Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Reeling 'M'heads to BIG Tournament Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Rare Botanical Garden plant set to bloom By JAKE LOURIM ManagingSports Editor For all of the success the Michi- gan softball team has had this season, its past three series open- ers have been losses to unranked teams by scores of 10-2, 3-2 and 9-3. Another stinker like those on Friday and the Wolverines will be headed home early from the Big Ten Tournament in Evanston. Michigan (18-5 Big Ten, 40-11 overall) heads into this week- end's tournament after its seventh straight conference championship, but the Wolverines have lost five of their last 11 to fall into a tie for first place. Ironically, the sustained success earlier in the season - including a 20-game win streak - piled on pressure that made Michigan tense for the final three weekends of the regular season. "This is a team that is so afraid of not winning," said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins after last Friday's loss to Wisconsin. "They're so caught up in their outcomes, which is not what we teach at Michigan. We teach process, but they're not buying in." First, it was a two-hit shutout at the hands of Minnesota. Then, a four-error performance in a run- rule loss to Illinois, which was in last place at the time. Finally, a 9-3 blowout against Wisconsin last Fri- day night. There have been bright spots for the Wolverines. Each time, they responded, most recently with a 10-2 mercy-rule victory over Wis- consin on Saturday. The next day, with the outright Big Ten cham- pionship on the line, Michigan battled for more than three hours with Wisconsin before falling in nine innings, 6-5. Despite the result Sunday, Hutchins saw improvement in her team in its final series of the regu- lar season. Regardless of the past three weeks, the Wolverines have the best player in the conference, soph- omore shortstop Sierra Romero, as evidenced by her Big Ten Play- er of the Year award announced Wednesday. It also has three of the best pitchers in the conference, including junior left-hander Haylie Wagner, who has struggled with a 1-2 record and 4.79 earned-run average in her last six appearances but still won the league ERA title. As a team, Michigan ranks first in runs scored, batting average, ERA and fielding percentage. If the Wolverines play the way they played for most of the season, hardly anyone else has a chance. If they continue to make mistakes and play down to their competi- tion, the field is wide-open. Here's a look at their chances in each round. QUARTERFINALS: Possible opponents are No. 8 seed Iowa (9-14, 16-29-1) or No. 9 seed Illinois (7-16, 23-25). The top seed's quarterfinal game is traditionally lopsided, but that was the expectation two weeks ago when the Wolverines rolled into Champaign. Instead, Illinois mer- cied Michigan in the first game and would have wonthe series if not for a late error in the finale. The Hawkeyes come in well below the .500 mark but do boast shortstop Megan Blank, a first- team All-Big Ten and All-Defen- sive Team honoree. The Fighting Illini seem to be peaking at the right time, led by freshman pitcher Brandi Need- ham's tidy 2.94 ERA. Illinois also has four hitters who hit above .300 and can get on a roll - just as they did in the series opener against Michigan. This season, that 10-2 loss to Illi- nois has been the exception rather than the rule for Michigan. The Wolverines should coast, barring a collapse. SEMIFINALS: Possible oppo- nents are No. 12 seed Michigan State (4-19, 12-36), No. 5 seed Northwestern (14-9, 32-15) and No. 4 seed Wisconsin (15-7, 33-17). The Wildcats should take care of*Michigan State easily on their home field Thursday, setting up a quarterfinal matchup Friday against Wisconsin, which could go either way. The Wolverines have not yet seen Northwestern, which has posed an issue in the past. The Wildcats rank just behind Michi- gan in batting average (.334) and fielding percentage (.970) and first in on-base percentage. However, their pitching lags a bit behind with a 3.75 ERA. At Northwestern's small, hit- ter-friendly Sharon J. Drysdale Field, the Wolverines might have a chance to go deep. As they showed last weekend, the Badgers can pose just as much of an issue. They have two capable pitch- ers who each beat Michigan once last weekend, and they lead the Big Ten by far with 107 stolen bases. Wisconsin's contact hitting and crafty base running allow the Bad- gers to