Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, April 3, 2015 — 7

Michigan ready for tough 
Big Ten weekend matchup

The Wolverines 

will play Minnesota 

for early-season 
bragging rights

By CHRIS CROWDER

Daily Sports Writer

If a wolverine and a gopher 

stood side to side, it would be 
easy to distinguish between 
the two. The 
wolverine 
is 

around 
the 

size 
of 
an 

average 
dog, 

possessing 
menacing 
teeth 
and 

sharp 
claws. 

The gopher is 
much smaller, 
with 
furry 

hide and long, 
narrow teeth.

But 
in 

regards to the fourth-ranked 
Wolverines and the 19th-ranked 
Golden Gophers softball teams, 
it’s much harder to pick out 
distinct differences. The teams 
are almost mirror images of one 
another. When Michigan heads 
to Minneapolis this weekend, 
it’ll be the most anticipated 
Big Ten softball series of the 
season.

The teams are first- and 

second-ranked in the Big Ten 
in hits, runs scored, slugging 
percentage, runs batted in, 
home runs and total bases. 
Michigan (5-1 Big Ten, 31-5 
overall) 
is 
first 
in 
every 

category, but Minnesota (5-1, 
29-5) isn’t too far behind. The 
Wolverines are also a little 
better in regards to pitching, 
boasting a 0.65 lower earned-
run average. They have allowed 
35 fewer runs and 32 fewer 
hits than the Golden Gophers. 
In fact, Michigan coach Carol 
Hutchins said that Minnesota 
is essentially the same team as 

the Wolverines.

“This is a battle of who 

is 
mentally 
toughest, 
and 

regardless of what we talk 
about, you have all these people 
talking about the implications 
of 
this 
particular 
series,” 

Hutchins said. “I don’t see it 
that way. We could come out of 
there with no wins or all wins 
and we haven’t accomplished 
any of our goals yet. Our goal 
is just to play 
good softball 
against 
a 

good team.”

With 

some of the 
top talent in 
the country 
throughout 
its 
lineup, 

including 
junior 
second 
baseman Sierra Romero and 
sophomore 
right-hander 

Megan Betsa, Michigan’s star 
power is well known. Romero 
leads the Big Ten in nearly 
every major hitting category, 
having an astounding slugging 
percentage of 1.101 and an 
on-base percentage of .688. 
Betsa continues to mow down 
batters, 
having 
tallied 
143 

strikeouts to go with 14 wins.

The Golden Gophers may 

have 
the 
front-runner 
for 

Big Ten Player of the Year in 
pitcher Sara Groenewegen. The 
right-hander is arguably the 
most dominant pitcher in the 
Big Ten, racking up a league-
best 18 wins, 190 strikeouts and 
a .169 opposing batting average.

“We’re trying to get to 

contact better,” Hutchins said. 
“(Groenewegen) is a strikeout 
artist, so we gotta try to counter 
that.”

Groenewegen 
is 
also 

dangerous at the plate, twice 
compiling 11 total bases in a 
game. But Groenewegen isn’t 
Minnesota’s 
only 
standout. 

Infielder 
Tyler 
Walker 
is 

one of the best hitters in the 

Minnesota batting order, with 
33 runs scored, 40 RBI and nine 
home runs.

But 
Michigan 
hasn’t 

withered on the road this year, 
as home-field advantage hasn’t 
lived up to expectations in 
giving the team a leg up at all. If 
Michigan is perfect at anything 
so far, it’s raining on other 
teams’ parades.

The 
Wolverines 
are 

undefeated 
(11-0) in true 
away 
games 

— 
defeating 

top 
teams 

like 
No. 
10 

Arizona 
State, 

No. 5 Florida 
State and No. 
6 Alabama — 
accumulating 
the 
second-

most wins on 

the road in the country, trailing 
only Minnesota. Michigan has 
three losses on top of the two 
suffered at Alumni Field, but 
those losses have only come at 
neutral sites.

