Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, February 12, 2016 — 7

SOFTBALL
‘M’ prepares for 
first tournament

By TYLER COADY

Daily Sports Writer

Michigan softball coach Carol 

Hutchins isn’t dwelling on last 
year’s Women’s College World 
Series loss to 
Florida. 
She 

also 
hasn’t 

been thinking 
about 
the 

rematch slated 
for 
Saturday 

against the top-
ranked Gators.

“The 
only 

team 
I 
am 

excited for is 
Michigan,” 
Hutchins said. 
“I never care 
who we are 
playing.”

While 

Hutchins is firmly focused on 
her Wolverines, the attention 
of collegiate softball fans this 
weekend will be on Tampa, Fla., 
as the USF Wilson-Demarini 
Tournament 
will 
pit 
No. 
2 

Michigan against South Carolina, 
Illinois State, Florida, South 
Florida and Virginia Tech.

For 
the 
Wolverines, 
this 

weekend not only marks the 
beginning of Hutchins’ 32nd year 
at the helm, but provides Michigan 
with an early chance at revenge.

The Gators, who won their 

second 
straight 
national 

championship last June, return a 
bevy of starters from last year’s 
team and boast a highly touted 
pitching 
staff 
that 
includes 

Saturday’s probable starter, right-
hander Aleshia Ocasio.

Ocasio has already racked up 

several 
memorable 
moments 

against 
the 
Wolverines. 
Her 

highlights 
include 
recording 

three strikeouts against Michigan 
in the first game of the 2015 
Women’s College World Series 
championship series and earning 
her first-ever victory for Florida 
against Michigan last February.

While Ocasio is sure to stir up 

bad memories among Wolverine 
hitters, junior outfielder Kelly 

Christner feels her team has 
shed the skeletons of last year’s 
disappointments.

“We do not need to go into 

any game any differently than 
before,” Christner said. “We have 
enough skill, we have enough 
talent … (to go) in there with high 
confidence and play normal.”

While talent will be abundant 

in the title-game rematch, it won’t 
be restricted to just that game. 
Both South Carolina and Virginia 
Tech also made last year’s NCAA 
Tournament.

Friday morning, Michigan will 

take on South Carolina, and with 
no time to rest, the Wolverines 
take 
on 
Illinois 
State 
that 

afternoon. Last year, Michigan 
defeated the Redbirds, 4-1, in the 
same tournament.

The big question for the 

Wolverines is who will be on 
the mound. With right-hander 
Megan Betsa picking up an injury 
in practice this week, there is no 
indication she will be healthy in 
time or who will fill in the gap. 
Hutchins is adamant that she 
will use the full depth of her 
pitching rotation, considering 
the team is welcoming back 
fifth-year 
right-hander 
Sara 

Driesenga and sophomore right-
hander Tera Blanco.

“We have at least 50 games 

scheduled,” Hutchins said. “We 
have a pitching staff … and for 
(Betsa) to be effective, we need 
a staff.”

If Betsa pitches against the 

Gators, the onus will fall on either 
Blanco or Driesenga on Saturday 
afternoon against South Florida. 
Last year, Michigan defeated the 
Bulls, 4-3.

While an early-season win 

against the No. 1 preseason team 
would be a statement victory 
for the Wolverines, Hutchins 
reiterated the fact that she 
refuses to focus on the hype and 
speculation that fill up the days 
leading into a new season.

“I am not going to focus on 

the other teams,” Hutchins said. 
“This is not about Florida, or 
anybody, but Michigan.”

Wolverines head to Madison

Michigan looks to 
avoid another bad 
loss in two-game 
series at Wisconsin

By MINH DOAN

Daily Sports Editor

With every trip the Michigan 

hockey team takes to Madison, 
a slightly different challenge is 
presented.

The 
Kohl 

Center’s 
ice 

is 
12 
feet 

longer 
than 

the 
Yost 
Ice 

Arena’s 
rink. 

To combat the 
difference, the 
sixth-ranked 
Wolverines 
have 
been 

practicing 
at 
the 
Ann 

Arbor Ice Cube 
all 
week 
in 

preparation for 
the weekend series.

But 
Michigan 
coach 
Red 

Berenson doesn’t think it’ll be 
too much of a concern.

“You just have to get your 

bearings out there,” Berenson 
said. “If the rink is very narrow, 
you get used to that. If the rink 
is really wide, you get used to it.”

The Wolverines are coming 

off a split weekend against 
Michigan State that saw them 
lose 3-2 in overtime at Joe 
Louis Arena on Friday, before 
winning in East Lansing, 4-1, on 
Saturday.

In Friday’s game, Michigan’s 

potent offense, which averages 
4.89 goals per game, mustered 
just two goals, both coming 
off the stick of junior forward 
Tyler Motte.

Saturday, scoring was a little 

more 
balanced, 
with 
goals 

coming from Motte, line mate 
junior forward JT Compher and 
senior forward Justin Selman.

“We have to play better,” 

Berenson said of Friday night’s 
game. “You’re not always going 
to get four or five goals, and the 
other part is we have to play 

better hockey. We’re getting 
goals from one line most nights. 
It was good to see the difference 
in Saturday’s game was we got 
two goals from Selman, and 
those were big goals for us.”

