Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, February 13, 2015 — 7

Michigan opens with 
three games out West

By ISAIAH ZEAVIN-MOSS

Daily Sports Writer

For the Michigan baseball 

team, last season’s campaign 
focused 
on 

building 
strength 
and 

cohesion.

With a team 

composed 
of 
mostly 

underclassmen 
under 
the 

tutelage 
of 

second-year 
coach 
Erik 

Bakich, 
the 

Wolverines 
struggled 
to 
find 

consistency, falling to Nebraska 
in the fourth round of the Big 
Ten Tournament. Ultimately, 
they were not granted a bid to 
the NCAA Tournament.

As Michigan begins its season 

this weekend with a trip to Long 
Beach State for a three-game 
swing, hope abounds. And the 
Wolverines are excited about 
much more than the warm 
California sun.

For senior captain infielder 

Eric Jacobson, this is the year 
the Wolverines take a step 
forward.

“This is one of the more 

confident teams we’ve had in 
my time here,” Jacobson said. 
“We know the expectations 
of this program for this year, 
and we really want to fulfill 
those.”

After a season of agonizing 

defeats — 17 losses came by 
two runs or fewer, including 
five in extra innings — Bakich 
is confident that those days are 
behind the Wolverines.

“Being a year older has 

huge value because of the 
repetition that we’ve had in 
those moments,” Bakich said. 
“We’re not going to feel the 
pressure, we’re going to apply 
the pressure.”

Despite the confidence that 

permeates 
the 
clubhouse, 

Bakich stressed the importance 
of taking things as they come 
and not letting his players get 
too ahead of themselves.

“This is the most important 

interview 
that 
I’ve 
ever 

given in my life because it’s 
happening right now,” Bakich 
said. “We have to have our 
players 
having 
that 
same 

intensity and focus, playing 
pitch to pitch.”

The Wolverines will look for 

a strong start against a Long 
Beach State team that, despite 
making it to the fourth round 
of the NCAA Tournament last 
year, lost a great deal of the 
depth that got it there.

The 49ers lost seven of their 

nine positional starters and 
come into the season fielding 19 

newcomers. Their most highly 
touted player is sophomore 
shortstop Garrett Hampson, 
who was selected to Collegiate 
Baseball’s All-Freshman Team 
last season.

“We know a lot about them, 

we’ve studied them,” Bakich 
said. “But really, the focus will 
be on our team doing what 
we need to do. It’s going to be 
more about us than about any 
scouting report or anything 
else.”

The 
Wolverines 
will 

begin the season with six 
consecutive road trips, all in 
different parts of the country. 
Their first game at Wilpon 
Complex won’t come until 
March 24. Before then, they 
will have played 21 games.

For any team, this is a 

daunting task. Well, any team 
besides Bakich’s, apparently.

“We’ll 
go 
play 
anyone, 

anywhere, anytime, any place,” 
Bakich said. “Six consecutive 
road trips? So what? It is what 
it is.”

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Senior infielder Eric Jacobson will be one of Michigan’s captains this season.

Michigan 
at Long 
Beach State

Matchup: 
Michigan 0-0; 
Long Beach 
State 0-0

When: Friday-
Sunday

Where: 
Blair Field

Amine cousins keep 
wrestling in the family

By SYLVANNA GROSS

Daily Sports Writer

Teams tend to become a 

family, but for the Amines, the 
family became the team.

Mike Amine (1986-1989) was 

an NCAA finalist and four-year 
letterwinner at Michigan, and 
his brother Sam Amine (1988-
1990) was an NCAA qualifier. 
Both were Olympic alternates 
in 1992, and both are considered 
to be among the top Wolverine 
wrestlers 
of 

all time.

For 
their 

respective 
sons, redshirt 
freshman 
Malik Amine 
and 
redshirt 

sophomore 
Jordan Amine, the pressure and 
expectations have always been 
high because of their coaches and 
dads. But as they have matured, 
that pressure is coming more 
from within.

“The pressure for me was an 

issue for a while, it kind of held 
me back,” Jordan Amine said. 
“I never perform well under 
pressure, but I’ve done some 
mental retraining and cleared my 
head. But I’m not really here for 
my dad or my uncle or to live up 
to their expectations or anything, 
I’m here to live up to my 
expectations. I’m here to wrestle 
because I want to wrestle.”

And his dad agreed, reassuring 

him that “You’re here for you, not 
for me.”

The younger generation of 

Amines went to different high 
schools and competed in different 
weight classes, meaning the only 
time they faced each other was in 
their basement wrestling rooms, 

where their dads would coach 
them.

Though Jordan and Malik had 

offers from other top schools, 
they always had a feeling that 
they were Wolverines.

“For my senior grad party, my 

mom and I looked through my 
old journals, and I always wrote 
about coming here even when 
I was a little kid,” Jordan said. 
“Michigan has been a part of me 
for forever.”

