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.