what, seventh, but the drama still wasn't
Then came the fireworks. that kid (Romero) was hurting. over. The Sun Devils put a runner
In a late elimination game Sappingfield made a diving catch, on base, and with two outs, Amber
against San Diego State, Romero made a bunch of great Freeman 'caught all of Wagner's
sophomore shortstop Sierra plays, that's mental toughness. pitch, sending a screaming line
Romero collected five RBI and Hutchins: "Take a kid like drive over senior center fielder
a grand slam in a six-inning (Romero), who was Big Ten Lyndsay Doyle's head towards the
mercy rule victory. Michigan Player of the Year as a freshman, wall.
was back, rolling into Sunday's not just Freshman of the Year, Sappingfield: "From where I
games against Arizona State with Player of the was standing, I
momentum, a hot-hitting Romero Year, and an just remember
and a fighting chance to stay in All-American, . standing and
the tournament. and she's better "I just couldn't yelling, 'Find
this year. She . . the wall, find
** * wants to be the believe it. ... It the wall!'"
very best." Hutchins:
Sunday, May 18 In the third W "unreal. W"When Taylor
inning, senior hit that ball
The day never got the chance to first baseman I thought,
start off rightrfor the Wolverines. Caitlin 'Maybe this is
Romero and senior outfielder Blanchard put Michigan ahead meant to be,' and that last part of
Nicole Sappingfeld woke up in the for good when she smoked the the game, I thought, 'Well, maybe
middle of the night with flu-like Wolverines' second home run of it isn't."'
symptoms. Needing back-to-back the day with Romero on base.A 4-3 Sappingfield: "The next thing
wins against Escobedo, one of the finalscoreforced a second, winner- I know it was in her glove. I don't
best pitchers in Pac-12 history with take-allgame. know that there was any time for
a 115-26 all-time record, Michigan fear. I knew that Doyle was going
couldn't go without Sappingfield * ** to get there, and she did."
and Romero, its second and third Doyle: "Honestly no, words
hitters. Romero sat in the dugo Game 2 cannot describe the moment that
with cold towes over her he I entthrough lastssight
before taking the field, and the p The stdt 'the 'cdond game 'Huftchins: "You go from
participated in abbreviated warm- was markedly different from the the highest high after Taylor's
ups to conserve energy. tense first game. Escobedo walked home run and, I openly admit, I
Sappingfield: in two runs for thought it was gone. I thought it
"Both of us Michigan while was gone and it was a walk-off.
woke up in the "Th se two Wagnergave up I just couldn't believe it - it was
middle of the apairofhomers. from low to high like that. It was
night and just w ere inches After three, unreal.
started puking. the score stood "(Sunday) night, we were a
Then we went frorn not 4-2 in favor of great team."
that morning Arizona State. Doyle: "The fact that we still
and got some playing." Sophomore get to play, us six seniors get to
IVs and got outfielderSierra put on a uniform and we get to
a little bit of Lawrence practice on Tuesday, it means the
rest before we stepped to the world to me."
went to the game. We went about plate in thefifth after the game had Michigan rode the momentum
an hour after everyone else and started to tighten up. to a17-3 thrashing ofFlorida State,
started warming up." Beth Mowins (Callingthe game before dropping two straightgames
Hutchins: "One of the things for ESPN): "Sierra Lawrence, her and being eliminated by a walk-off
that really propelled our kids second home run of the regional! home run. The Wolverines missed
more than any single thing was It's a one-run game. Third home the Women's College World Series
(Romero and Sappingfield). run of the day that Michigan has by one win.
They could barely stand up, they hit against Escobedo." After downing the Sun Devils

had IVs in them, Romo got IV'd Lawrence: "My team knew I a week earlier, though, the team
between games. The kids rallied could do it, the coaches knew I stormed out of the dugout, and
around them. Those two were could it and I just had to believe toward Doyle with almost reckless
inches from not playing, they in myself and know I could do it." abandon, salvaging a season in the
were really sick. The game was scoreless in the process.

SO TBALL
The walk of

MAY 24, 2014, TALLA-
HASSEE, Fla. - By
the time Florida State
rushed the field to celebrate its
Women's College World Series
berth, there was nothing more
Michigan could do.
Courtney Senas, the
Seminoles'
lightning-rod
center fielder
from Wahiawa, BULTMAN
Hawaii, hit On Softball
a two-run
walk-off home
run, and there was no bringing
it back. Michigan coach Carol
Hutchins always asks her team
to keep fighting, but now there
were no more battles to fight.
All that was left for the Wol-
verines to do was watch Senas
leap in the air before touching
first, then see her move into a
dead sprint toward home, then
try to collect themselves walk-
ing off the field for the toughest
moments in all of sports.

When a season ends, inevi-
tably, so does a career, or two,
or six.
For outfielders Lyndsay Doyle
and Nicole Sappingfield, Senas'
home run meantthey would
never again start the game in the
outfield, where they've played
together for their entire careers.
For designated player Taylor
Hasselbach, no more home runs
that make everyone in the stadi-
um wonder how she didn't play
more often early in her career.
For first baseman Caitlin
Blanchard, she was now just
an alumnus of the program she
has followed since long before
Hutchins invited her to be a
part of it. To Brandi Virgil, the
two-run shot meant her days
pinch-running were done, and
for Katie Luetkens, it was time
to christen a new leader of The
Bench Mob.
Looking back, Hasselbach
had her chances with the bases
loaded. Virgil could have been

called safe on a tag at home in
the fifth inning, and Blanchard
was stuck watching from third
in the seventh.
But that wasn't important
once reality sunk in. Hutchins
said she was proud of her team's
heart, and she meant it.
No one outside the program
knows what Hutchins said in
the huddle she called while the
Seminoles jumped up and down
around home plate, then rolled
around on the infield dirt, then
ran around screaming and hug-
ging. But you can bet it involved
the word "pride."
After all, they had done
everything she's preached since
day one.
They played the game pitch
by pitch, like Hasselbach and
Doyle did last week with their
unthinkable plays to beatArizo-
na State. They did their part, like
Virgil when she came into nearly
every game to pinch run, then
left each one without protest.

Sappingfield played through the
flu in 100-degree weather.
It was understandable, then,
for Hutchins to get a little
choked up when asked to reflect
on her senior group.
"It's tough," Hutchins said.
"It's tough to say goodbye."
The Wolverines have plenty
of returningltalent, and even
more in the incoming recruiting
class. They could very well make
another run next year behind
sophomore shortstop Sierra
Romero and the same pitching
staff of juniors Haylie Wagner
and Sara Driesenga and fresh-
man Megan Betsa.
But right now, it's hard to
imagine any of that without
Sappingfield, Doyle, Blanchard,
Hasselbach, Virgil or Luetkens.
In college sports, it's still
about winning with the people
you want to win with. Some-
times it's about walking away
together when there's nothing
left to do.

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