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Orientation Edition 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
MICHIGAN SOFTBALL
Michigan softball is arguably one of the most dominant teams on campus. The Wolverines have gone to JM lo se s 1i
the NCAA super regionals every year since their 2005 National Championship, and they don't seem to be
slowing down. Even with a talented pair of seniors leaving the program, next year should be a fun one. By RUTH LINCOLN
Daily Sports Writer
May 27, 2008 - When Michigan
coach Carol Hutchins walked into
the postgame, press conference fol-
lowing the Wolverines' 1-0 and 6-1
NCAA super regional losses to Vir-
ginia Tech on Sunday, not a single
player accompanied her.
"Just me," Hutchins said calmly
before she took her seat at the table,
which she had'shared with her play-
ers at every other postgame press
conference this postseason.
It was just Hutchins there to
answer questions about why her
team lost back-to-back games for
the first time this season.
Only the winningest coach in
Michigan history was there to rea-
son the decision to pull sophomore
pitcher Nikki Nemitz in the final
game and replace her with fresh-
man Jordan Taylor in the third, just
to bring back Nemitz one out and
four Virginia Tech runs later.
And why after taking game one
1-0 on Saturday in a tight pitchers'
duel between Taylor and Virginia
Tech's All-American senior Angela
Tincher, the Wolverine defense fal-
tered and looked thwsloppiest it had
all season the next dy.
"When things don't go our way,
I look to the coach first," Hutchins
said. "I make the decisions. You
make decisions, and when they
The Michigan softball team waits to greet Samantha Findlay, whoojust hit the Women's College World Series-winning home run.
Blue claims 2005 National Title
By SCOTT BELL and comeback victory in as many moment for' Michigan and for
Daily Sports Writer nights, defeating No. 7 ,UCLA 4-1in Michigan softball and all the alums
10 innings to win the2005 College in the Big Ten Conference," Michi-
June 9, 2,005 - OKLAHOMA CITY* World Series. The rational chan- gan coach Carol Hutchins said.
- After 1299 days since Michigan's pionship is the first title that any of "I'm mostly so proud of these kids
last championship, three more the 26 varsityteams from Michigan because they' are incredible and
innings couldn't hurt. has won sincethe field hockey team have been all week."
The No.-1 ranked Michigan won its national title in 2001. After several failed attempts by
softball team put together its sec- "This is obviously a great See SOFTBALL, Page 35
. . .
in supers
work you look brilliant, and when
they don't - that's the way itgoes."
She may have been protecting her
players, but there were few Wolver-
ines with much to celebrate Sunday.
Freshman first baseman Dorian
Shaw had her first hit of the week-
end, a solo home run once the final
game was out of reach. But that still
left four Michigan starters hitless
in the three-game series, including
senior slugger Samantha Findlay.
Findlay hoped to lead the No. 4-
seeded Wolverines (52-8) back to
the Women's College World Series
for the first time since her fresh-
man campaign when Michigan won
the 2005 National Championship.
But Findlay and fellow senior co-
captain Alessandra Giampaolo will
have to settle with just one trip to
Oklahoma City.
"My seniors have established
careers, and they were part of our
greatest moment," Hutchins said.
"It wasn't meant to be for them this
year, and theyctook us awful close."
And Michigantyinga season-higb
four errors in its 1-0loss in game two
didn't help the cause either.
The Wolverines' defense was
nearly flawless in Saturday's win,
but the consistently crisp throws
and solid catches were nowhere
to be seen Sunday. Key defensive
contributors like second baseman
Findlay, shortstop Teddi Ewing and
catcher Roya St. Clair stumbled.
"The key to (Saturday) was play
defense," Hutchins said. "Defense
starts on the mound ... Our defense
let us down, and it hurt us."
Meanwhile, the unseeded Hok-
ies had much more to enjoy.
Virginia Tech coach Scot
Thomas and three of his players
filled the chairs behind the same
table Hutchins had just occupied
by herself. The Hokies rejoiced
and recollected how it felt for a
team of walk-ons and passed-over
recruits to upset the powerhouse
Michigan.
Tincher pitched all three
games, allowing just two runs in
19 innings and struck out 15 Mich-
igan batters in game two, the most
the Wolverines have been struck
out in a game in three years.
"She seemed to have a differ-
ent approach for each batter,'
Hutchins said. "She didn't give us
anythingto get on.
"I thought we needed to con-
tinue to get better and lay off some
pitches. I didn't feel we made
adjustments, and that's on us."
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