Jordan had a season-ending 

ankle 
injury 

at the start of 
his sophomore 
campaign, 
eliciting 
some 

frustration 
since 
he 

couldn’t 
start 

on the mat this 

year, and didn’t have the chance 
to watch his cousin on it either.

“I planned on redshirting 

this year to get stronger,” Malik 
Amine said. “My technique is 
there, but my strength could be 
better.”

Malik often turns to Jordan 

to help with the transition 
from high school to collegiate 
wrestling, and with the addition 
of a rigorous course load, they 
have agreed on one thing.

“Academics first,” Jordan said. 

“Wrestling can only take you so 
far. It can teach you a lot of things 
and it gets you in a lot of doors, 
but it’s not like there’s a pro 
league. You have to focus on your 
career and what you’ll do after 
wrestling. I’m not here to waste 
my time.”

Added Malik: “You have to get 

through school and be a great 
wrestler and use what you learn 
on the mats in life.”

And a lot of what they have 

learned is how important the 
family tie is. The two grew up 
together, wrestled together, came 
to college together and will be 
living together next year.

“Our dads were like us — they 

butted heads but at the end of the 
day, they were cool,” Malik said. 
“Me and Jordan are like best 
friends.”

Best friends who are cousins 

but act like brothers, the Amines 
enjoy the tight-knit wrestling 
community that they’ve found in 
Ann Arbor. Michigan coach Joe 
McFarland was a senior when 
Mike Amine was a freshman, 
and teammate Alec Pantaleo’s 
uncle, Joe Pantaleo, was there 
as well.

The cousins still maintain 

their 
own 
identity 
despite 

their connections. Jordan and 
Malik joke that they are almost 
complete opposites.

“He likes snow,” Malik said. “I 

like going to the beach.”

The 
Amine 
legacy 
will 

continue next year with Malik’s 
brother Miles, who signed back 
in November. Neither Jordan 
nor Malik have any doubt that 
Jordan’s younger brother, eighth- 
grader Cameron, will become a 
Wolverine.

“It’s a great opportunity that 

some people take for granted to 
train with family,” Malik said. 
“But I realize how lucky I am.”

The Amine wrestling dynasty 

in Michigan will stay strong 
with a an emphasis on personal 
excellence, 
strength 
and 

technique, and a penchant for 
competition.

Because at the end of the day, 

it doesn’t matter who you are, or 
what family you come from. It’s 
about beating the other person 
on the mat.

WRESTLING

“You’re here for 
you, not for me.”

Tough pitchers await ‘M’

By TYLER SCOTT

Daily Sports Writer

With the first weekend series 

in the books, the Michigan 
softball team has had time to 
reflect on its performance — 
ultimately deciding that there’s 
plenty 
of 

room 
for 

improvement.

“We didn’t 

hit our best 
(at the USF 
Classic) as a 
team,” 
said 

senior catcher 
Lauren 
Sweet. 
“We 

just 
need 

to come out 
ready to go, 
and act like 
every 
game 

is a Regional, 
Super Regional or World Series 
game.”

This week No. 7 Michigan 

(3-1) travels to Tallahassee, 
Florida to compete in the 
Unconquered Invitational at 
Florida State (4-1), where it will 
play two games each against the 
No. 5 Seminoles and Georgia 
Tech (0-5), and one matchup 
versus Western Kentucky (4-1).

For Michigan coach Carol 

Hutchins, the lack of offensive 
production so far this season 
highlighted Michigan’s other 

strengths.

“Probably the biggest highlight 

of (last week’s) trip is that we 
really underachieved at the plate 
… and we were 3-1,” Hutchins 
said. “We were able to pull out 
games, and play defense and pitch 
well enough (to win) without the 
offense playing its part.”

The Wolverines belted four 

home runs last week, and scored 
nine runs against Hampton, but 
also have seven players batting 
at .200 or below.

The games against Florida 

State and Western Kentucky 
will undoubtedly provide a 
true early-season test for the 
Wolverines’ developing offense. 
The Seminoles return right-
handed pitcher Lacey Waldrop, 
the 2014 USA Softball National 
Player of the Year.

And the Hilltoppers have a 

pitching threat of their own. 
Left-handed pitcher Miranda 
Kramer was named the most 
recent ESPNW player of the 
week. She became just the 19th 
player in NCAA history to strike 
out 19 batters in seven innings 
for Western Kentucky during a 
game against Troy.

“I’ve been scouting (Kramer) 

out and she’s really good,” 
Hutchins said. “We need to 
pitch well and play defense until 
our offense gets going.”

In a young season, getting 

a chance to play meaningful 

games is also just as much about 
smoothing out the offensive 
wrinkles as it is about the 
competition.

“We have to get used to having 

each other out on the field, 
getting used to this new team,” 
Sweet said. “I think that having 
this first weekend is going to 
help us a lot, whether you’re on 
the bench or getting one at-bat 
a game, just embracing the role 
that you have.”

