Michigan set to begin Big Ten play

By COLE ZINGAS

Daily Sports Writer

In the eighth inning on Tuesday, 

Bryan Pall was on the mound and 
the Michigan baseball team was 
leading Central 
Michigan, 
9-6. 

Pall 
had 
just 

walked 
the 

bases 
loaded 

and was pitching 
to 
Robert 

Greenman with 
only one out. 

It 
was 
a 

high-pressure 
situation, 
but 

Pall 
kept 
his 

composure and 
forced a crucial 
6-4-3 
double 

play to end the inning and keep 
the game out of reach for the 
Chippewas.

Moments 
like 
these 
have 

become routine for the Wolverines’ 
bullpen early in the season.

The starting rotation, composed 

of 
left-handers 
junior 
Brett 

Adcock, sophomore Oliver Jaskie 
and senior Evan Hill, along with 
right-hander 
sophomore 
Ryan 

Nutof, has been dominant. The 
four have posted a combined 
ERA of 2.39 and started 21 of 22 
contests.

But especially in recent games, 

it has been the bullpen that has led 
the Wolverines to victory. 

Clutch outs late in games from 

pitchers such as freshman William 
Tribucher and junior Mac Lozer 
have helped Michigan (17-5) to 
its best start in 20 years. And not 
only do these key outs hold the 
opponent at bay, they also ignite 
the batting order.

“It is instantly able to energize 

the offense and get the momentum 
back into your dugout,” said 
Michigan coach Erik Bakich. 
“Guys are hustling off the field, 
fired up and ready to go hit.

Added junior outfielder Johnny 

Slater: “Fighting at the end of the 
game like that — we get a lot of 
momentum from that.”

After 
dramatic 
endings 
in 

the last two games — a walk-off 
win against Illinois-Chicago on 
Sunday and stranding the bases 
loaded in the eighth on Tuesday 
against Central Michigan — Slater 
thinks the team will carry that 
energy into this weekend, when 
it faces Northwestern (7-18) for a 
three-game set in Evanston. 

Momentum has been on the 

Wolverines’ side lately, as they ride 
a six-game win streak into their 
first conference games of the year.

Maintaining momentum can 

depend on a solid relief staff. And 
Michigan seems to be getting 
better as the season goes. 

Junior 
right-handed 
pitcher 

Jackson Lamb hadn’t pitched in 
almost 12 months due to an injury, 
but he made his season debut last 

weekend. He closed out the ninth 
inning in two of the last three 
games for the Wolverines.

Junior 
left-hander 
Keith 

Lehmann is also coming off an 
offseason injury, and he showed 
that his arm is ready to join an 
already-deep Michigan bullpen. 
Lehmann threw four innings on 
Tuesday and allowed two earned 
runs on three hits.

Lamb 
and 
Lehmann’s 

recoveries aid a staff that is also 
boosted by junior first baseman 
Carmen Benedetti’s ability to help 
the Wolverines on the mound in 
addition to hitting in the 3-hole.

“Whenever (Benedetti) is in 

there, it’s going to be in a situation 
that is an important part of the 
game,” Bakich said.

Benedetti’s 92-plus miles-per-

hour fastball and improved off-
speed pitches have come in handy 
for Michigan. Sunday, he held a 

one-run lead over UIC, pitching 
2.1 innings and striking out four 
without allowing a hit.

The 
Wolverines’ 
schedule 

ramps up starting Friday, with a 
stretch that includes 12 Big Ten 
games over the next three weeks.

The bullpen — comprising 

newcomers 
like 
Tribucher, 

situational pitchers like Benedetti 
as well as now-healthy pieces 
Lamb and Lehmann — will hope 
to continue its successful support 
of the dominant Michigan starting 
pitching. 

As 
the 
Big 
Ten 
favorite, 

Michigan will want to show right 
away that it doesn’t have weak 
spots on the mound, whether it is 
the beginning of the game or the 
ninth inning.

And if they continue to get strong 

showings, the Wolverines have a 
good chance to start conference 
play in dominant fashion. 

Michigan at 
N’western

Matchup: 
Michigan 17-5; 
N’Western 
7-18

When: Friday 
1 P.M.

Where: Rocky 
Miller Park

TV/Radio: 
Nusports.com

ROBERT DUNNE/Daily

Carmen Benedetti has given the Wolverines a boost both on the mound and in the batter’s box this season.

Wolverines relaxed ahead of regionals

‘M’ hopes to ride 
home advantage

By LANEY BYLER 

Daily Sports Writer

Three days before the NCAA 

Regional Championships, one 
would expect to hear all the 
sounds of a grueling practice in 
the women’s gymnastics team’s 
training center, whether it be 
sprints on the runway to the 
vault, the squeak of uneven bars 
or tumbling passes on the floor.

