Thursday, June 6, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Best and worst of Michigan's 2013 season
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Cancer consortium
unites the Big Ten
RPeSareh rjeCut
By ALEJANDRO ZUNIGA
Daily Sports Writer
A season that began many
months ago in the echoing com-
fort of Oosterbaan Fielhouse
ended harshly at Hall of Fame
Stadium in Oklahoma City last
Sunday when Washington elimi-
nated the Michigan softball
team from the Women's College
World Series. Along the way, the
Wolverines enjoyed a 16-0 start
to conference play en route to a
sixth-straight Big Ten champi-
onship and a third consecutive
regional title.
The Daily revisited the highs
and lows of Michigan's season
that ended Sunday:
Best non-conference win
The Wolverines woke up on
March 15 with a losing record
against ranked opponents -
including blowout losses to LSU
and Oregon by a combined 27-10.
That all changed when Michigan
came from behind to edge No. 2
Arizona State and beat up on No.
4 Arizona the same afternoon.
Senior second baseman Ashley
Lane capped off a strong non-
conference slate by going 4-for-
6 on the day and drove in four
runs, while sophomore right-
hander Sara Driesenga pitched
8.1 innings and didn't surrender
a single earned run. The pair of
wins cata ulted the Wolverines
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into the Big Ten season, where
they won 16 consecutive games.
Worst non-conference loss
It's hard to put too much stock
into a single loss, but Michigan
coach Carol Hutchins must have
been shaking her head after the
Wolverines lost to LIU Brooklyn
on Feb. 16. The Blackhawks were
winless at the time and finished
their season well below .500. In
fact, LIU Brooklyn's 2-1 conquest
of Michigan was its only victory
over a ranked opponent this
season. The Wolverines managed
just six hits and were held
scoreless through six innings,
though they nearly managed
to tie the game in the seventh.
Despite the puzzling defeat,
Michigan regrouped and won its
next six games.
Best conference win
The Wolverines had won their
first nine Big Ten games and
shot to the top of the conference
standings, but when they hosted
Michigan State on April 12,
the Spartans were a very close
second. By the end of the day, it
was clear that Michigan State
couldn't match up with its
in-state rival. Michigan launched
six home runs and won 21-2 as
the game mercifully ended in the
fifth inning. Freshman shortstop
Sierra Romero blasted her second
grand slam of the year, and
sophomore catcher Lauren Sweet
and junior outfielder Lyndsay
Doyle both recorded two hits in a
13-run third inning. Even seldom-
used junior Katie Luetkens joined
in on the fun with her first career
homer and RBI.
Worst conference loss
Michigan went 20-2 in the Big
Ten regular season, which limit-
ed the number of losses to choose
from. The Wolverines lost their
only regular-season series to No.
20 Nebraska in late April, and
that's why both qualify for the
worst conference loss. The first
game, a 6-1 defeat on April 26,
ended a 22-game win streak as
one of the nation's highest-scor-
ing offenses went mysteriously
silent, and the Michigan pitchers
struggled two days later in a 7-4
loss. Maybe the Wolverines were
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan speaks on the Diag as a stop on her Tour de Peace bike trip which started in California and ends in
Washington, D.C. She is biking across the country to promote peace and raise awareness for anti-war activism.
Anti-war activist pedals
to A2, protests on Diag
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-tiCes for patient "Ultimately, the impact could
save lives," Hussain said.
treatments The consortium will soon
pool its resources to begin to
yARIANAASSAF run clinical trials, with a pilot
Daily StaffReporter trial planned for either the fall or
winter.
'en schools are generally The trial, led by Dr. Aijai
for their heated athletic Alva, clinical assistant professor
s, but researchers at in internal medicine, will seek
competitive institutions to determine if monthly doses
rund a way to put their of radium-223 combined with
tces aside and unite hormone therapy will improve
a common enemy, survival rates of prostate cancer.
through a Big Ten Cancer "Things have to be figured
h Consortium. out, but it will be a great trial
primary goals of to establish a framework for
ium, which has been in (the kinds of trials) that will be
rks for over a year, is to started and finished in the Big
and test concepts about Ten network," Alva said.
o better treat various The consortium is also seeking
, including carrying out to use the Big Ten brand in order
iminary phases of clinical to help increase the visibility of
and help previously its cause, as well as raise funds.
al collaborations between "But funding is only one side
ities become more formal of the equation," Alva said. "It's
tematic. equally important to use that
Maha Hussain, associate money well."
r for clinical research at He added that some research
iversity's Comprehensive groups, particularly when
Center, said the funded by pharmaceutical
ium will be hosted in companies, may not always
oosier Oncology Group use their money in the most
ana because the group effective ways. Federal funding
has years of experience and donations from the National
dinating the registration Cancer Institute for research
y patients at a time and is have decreased in recent years,
for running its operations making the idea for the Big Ten
t problems. Cancer Research Consortium
need multiple center that much more beneficial.
y to register eligible "We are very excited," Alva
s ... no one institution has said of the consortium's mis-
acity to handle that kind sion. "This will push the (cancer
me," she said. research) field forward right off
ain said the consortium the bat."