This 
weekend, 
the 

Wolverines will play the Golden 
Gophers in another tough away 
series, Minnesota’s first home 
series of the year. Michigan 
feels up to the task,

“I 
think 
we’re 
really 

prepared,” 
said 
freshman 

infielder Amanda Vargas. “It’s 
good that we’ve played a lot 
of harder games just for this 
exposure and for this type of 
weekend where we get to play 
Minnesota and compete.”

Added 
freshman 
catcher 

Aidan Falk: “We adapt really 
well, so it’s going to be fun to 
rise to the occasion. I’m really 
excited, and I think we’re going 
to fight really well out there.”

The 
wolverine 
may 
look 

much more intimidating than 
a gopher in nature. But this 
weekend, the question of who 
would win in a battle between 
a Gopher and a Wolverine has 
never been so uncertain.

Michigan at 
Minnesota

Matchup: 
Michigan 31-5; 
Minnesota 
29-5

When: Friday-
Sunday

Where: Jane 
Sage Cowles 
Stadium

SOFTBALL

“This is a 

battle of who 
is mentally 
toughest.”

‘M’ faces another test

By DANNY VARGOVICK

Daily Sports Writer

This weekend, the Michigan 

baseball 
team 
travels 
to 

Bloomington to take on the 
defending Big Ten champions.

It’s an important series for 

the Wolverines if they want to 
prove capable of realizing their 
goals of making 
the 
NCAA 

Tournament. 
After winning 
five 
of 
their 

last six games, 
which included 
taking 
the 

series 
against 

then-No. 
20 

Maryland, 
the 
preseason 

favorite 
in 

the 
Big 
Ten, 

Michigan will try to continue its 
momentum against the Hoosiers.

Last year, Indiana was a No. 1 

seed in the NCAA Tournament 
after reaching the College World 
Series in 2013. But the Hoosiers 
(1-4 Big Ten, 17-8 overall) might 
be having an off year.

They were just swept at Iowa 

last weekend, but they still have 
had a number of impressive wins 
in non-conference play. They 
opened the year winning two 
of three at Stanford, and have 
since swept Cal State Fullerton 
and beaten both Louisville and 
Kentucky.

But, perhaps more importantly, 

they have experience.

“They’re a tough team at 

home,” said Michigan coach Erik 
Bakich. “They’ve got a lot of the 
veterans back from the teams 
from the last two years that went 
to the World Series. They lost 
a few, but they’ve got a nucleus 
back. They can certainly hold 
their own.”

Offensively, Indiana is No. 6 in 

the Big Ten in runs scored at 141, 
just 16 runs behind third-place 
Michigan.

The Hoosiers are led by first 

baseman Craig Dedelow, who 
leads the team in hitting at 
.330, and third baseman Austin 
Cangelosi, who leads the team in 
slugging at .545. Both were part-
time contributors last year, but 

have recently had the opportunity 
for more playing time this year 
with teammates graduating and 
leaving early for the MLB Draft.

Friday, Michigan (2-4, 16-12) 

will start junior right-hander 
Jacob Cronenworth, who started 
the season as the team’s closer but 
has moved to the rotation in part 
due to his effectiveness and in 
part due to injuries. Cronenworth 
has a 3.07 earned-run average on 
the year to go with a 0.89 WHIP.

Cronenworth will be going 

up against left-hander Caleb 
Baragar, arguably Indiana’s best 
pitcher, who has a 0.79 ERA on 
the season. In his last start, he 
went seven innings against Iowa, 
allowing only one run on four 
hits and a walk. Baragar should 
prove to be a challenge for the 
Wolverines.

Saturday 
and 
Sunday, 

Michigan will use freshman 
right-hander Ryan Nutof and 
sophomore 
left-hander 
Brett 

Adcock, 
respectively. 
Nutof 

earned Big Ten Co-Freshman of 
the Week honors for his start last 
week against Maryland where 
he went 7.1 innings, allowing five 
hits, one walk and no runs. The 

freshman, who sports a 2.92 ERA 
on the season, has pitched nine 
more innings than anyone else 
on the team and has recently cut 
down on his walks.