It’s 
a 
concept 
echoed 

throughout the clubhouse.

“We just have to focus on 

taking it one game at a time,” 
said junior utility player Kelsey 
Susalla. “Every team is going 
to get better from game one to 
game 50. We just have to focus 
on the next game ahead.”

Given 
that 
Florida 
State 

eliminated Michigan from the 
NCAA softball Super Regionals 
in 2014, one would expect 
some edginess to the game, but 
Hutchins doesn’t find worth in 
dwelling on past experiences. 
Instead she sees an opportunity 
to play a high-caliber team 
that can contribute to the 
development of her team early 
in the season.

“You play tough competition 

and hopefully it hardens you,” 
Hutchins said. “Every week 
we run into top five teams, and 
I’m hoping we get better from 
it.”

JAMES COLLER/Daily

Senior catcher Lauren Sweet will be one of the players Michigan looks toward against elite pitching this weekend.

With tournament hopes in 
balance, ‘M’ faces must-win

By MINH DOAN

Daily Sports Writer

Michigan women’s basketball 

coach Kim Barnes Arico doesn’t 
label any game as “must-win.”

With Tuesday’s heartbreaking 

77-73 loss at Ohio State, the 
Wolverines’ 
game 
on 

Saturday 
against 
Northwestern 
at 
Crisler 

Center 
may 

be 
as 
close 

as 
it 
gets 

to 
a 
“must-

win” to keep 
their 
NCAA 

Tournament 
hopes alive.

But 

Michigan (6-7 
Big Ten, 14-10 overall) won’t 
be the only team on the court 
desperate for a win.

With Northwestern (8-5, 18-6) 

in fifth place and the Wolverines 
in seventh, both teams sit on 
the NCAA Tournament bubble, 
and a win for either team would 
raise its profile for entry into the 
tournament.

But for Michigan to pull out 

a win, it’s going to have to move 
past its late game meltdown at 
Ohio State.

With less than 10 minutes 

left in the game, the Wolverines 
led by 12. However, foul trouble 
plagued 
Michigan 
as 
senior 

guard Shannon Smith and senior 
forwards Nicole Elmblad and 
Cyesha Goree played a majority 
of the second half with more than 
three fouls.

And even when they were on 

the court, they had to soften up 
to avoid fouling out of the game. 
The first player to foul out of the 
game was Goree at the 5:12 mark.

“(Goree’s) 
a 
completely 

different 
player 
when 
she’s 

in foul trouble, so that really 
affected our team,” Barnes Arico 
said Tuesday on WTKA. “That’s 
tough when you have arguably 
the best player in your program 
on the bench in foul trouble, so 

that took a big toll on us.”

But Barnes Arico chose to 

look at the foul situation from a 
positive standpoint.

“It gave some of our younger 

kids some minutes,” Barnes Arico 
said. “Hopefully, that’ll help us 
down the stretch.”

After a tough three-game 

stretch 
in 
five 
days, 
the 

Wolverines got a much-needed 
day off on Wednesday.

“We had our first day off in a 

super long time,” Barnes Arico 
said. “It was the first time our 
kids got to be normal students, 
to study for exams, to regroup 
mentally, and I think we’re going 
to come back super excited, super 
energetic about the final stretch 
of our season.”

On the other side of the court, 

Northwestern will come to Ann 
Arbor on a four-game winning 
streak, including a 73-65 overtime 
win at Purdue on Wednesday.

“Northwestern is having a 

great season, “ Barnes Arico said. 
“I think one of the best seasons in 

program history. They’re coming 
off an overtime win over Purdue, 
and they’ve won a bunch in a row 
coming into our game, so they 
will be fired up.”

The Wildcats are led in 

scoring by forward Nia Coffey, 
who scores 15.3 points per 
game. Coffey, who was the first 
ever freshman in Northwestern 
history to earn All-Big Ten First 
Team honors last season, also 
leads the team in rebound with 
nine per game.

But less than a month ago 

in Chicago, Coffey was held to 
just six points in Michigan’s 
73-66 win at Northwestern. 
Stopping Coffey on Saturday 
will be key once again if the 
Wolverines want to walk away 
with a win.

While Barnes Arico might not 

want to call Saturday’s game a 
“must-win,” a loss would drop 
Michigan to two games under 
.500 in the Big Ten.

And that may be a hole too 

large to climb out of.

Unconquered 
Invitational

When: Friday-
Sunday

Where: 
Tallahassee, 
Florida

Teams: 
Michigan, 
Florida State, 
Western 
Kentucky, 
Georgia Tech

ROBERT DUNNE/Daily

Kim Barnes Arico’s team needs a win to maintain NCAA Tournament hopes.

North-
western at 
Michigan

Matchup: 
Northwestern 
18-6; Michigan 
14-10

When: 
Saturday 2 P.M.

Where: Crisler 
Center