The Wolverines only gave up 

four goals last weekend in their 
best defensive effort of 2016, 
but Berenson knows Michigan 
can still improve, even with the 
offense playing the way that it is.

“If 
we’re 
playing 
well 

offensively, we’re not playing 
in 
our 
(defensive) 
zone,” 

Berenson said. “But we can’t 
rely on offense. We have to be 
a legitimate defensive team in 
addition to being an exceptional 
offensive team.”

Against 
the 
Badgers, 
the 

Wolverines 
will 
once 
again 

be without freshman forward 
Cooper 
Marody, 
who 
has 

mononucleosis 
and 
has 
not 

played since Jan. 17.

In his absence, Berenson has 

shifted around the lines, moving 
sophomore forward Dexter Dancs 
to senior forward Boo Nieves’ 
line and moving Selman to center 
a line with sophomore forward 
Tony Calderone and freshman 
forward Brendan Warren.

“I think Dexter’s got a good 

chance at helping Boo’s line,” 
Berenson said. “I really like 
what Selman’s doing with the 
other line.”

And in goal, senior Steve 

Racine will protect the net. 
Racine 
has 
played 
well 
of 

late, and last Friday’s loss to 
Michigan State was his first loss 
since mid-October.

But even in the loss, Racine 

had 38 saves, 
and 
kept 

Michigan 
in 

the game when 
it needed him 
the most.

“(Racine’s) 

playing well,” 
Berenson said. 
“He’s been a 
factor 
in 
all 

of our games. 
I could show 
you the Penn State games. 
There were turning points and 
saves he made when the score 
and the game could’ve gone 

either way, so even at Michigan 
State, that game could’ve gone 
either direction. He’s giving us 
a chance every night, and that’s 
what we want from our goalie.”

On the other side of the ice, 

Wisconsin comes into the game 
coming off a sweep of Alaska. 
However, Big Ten wins have 
been a little bit harder for them 

to 
come 
by. 

The 
Badgers 

have only one 
win 
in 
the 

conference.

Forwards 

Grant 
Besse 

and 
Luke 

Kunin 
lead 

Wisconsin in 
scoring. 
The 

duo was a big 
part 
of 
the 

reason the Badgers were able to 
put the Wolverines on the ropes 
twice at Yost Ice Arena back in 
December.

Wisconsin went up by at 

least a two-goal margin in both 
games, but Michigan was able to 
come back twice, once winning, 
6-4, and once tying, 6-6.

With just nine games left 

before the Big Ten Tournament, 
the 
Wolverines 
have 
put 

themselves in a good position 
so far to contend for the Big 
Ten title and make it back to 
the NCAA Tournament after a 
three-year hiatus.

However, as evident by last 

weekend’s 
matchup 
against 

Michigan State, Michigan can’t 
take its foot off the gas pedal.

“We’ve always been a team 

that got better in the second 
half, and we’ve started to get 
better,” Berenson said. “But I 
still think we got to get better 
in the upcoming games. We 
have five tough conference 
road games we’ve got to take 
advantage of. If we do that, we’ll 
be ready.”

USF Wilson-
Demarini 
Tournament

Matchup: 
Michigan vs. 
South Carolina, 
Illinois State, 
Florida, 
South Florida, 
Virginia Tech

When: Friday-
Sunday

Where: 
Tampa, Fla.

Michigan at 
Wisconsin

Matchup: 
Michigan 17-4-
4, Wisconsin 
6-12-6

When: Friday 
8 P.M., 
Saturday 
8 P.M.

Where: Kohl 
Center

TV/Radio: 
BTN2Go

Michigan’s path to the ‘Big Dance’

By KELLY HALL

Daily Sports Editor

By winning Wednesday night’s 

down-to-the-wire contest at Big 
Ten bottom feeder Minnesota, 
the Michigan men’s basketball 
team avoided a near disaster that 
would’ve considerably damaged 
its NCAA Tournament hopes. As a 
projected No. 9 seed in ESPN.com’s 
Bracketology, the Wolverines (8-4 
Big Ten, 18-7 overall) aren’t on 
the bubble, necessarily, but it’s 
difficult to label them as safe.

Michigan has six conference 

games left until the Big Ten 
Tournament. Some of the contests 
are must-wins if the Wolverines 
want to land a NCAA Tournament 
berth, but others against top-25 
teams can preemptively be marked 
as big ‘L’s in the record book.

That is, unless Caris LeVert 

returns and makes an immediate 
impact. The senior guard has been 
sidelined with a lower-leg injury 
for the past 11 games.

The day before the Wolverines 

took down the Gophers in Williams 
Arena, 
Michigan 
coach 
John 

Beilein indicated that LeVert’s 
practice time was increasing, up 
to an hour at a time, but it would 
be LeVert’s decision to play. LeVert 
ultimately watched from the bench 
in a game where Michigan could 
have used his help in combating 
sluggish second-half drama.

Regardless of whether LeVert 

returns, games will continue to 
be played. The Daily broke down 
Michigan’s upcoming schedule 
and what it needs to do to make 
it to the Big Dance.