Finally, Adcock will start for 

the Wolverines in the final game 
of the series. Adcock is coming off 
a taxing start last weekend when 
he threw 95 pitches in just four 
innings due to a large number 
of walks and strikeouts, but he 
kept the Terrapins to just two 
runs over those four innings. He 
has been both Michigan’s best 
and worst starter at times this 
year. He has given up 28 walks 
and struck out 30 batters in 30.2 
innings this year.

This weekend series is another 

test in a long season of challenges 
for the Wolverines. It will be a 
good indicator of whether or not 
the Maryland series win was just 
a fluke or a true indicator of talent 
level.

Though 
Michigan 
and 

Indiana are trending in opposite 
directions, they appear to have a 
similar talent level.

“They’re a team that doesn’t 

beat themselves,” Bakich said. 
“It’s gonna be a good challenge.”

Michigan 
at Indiana

Matchup: 
Michigan 
16-12; Indiana 
17-8

When: Friday-
Sunday

Where: Bart 
Kaufman Field

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Brett Adcock will look to rebound from his four-inning start last weekend.

Wolverines routed by Wildcats

By KEVIN SANTO

Daily Sports Writer

Another 
ranked 
opponent 

lined 
up 
across 
from 
the 

Michigan 
women’s 
lacrosse 

team. 
It 
was 
the 
fourth 

opportunity for the Wolverines 
to prove themselves against 
a lacrosse powerhouse this 
season, but 
it 
became 

apparent 
early on that 
this game would be no different 
than the others.

No. 6 Northwestern removed 

all hopes of an upset, defeating 
Michigan (0-2 Big Ten, 5-6 
overall), 17-8, on Thursday.

The Wildcats (1-1, 7-3) quickly 

and consistently broke down the 
Wolverines’ defense throughout 
the 
first 
half, 
establishing 

position just outside the crease 
and 
punishing 
Michigan 

with a slew of goals. With 11 
minutes left in the first half, 
Northwestern put together a 
string of five unanswered goals 
to put the Wildcats up, 11-3.

Leading their scoring barrage 

was midfielder Selena Lasota, 
who tallied a total of six goals.

“Our only fault was that 

Northwestern had possession 
for most of the game,” said 
sophomore 
defender 
Brooke 

Pancoast. “So we were tired, 
naturally. 
(Clearing) 
is 

something that we have to 
work on as a team and that 
we will work on the next 
couple practices. We haven’t 
capitalized on turnovers, and 
we (need) to take care of the 
ball.”

Michigan didn’t do itself 

any favors, either, committing 
40 fouls, allowing five free-
position goals and allowing 
itself to be outshot, 32-13, in the 
game.

The 
Wolverines’ 
setbacks 

weren’t just on the defensive 
end. They struggled to possess 

the ball in their scoring third 
and never managed to claim a 
lead.

Northwestern 
perfectly 

executed a defensive trap in the 
first half, forcing 11 turnovers. 
But after the Wildcats removed 
the trap in the second half and 
replaced goalie Bridget Bianco 
with Brooke 
Jones, 
Michigan 
showed 
glimpses of 
offensive 
success.

“They 

were 
double-teaming 
the 

ball and getting out on the 
adjacents,” 
said 
Michigan 

coach Jennifer Ulehla. “(With) 
that much pressure on us, we 
struggle. The best way to get 
shots off was in transition. In 
the second half, I think we were 

able to run more of our offense. 
We did a better job (breaking 
the trap) in the second half.”

When 
the 
Wolverines 

were able to run their offense 
effectively, 
there 
were 
rare 

glimpses of grace around the net.

With 23:11 left in the first 

half, after breaking the trap, 

sophomore 
attacker 
Jess 

Angerman 
received a pass 
left of the crease 
from sophomore 
attacker 
Tess 
Korten. 

Angerman then buried a shot 
into the net with a defender 
riding her left shoulder. Her 
goal was the first of Michigan’s 
eight goals.