hang around in games. Last weekend, they clung to a 4-2 lead on Friday before breaking out with a five-run seventh. Sunday, they matched Michigan run for run before pulling through with a solo shot in the ninth. FINAL: Itcouldbe anyone of six teams, but the likely opponents are No.2 seed Nebraska (18-5,40-14) or No. 3 seed Minnesota (16-6, 38-9). For NCAA Tournament pur- poses, the Wolverines should hope for Nebraska or Minnesota. For the most part, the top 16 in the RPI host regionals, and Michigan is on the outside looking in at No. 18. A win over the 17th-ranked Gophers or 19th-ranked Cornhuskers might push them over the edge. But neither of those would come easily. The Wolverines have not played Nebraska, but they would run up against some firepower. The power-hitting Cornhusk- ers rank right behind Michigan in runs and lead the league in doubles and home runs, and have the best chance of testing the Wolverines' top-ranked pitching staff. On the other side, Nebraska has a 1-2 pitching punch of Tatum Edwards and Emily Lockman, who have twin 1.94 ERAs. Michigan took two of three from Minnesota three weeks ago at Alumni Field. The key for the Gophers is pitching. Big Ten Pitch- er of the Year Sara Groenewegen finished 12-2 with a 2.27 ERA, and Sara Moulton was at times even better, going24-6 with a 1.69 ERA. A loss early in the tournament - or even to a lesser opponent in the final - could send the Wolverines tumbling further in the tourna- ment. But a championship could bring them back to where they were during March. The former could mean a short postseason for Michigan. A cham- pionship might mean it's just get- ting started. G] Wi, acc grc reenhouse roof main ingredient in mezcal, a drink that's similar to tequila - is 11 be removed to expected to grow five more feet over the next two months. omadate quickly - While most agaves bloom with- in the first 20 years of life, this )wing specimen particular agave has shown no sign of blooming in the past eight By EMMA KERR decades. Daily StaffReporter , Mike Palmer, manager of Mat- thaei Botanical Gardens and Matthaei Botanical Garden Nichols Arboretum, said he still aring to take the roof off of does not know why the agave conservatory to accommo- has begun blooming now after so twenty-foot-tall agave that many decades or how the plant's on bloom for the first time environment cued sprout such a ears. tall stalk. American Agave - the "I think within the next 10 to 14 days, the flower will hit the glass," Palmer said. "At that point, we will take the glass off the roof of the conservatory and let it go through the roof. It looks like an aspara- gus spear on steroids, and it could grow up to five more feet." As the agave nears twenty feet, it will begin sending out out small branches from its side. From these small branches, the agave will flower, likely within the next few months. Small identical clones of the agave plant will also begin to grow from the stalk, called pups. These pups will then fall off, hit the ground and root themselves, forming identical agaves. American Agave is a mono- carpic species - once it blooms and its pups find the ground, this 80-year-old agave will die. It will be cut down and the glass roof will be replaced for winter. However, Palmer is optimistic that its pups and seeds will become new agave and thrive in the conservatory. Though agaves have various uses, production of mezcal using agave extract has been increasing in the United States. Commonly found in Mexico and other gener- ally dry, mild climates, the Ameri- can Agave can be found in nature with stalks towering over 30 feet tall. The University's agave arrived in Ann Arbor in 1934. Alfred Whit- ing, a graduate student, brought the young agave from Mexico to the University's botanical gar- dens. Since it's arrival, the sprout has grown to be more than 15 feet tall. The agave ranks in the top 10 percent of the oldest plants housed at the Matthaei Botanical Gar- dens. Students interested in seeing the agave should visit the Mat- thaei Botanical Gardens Conser- vatory, which is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. over the summer and has free admission. The is prep theirc date a will so in 80 y The CITYJOBS From Page 2 Councilmember Jack Eaton (D-Ward 4) said that convicts are often well-suited for certain jobs. He said employment can be an effective deterrent against creat- ing second time offenders. "It's our policy not to bar con- victs from employment with the city," Eaton said. "We have to