Monday, June 4, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Reviewing the 2012 Michigan softball season Monday, June 4, 2012 The Michizan Dailv - michieandailvscom 'U' to develop sporting event loytprogram By COLLEEN THOMAS Daily Sports Editor Now that the Michigan softball team's season is over, it's time to take a look back and mention some highlights of the year. BEST WIN: May 20, 4-0 over Louisville. It may be easy to call the Wol- verines' NCAA Regional-winning victory their best win of the season, but take a look at the box score and you'll see why. For starters, Michigan's pitching was dominating. Freshman lefty Haylie Wagner - who had already pitched two complete games in the Regional - made it three consecu- tive starts in the circle in the May 20 game against the Cardinals. Wagner went the full six innings, giving up six hits, no earned runs and walked just one batter. The Orange, Calif. native also picked up her 32nd win of the season, pushing her past former ace Jordan Taylor for the most wins by a freshman in a season. The Wolverines' offense was also stellar in the victory over the Car- dinals, scoring their four runs on eight hits and drawing five walks. Seniors Bree Evans and Amanda Chidester both went 2-for-3 on the day, and junior Ashley Lane con- tributed two RBIs. But the reason behind their suc- cess was what Michigan coach Carol Hutchins calls "one-pitch softball." Hutchins has been preaching patience at the plate and playing one-pitch softball - both at bat and in the circle - all season, and she finally saw a well-rounded game by her team in the Regional championship game. "I thought our kids were brilliant in one area in particular, and it was one-pitch softball," Hutchins said after the May 20 win. "We harped on that all day. We told them before the game, don't worry about wheth- er we get (a win), just worry about one pitch." WORST LOSS: April 11, 1-0 to Western Michigan. The Wolverines were in the midst of a 5-1 start to Big Ten play when they played the midweek game against the Broncos. The squad was used to blowing through its conference schedule and taking down weaker noncon- ference opponents, so it figured its game against Western Michigan would be a breeze. But with a stalling offense, Hutchins was not pleased with what she saw that Wednesday eve- ning. "They just thought they were going to walk in here and show up because they have Michigan on their chest," Hutchins said after the April 11 loss. "We got what we deserved." The game against the Broncos was a wake-up call for the Wolver- ines, pointing out to the squad that they were not invincible and they would have to work hard and come prepared to play for each and every game the rest of the season. TURNING POINT: May 1, 4-2 over Eastern Michigan. After faltering a bit in confer- ence play - Michigan lost four of six Big Ten games to Minnesota and Illinois - the squad rallied in extra innings to beat the Eagles and began an offensive hot streak for the team. Freshman Sara Driesenga hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap the 4-2 victory over Eastern Michi- gan. Six Wolverines recorded a hit, and the win launched an eight- game win streak for the squad, right when the team needed it the most. "We just decided May 1 we start over," Hutchins said after the victo- ry. "Reboot. It doesn't matter what we've done in the past." Michigan would go on to sweep Wisconsin and Purdue, clinching its fifth-consecutive Big Ten title, and win the Louisville Regional in the NCAA Tournament. SILVER SLUGGER(S): Amanda Chidester and Driesenga. The senior first baseman and the freshman designated player both had outstanding years at the plate. Chidester led the team in bat- ting average (.347), runs scored (37), doubles (12), RBIs (46) and slugging percentage (.597) and was named the Big Ten's Player of the Year, making her the Wolverines' most potent power hitter. The Allen Park, Mich. native had a 25-game on-base streak in the heart of the season, and became one of two Wolverines to break the 200 RBI mark when she hit a home run against Alabama in the NCAA Super Regional. But Driesenga was the Wolver- ines' offensive weapon for most of conference and post-season play. The freshman was slotted as the desginated player in the March 21 matchup against Eastern Michi- gan, and with a two-run homer that game, she found herself a perma- nent spot in the lineup. After that game, Driesenga improved her batting average to .340, good for second-best on the team, and proved that pitchers can be offensive weapons, too. Her 34-game on-base streak was the longest by a Wolverine all season and hit the walk-off double against Kentucky to begin NCAA Regional play. Affordable Student 1502-1518 Gibeit Ct. Near Bolts I & Ann Arb r. Mi 48105 MBus SMOp 2.A _4 ' UttlltdeHigh-speed Iinternet Mont Corfrac$44HomerTode Naab FAUI WN Sharedr Wr, Shwed Fun 2012-13 Ledership opportuunttes Noith & CenraJ a Singel/Doute rooms Camrpus a " * WVWYCCCOOP !.t INFO CCOOP MefTb.L-.Cos.erLLt Counil GOLDEN GLOVE: Stephanie Kirkpatrick. After being rotated around the infield for much of the nonconfer- ence schedule, Kirkpatrick found her home at third base. Though the senior may not have had the perfect season, she came through when the team needed her most. In the NCAA Regional, Kirkpat- rick had a few nice snags in the hot corner, preventing some hard-hit balls from turning into singles and potential runs. "Tremendous defense from (Michigan)," said Louisville coach Sandy Pearsall after the May'20 matchup. "They made some very, very tough plays. Some of those hits would've gone through (and) fallen in. The third basemin, diving off the backhand - great play." Kirkpatrick's stellar defense in the three Regional games helped the Wolverines advance to the NCAA Super Regional and was some of the best softball played in the hot corner in Michigan's post- season run. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Hay- lie Wagner. Hands down the easiest pick. Though there were only four fresh- men on the team - catchers Becca Garfinkel and Lauren Sweet, and pitchers Driesenga and Wagner - the left-hander had the best season by far. Wagner set the Michigan soft- ball program record for most fresh- man wins (32), was named Big Ten Freshman and Pitcher of the Year, and led the conference in wins and earned run average at the end of the regular season. The Orange, Calif. native earned all three Regional victories for the Wolverines, where she pitched three complete games and gave up just three runs, and pitched both games (and losses) against Alabama in the NCAA Super Regional. Simply put, Wagner was the ace in the circle for Michigan this sea- son. MVP: Wagner again. For the same reasons Wagner is Michigan's Rookie of the Year, the freshman is also the team's Most Valuable Player. The left-handed hurler put up absurdly good numbers for a fresh- man - numbers comparable to Jor- dan Taylor's freshman year. Now, Taylor is a member of USA Softball - something Wagner could be a part of if she continues her success. Though the Wolverines had another rookie in the circle - right- hander Driesenga - it was Wagner who dominated. And though you could make a case for Chidester to be MVP, Michigan's offense wasn't consistent throughout the season and Chidester's year wasn't as good as previous seasons. In addition, pitching was reliable in most games and often times the Wolverines would have to ride Wagner's arm in order to win tight games. Attending sporting students who support their school's teams. events could earn At MSU, the Izzone is a 16-year-old program that better seats rewards the most loyal basket- ball fans. Students who buy sea- By STEVE ZOSKI son tickets to MSU basketball Daily News Editor games wait in line before each game outside the Breslin Student With the Big House, the Events Center to have their stu- nation's winningest college foot- dent identification cards checked ball team, - a notoriously vocal at the doors. When their cards hockey student section and a are scanned, the time they enter basketball team that's qualified the arena is recorded. for the NCAA Tournament the How early students arrive at last two years, the University is games and how many games stu- still looking for ways to increase dents attend determine whether student-fan loyalty for its athlet- they sit in the general student ics. section or are allowed into one On Tuesday, Ann Arbor. of two Izzone sections the next com reported that the athlet- year. ic department is considering Students who earn seats in one implementing a student loyalty Izzone section get to sit closer to program that would reward stu- the action. A second Izzone sec- dents for attending University tion is further from the court sporting events. but allows students to have their In an interview with The seats saved. Michigan Daily, David Ablauf, Dan DiMaggio, director of the associate athletic director for MSU student alumni founda- media and public relations, said tionsaid seating is based only on the Athletic Department is in the a student's attendance at home early stages of developing a loy- games of the previous year. He alty program. added that class standing and "We don't really have all the attendance from other years details fleshed out for the student doesn't matter. loyalty program," Ablauf said. "If you're a junior and you go He explained that the Athletic to only a couple of games, and Department would like to imple- there's a freshman or sophomore ment the undefined program by that went to all of the games, that this fall. younger student kind of bumps "I think our timetable is to the senior ... it's purely on an have something implemented by attendance basis," DiMaggio this upcoming athletic academic said. year," Ablauf said. "We're just For select University basket- trying to put a lot of the details ball games at Crisler Arena, stu- together right now, because this dents who have attended more cycle right now - June, July, games get to sit closer to the August - is basically our plan- court. However, this only applies ning months." to one or two games each year. Ablauf said the Athletic- Maize Rage is a student-run Department has been vocal about organization that has a lim- having as many students attend ited amount of reserved seats at sporting events as possible, and Crisler that are close to the court. he added that the students who Recent graduate Sam already go to many games should Sedlecky, the president of Maize be rewarded. Rage last year, said the MSU "We have quite a few students game was the only game where that go to a lot of the sporting 2011 season attendance had an events, and so (we) kind of want effect on seating. to reward a lot of that loyalty by "Everyone's tickets were those students," Ablauf said. tracked, and the people that Other universities, like Michi- had been to the most amount of gan State University, have exist- games got the best seats. So if you ing loyalty programs that reward had gone to all of them, you're almost guaranteed a bleacher seat," Sedlecky said. But Sedlecky said such a pro- cedure is not the norm. "(Maize Rage) has a list of tun- nel access for just a very small number of our people, so we get in a little bit before the doors open to the public," he said. "And once the doors open it's general admission seating for students." Sedlecky added that he thinks the policy used for most basket- ball games is unfair to the more dedicated fans. "It's not fair to those people that have been to every single game and are the best fans and the loudest fan ... maybe they have an exam or something and can only get there an hour beforehand and are stuck in the upper deck," he said. Sedlecky added that he hopes to see the Athletic Department institute a loyalty program for all sports, also pointing out students who show up late to football games as a reason a loyalty pro- gram would be useful. "The student section might be halfway full by midway through the first quarter (or) even at the end of the first quarter," Sedlecky said. "Generally it's not all the way filled up until maybe mid- second quarter - it's somewhat embarrassing." University alum Jeff Hol- zhausen, the founder of Maize Rage and the original "Super- fan," said student involvement is dependent on the talent of the team, adding that he understands not every game will be exciting, but he thinks it is important for students to show support at all games. "There's going to be games that just don't generate as much excitement, but part of being a student is just the game-day experience," Holzhausen said. Holzhausen said he thinks the Michigan athletic tradi- tion should be enough to keep students attending games, but rewarding students couldn't hurt. "I don't think students should need a kick in the ass, but if the athletic department can think of creative ideas to get people there early, have at it." - - - ~ By Appointment 304 1/2S. STATE ST. Above Ben & Jerry's 734 668 9329 WWWDASCOLABARBERS.COM WALK-INS WELCOME!