The Wolverines’ offensive 

effort also featured four goals 
from 
sophomore 
midfielder 

Kim 
Coughlan. 
Sophomore 

midfielders Anna Schueler and 
Madeline Dion and sophomore 
attackman Lauren Oberlander 
contributed one goal each.

But 
unfortunately 
for 

Michigan, the Wildcats’ mantra 
for the night appeared to be 
“anything you can do, I can do 
better.” Though the Wolverines 
improved 
their 
scoring 

efficiency in the second half, 
scoring five goals on 10 shots, 
it simply wasn’t enough. With 
the exception of one pair of 
consecutive goals for Michigan, 
the Wildcats didn’t allow a 
single unanswered goal.

Thursday night began as an 

opportunity for the Wolverines 
to make a statement. But it ended 
much worse: a lopsided defeat, a 
third straight loss and another 
reminder that Michigan can’t 
keep up with ranked opponents.

Coughlan keeps 
racking up goals

By LELAND MITCHINSON

Daily Sports Writer

It was a bittersweet night 

for sophomore midfielder Kim 
Coughlan 
as 
the 
Michigan 

women’s lacrosse team took on 
No. 6 Northwestern Thursday.

Despite Coughlan’s efficient 

four goals on four shots, her 
team fell 17-8 to the Wildcats.

The first half of the game gave 

no indication that Coughlan’s 
night would be anything out of 
the ordinary, though she did 
tally her first goal of the night 
and 23rd goal of the season with 
11:24 remaining in the first half, 
giving the Wolverines their 
third goal of the contest.

Given an eight-meter free-

position shot, Coughlin faked 
low and shot high to convert the 
open opportunity.

“Their defense in the first 

half was pretty hard to beat,” 
Coughlin said. “We just needed 
to see what they were doing 
and adjust to it. We started 
communicating more, spreading 
it out and passing the ball and 
moving it fast, that helped a lot, 
working as a team and seeing the 
open person right away.”

With 
Michigan 
trailing, 

11-3, at the end of the first half, 
Northwestern seemed to have 
the game well under control, 
though Coughlin did her best to 
make it difficult for the Wildcats.

Coughlan had back-to-back 

goals in the middle of the second 
half to complete her hat trick 
and slow down the four-goal run 
from Northwestern.

“Kim is one of our more 

explosive 
players,” 
said 

Michigan 
coach 
Jennifer 

Ulehla. “When they backed off 
of the double-teaming defense, 
that 
high-pressure 
defense, 

she was able to really use her 
athleticism.”

The first of the two came 

off another free-position shot 
where she once again faked out 
the goaltender and scored from 
eight meters out.

“We work a lot on (free-

position shots) in practice,” 
Coughlan 
said. 
“The 
more 

practice you get the better you 
get at them.”

Though Michigan had just 

three opportunities from the 
eight-meter all game, Coughlan’s 
two successful attempts made 
sure the Wolverines did not 
squander those advantages.

She created her next goal 

by dodging a Northwestern 
defender and giving herself 
enough space to get the shot off 
just in front of the crease.

Though the game was already 

in the bag for the Wildcats, 
Coughlan refused to give up, 
scoring for a fourth time with 
6:38 left in the game.

Creating space for herself, 

once more, she put one past 
the goalie while surrounded by 
Northwestern defenders.

“She 
is 
very 
explosive,” 

Ulehla said. “Whether or not 
she actually got the shot off or 
she ended up getting fouled and 
then scoring off of the eight-
meter, it just opened up more 
opportunities for her.”

Coughlan’s four goals bring 

her total on the season to 26, 
making her the Wolverines’ 
leading scorer.

She will look to take her 

momentum from this game and 
turn it into a win for her team 
this Saturday, when Michigan 
takes on Duquesne.

“She continues to get better 

every single game, and this was 
one of her best,” Ulehla said.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

N’WESTERN
MICHIGAN 

17
8

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Sophomore defender Brooke Pancoast was part of a Michigan unit that allowed Northwestern to control possession.

“So we were 

tired, naturally.”