accept that some jobs can be per- formed by people convicted of a serious crime." - Kunselman unveils plans to halt Uber operations Councilmember Stephen Kun- selman (D-Ward 3) unveiled a plan to propose a resolution - should it be necessary - to stop the opera- tions of the popular new startup Uber. Uber allows people to find driv- ers in their respective areas via a mobile application. Though Uber does require its drivers to get a background check according to state law, because drivers use their private cars and do not use taxis or limos registered by the state or city governments, opponents argue the application creates potential safety hazards. Kunselman noted that a large part of his problem with Uber lies in its lack of attention to issues of public safety such as providing proof of insurance as a driver for hire. "For the life of me, I do not understand how a for-profit busi- ness believes that public safety is in their interest when they're just out to make a dollar," he said. Uber has received its share ofA criticism from many states and cit- ies across the country for its lack From Page 1 of adherence to regulatory policy. In February, Detroit City Attorney AAATA has been able to serve its citi- Melvin Hollowell issued the busi- zens by constantly evolving to meet ness a cease and desist order. These their needs. The expansion is another orders request an entity discontin- example of doing so with ridership ue a specified action to avoid legal at an all-time high and continuing to action. increase. Kunselman said he will request Nancy Schewe, president of the the city attorney's office levy a League of Women Voters of the Ann cease and desist order and would Arbor Area, also supported the mill- request the council's action if their age because of the "enormous help" approval is required. she knew it would provide, especially Resolution passed to decrease to those who regularly need transport deer population to local schools, such as the Universi- City council also unanimously ty, Eastern Michigan University and passed a resolution to jumpstart Washtenaw Community College. efforts to limit the city's deer popu- "Great cities need great public .lation. transportation as part of a means for However, the resolution is only sustainable growth," Schewe said. a first step and it is unclear how She said increased access to public exactly the city will go about con- transportationwould be good for the trolling the population. community's carbon footprint over Councilmember Jane Lumm the long-term as well, though she (I-Ward 2) said many residents acknowledges the expansion requires are expressing alarm at the grow- "a little extra money to make it work." ing deer population and the public Though the League itself did not safety problems they may cause take a formal stance on the issue, such as crashes or Lyme disease the group sponsored a public forum from ticks. to educate voters the day before the "Concerns and frustrations election, where advocates represent- being expressed are primarily ing both aspects of the tax proposal related to the damage the deer are were invited to share their views. causing to our natural environ- Schewe said she was very pleased ment," Lu mm said. "But there are with the conversation generated and also concerns about public safety." felt confident the millage would pass, Mayor John Hieftje jokingly despite the increased funds it would alluded to the chicken ordinance require. passed by the city in 2008. Opponents argued that there are "It's too bad it won't be as simple means of fundingthese new improve- as it was when we had the chicken ments without increasing taxes, ordinance," Hieftje said. "We sim- including capitalizing on redundan- ply banned roosters. I don't think cies within the AAATA budget. the deer will listen." Members of the group lobbying against the proposal could not be reached for comment. V OLKSPARADE RUBY WALLAU/Daily Haylie Wagner has been Michigan's best pitcher for most of the year and will need her best stuff for the Big Ten Tournament. r- -I 1 Off Any Smoothie Limit One offer per customer with coupon. I Cannot be combined with any other offer. Valid at Barry Bagels Ann Arbor location ONL Y BAGELSI Barry Bagels Westgate shopping Center 2515 Jackson Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 (734) 662-2435 www.barrybagels,com Expires: May 16, 2014 Governor Rick Snyder dresses in a traditional Dutch costume and leads the Tulip Time Volksparade in downtown Holland on Wednesday.