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daly
Sophomore right-hander Sara Driesenga finished the season with 31 of Michgan's
51 victories and a 1.89 ERA to carry the Wolverines' pitching staff this season.
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too full after enjoying the World's
Largest Softball Tailgate, but
whatever it was, it made for one of
the worst weekends in what was
otherwise an outstanding season.
Best postseason win
Sierra Romero may have been
the hero of March and April, but
May belonged to Ashley Lane. The
senior finished the season batting
.363 with no hit more important
than the walk-off two-run homer
that catapulted Michigan to a 4-3
win over Louisiana-Lafayette in
extra innings. The Wolverines
had come within an out of sealing
the win before the Ragin' Cajuns
smashed two home runs to tie the
game in the seventh and take the
lead in the eighth. But after junior
Caitlin Blanchard was hit by a
pitch, Lane responded with a no-
doubt shot that sent the packed
crowd at Alumni Field into a
frenzy. Michigan went on to win
the Super Regional - thanks to
Lane's two-run double in Game
3 - and advance to the program's
10th WCWS.
Postseason MVP
With sophomore Haylie
Wagner sidelined due to an
upper-body injury, Driesenga
was the leader Michigan needed.
She pitched on a moment's notice
in Game 3 of the Super Regional
and held Louisiana-Lafayette to a
single run, and later shut out No.
4 Arizona State in the WCWS.
Michigan, who was carried by
its offense so frequently, was
dependent upon its pitcher to
keep games close. Honorable
mention goes to Lane for her
Super Regional heroics.
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oss-country tour Once in D.C., Sheehan and her
supporters will present the White
:eks to re-ignite House with a list of demands
concerning topics ranging from
ivism on campus social and economic issues to failed
partisanship and war crimes.
By MAX RADWIN Diane Gee, the organizer
For the Daily of Tour de Peace's Ann Arbor
rally, said the activists want to
dy Sheehan, an anti-war prosecute war criminals and
st and leader of Tour protect whistleblowers, and are
Peace, a cross-country also concerned about the use of
trip raising awareness fossil fuels, among other topics.
perceived government "We're also worried about
omings - received a the encroaching police state - I
of applause as she pedaled mean, look what's happening in
the center of the Diag Michigan with the emergency
esday, from a crowd of managers," Gee said. "We want
40 Ann Arbor residents our civil rights back."
rg to participate in her Thirteen local groups from
event stop on the tour. around the Ann Arbor area
Tour de Peace began in endorsed Tour de Peace's rally. The
ille, Calif. on April 4th - Ann Arbor Coalition Against the
ay Sheehan's son, Casey, War and the Jewish Witnesses for
illed in action in Iraq nine Peace,amongothers,demonstrated
ago - and will finish July with signs, individual chants and a
Washington, D.C., which few minutes each to speak in the
rrganization has deemed megaphone.
hedUp, DeCeit." "(We are trying) to get people
Ong the way, the tour will tojoin these groups - whichever
11 states and stop in over 60 one strikes them, to try and
to meet with local activist rekindle activism in Ann Arbor,
s and participate in rallies which used to be the heart of
otests. protesting in the 60s," Gee said.
In addition to these local
activist groups, Tour de Peace
benefits two charities: the
Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers
and Iraqi Health Now. But only
one other rider, in addition to
a support vehicle, has actually
accompanied Cindy Sheehan so
far. Yet Sheehan isn't concerned
about turnout or a lack of support.
Sheehan said she understood
how difficult it was in a tough
economy to take time off to
participate in a cross-country
biking tour.
"I've been very pleased with
the support we've gotten,"
Sheehan said. "I would like more
people riding; I did think there
would be more people riding
with us by now, but the financial
support has been really amazing
so we're really gratified about
that response."
Sheehan and Tour de Peace
will take a rest day before pushing
on to Detroit on June 7. They
will cross through Ohio and into
Pennsylvania by June 15, into
Manassas, Va. byJune 29 and then,
upon nearing D.C., will converge
on Arlington National Cemetery
for a ride to the White House with
their list of demands.
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