Gotta Have It

Northwestern (4-8, 16-9): 

The Wildcats have experienced 

senior leaders in guard Tre Demps 
and forward Alex Olah, but they 
somehow manage to keep losing. 
The two combine for 25.3 points 

per game and average 8.6 rebounds, 
but it’s not enough to overcome any 
Big Ten powerhouse. 

Northwestern had a few close 

games against Ohio State and took 
then-No. 7 Maryland to overtime 
on Jan. 19, but the Wildcats failed 
to close any of the nail-biters.

This is a must-win game. 

Toss-ups

Ohio State (7-5, 15-10): 

Any rivalry game comes with 

caveats, and though Michigan 
should be the favorite in this 
matchup, the contest will be held 
in Columbus in front of a fired-
up crowd. 

The Buckeyes have only one win 

against teams in the top-100 RPI, 
with their only impressive victory 

being a 74-67 defeat of then-No. 4 
Kentucky. But the Buckeyes have 
tripped more often than usual this 
season and aren’t the powerhouse 
they were the past two years, so 
don’t give them too much credit. 

Michigan will have to watch 

out for forward Marc Loving, 
who’s still averaging 13 points and 
5.3 rebounds in a very competitive 
conference. But the Buckeyes 
just don’t possess the standout 
firepower that other teams have. 

Wisconsin (7-4, 15-9): 

Wisconsin had a tumultuous 

start to the season. The Badgers 
lost early games against Western 
Illinois, 
Milwaukee 
and 

Marquette, and lost longtime 
coach Bo Ryan suddenly on Dec. 
16 when the 68-year-old coach 

announced his retirement.

Since then, Wisconsin has 

perked up, collecting wins against 
then-No. 4 Michigan State and 
then-No. 19 Indiana in January. 
The Badgers are riding a six-game 
winning streak in the conference, 
an impressive feat for any team, 
and are led by forward Nigel 
Hayes, who’s having a strong 
season, averaging 17.3 points, 5.8 
boards and 3.4 assists. 

The Wolverines will take on the 

Badgers in Madison, potentially 
spelling trouble for Michigan. 

Major Brownie Points

No. 18 Purdue (8-4, 20-5): 

Michigan already met with 

Purdue this season, and it wasn’t 
pretty. 

A well-balanced attack guided 

four different players to score 
in double-digits that day, led by 
forward A.J. Hammons, who 
scored 17 on 7-for-10 shooting. 
Though 
sophomore 
guard 

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman 
proved himself as a valuable guard 
with a game-leading 25 points, 
his teammates were virtually 
rendered useless. 

It was an 87-70 clobbering in 

Mackey Arena. This time, the 
game will be held in Ann Arbor, 
but the Boilermakers will still 
have a steady advantage.

No. 2 Maryland (10-2, 22-3): 

The 
Terrapins 
have 
just 

two conference losses, and the 
Wolverines dealt one of them. 
Michigan 
upset 
Maryland 
at 

home in a 70-67 thriller, with 
junior forward Zak Irvin scoring 
22 points and guard Duncan 
Robinson adding 17 on 5-for-9 
3-point shooting.

But the Terrapins haven’t lost 

at home since December 2014, 
and it’s unlikely the Wolverines 
will be the ones to put an end to 
that record. With five players 
averaging double-digit scoring, it’s 
hard to imagine Michigan having 
a chance unless it hits better than 
50 percent from beyond the arc. 

No. 4 Iowa (10-2, 19-5): 

When the Wolverines traveled 

to 
Carver-Hawkeye 
Arena, 

they knew they’d be fighting 
an uphill battle. Michigan lost, 
82-71, and witnessed forward 
Jarrod Uthoff’s offensive prowess 
firsthand. Uthoff posted 23 points 
against the Wolverines. 

The Hawkeyes’ showdown with 

Michigan will be the Wolverines’ 
last contest before the Big Ten 
Tournament 
and 
will 
prove 

important in conference seeding. 

Prediction

Michigan 
will 
beat 

Northwestern and Ohio State 
to earn its berth at the NCAA 
Tournament. All of the other 
games are losable, but if LeVert 
returns, 
the 
Wolverines 
will 

find a way to win in one more 
of the contests to finish out the 
conference 
schedule 
with 
21 

victories. A win over Wisconsin 
is the most likely upset, but 
any win against the Badgers, 
Purdue, Maryland or Iowa will be 
considered an unlikely bonus.

A 
strong 
showing 
that 

includes two wins in the Big 
Ten Tournament would help the 
Wolverines, as well. Right now, if 
Michigan can continue on track 
in an admirable conference, it will 
find a way to March Madness as a 
7-10 seed.

JAMES COLLER/Daily

Red Berenson’s team wraps up a six-game road trip this weekend at Wisconsin.

“We’ve always 
been a team that 
got better in the 

second half.”

JAMES COLLER/Daily

Michigan coach John Beilein’s team, at 18-7 overall and 8-4 in the Big Ten, is in good position for the NCAA Tournament, but needs more wins to lock up a bid.

