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.”