Instead, all that could be 

heard was laughing.

There’s no doubt that the 

laughing came after a grueling 
practice, but it was laughter all 
the same. For No. 7 Michigan, 
this kind of confident, relaxed 
attitude is the engine pushing it 
to do well in competitions. Less 
than two weeks ago, it garnered 
the 
Wolverines 
a 
Big 
Ten 

Championship, and Saturday, 
they’re hoping it’ll get them an 
NCAA Regional Championship.

Watching 
individual 

gymnasts on competition day, 
one wouldn’t notice this attitude. 
Whether it’s Big Ten Freshman 
of the Year Olivia Karas prepping 
for a Yurchenko 1 ½ that got her 
a second-place finish on vault at 
the Big Ten Championships, or 
junior Talia Chiarelli pausing 
before a dismount on beam, each 
athlete is completely focused.

But if you look just behind 

them on the sidelines, you can 
see the rest of Michigan’s team 
smiling and cheering like it’s 
any another meet.

“The coaches are always 

telling us to stop during practice 
because they’ll try to have 
meetings and we’re just being 
loud and funny,” said senior 
Lindsay Williams. “We have 
a lot of fun together, and that 
helps us when we’re competing 
because we’re relaxed. We do 
way better that way.”

Michigan plans on going into 

the regional tournament with 
this same attitude. But facing 
teams like No. 6 Auburn, No. 
18 Stanford, No. 24 Eastern 
Michigan and No. 25 Penn State, 
the Wolverines know they’re 

going to have to focus on more 
than just their confidence to get 
them a finish on top.

“We have been tracking hit 

percentage for landings; that is 
a huge focal point for us,” said 
Michigan coach Bev Plocki. 
“The difference between a team 
that goes to the Super Six and 
the team who doesn’t are those 
stuck landings.”

Near the end of the regular 

season, the Wolverines battled 
with some of those landings. At 
the Big Five meet — a qualifier 
for the Big Ten Championships — 
they had struggles with multiple 
landings on beam and on bars.

But at the Big Ten meet, 

Michigan 
looked 
like 
a 

completely 
different 
team. 

There 
were 
stuck 
landings 

all across the board, most 
noticeably by junior Nicole Artz, 
who won two Big Ten individual 
titles on floor and beam.

However, with competition 

coming from No. 6 Auburn this 
time around, the Wolverines 
know that despite their strong 

performance at Big Ten, they 
can’t take that win for granted. 
Michigan 
had 
back-to-back 

regional titles in 2013 and 2014, 
but fell short last year.

And while the Wolverines are 

hoping their confident attitude 
and work on landings will give 
them a chance to claim another 
title, they have a safety net.

“I 
can’t 
emphasize 
the 

importance of the depth in our 
lineup enough,” Plocki said. 
“Having Karas doing the job as 
a freshman, along with Brown 
and Artz — they’re incredible 
all-arounders.

“But you can’t be successful 

as a team with three great 
athletes. I’ve got Chiarelli, who 
is phenomenal on three events 
but goes unrecognized because 
she’s 
not 
an 
all-arounder, 

along 
with 
Sheppard 
and 

Christopherson. At meets like 
these, it can come down to one 
kid, one kid can be our savior. 
Sometimes, that’s the kid who 
doesn’t get recognition.”

Sophomore 
Nichelle 

Christopherson 
is 
a 
prime 

example of this depth. 

Christopherson, 
who 

preformed just four routines 
on uneven bars her freshman 
year, stepped up to the plate 
this year. After senior Briley 
Casanova faced a sidelining 
back 
injury, 
Christopherson 

filled in. She not only filled in 
on the majority of the uneven 
bars rotations where she had 
previous experience competing, 
but also on floor.

Michigan’s roster has just 

11 athletes, and with 24 events 
in a competition, this could be 
a struggle for the Wolverines. 
However, with athletes such 
as Christopherson to fill in any 
gray areas, these low numbers 
don’t prove any problems.

According to the rankings, 

Michigan should be one of the 
two teams advancing to the 
NCAA finals. If the Wolverines 
use their depth along with their 
home advantage, they could 
be restarting their Regional 
Championship streak.

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Sophomore Nichelle Christopherson has made an impact this season filling in for an injured Briley Cassanova.

What to watch for: 
‘M’ Spring Game

Fans will get peek 
at QB competition, 

WR depth, new 
D.C. Don Brown

By KELLY HALL 

Daily Sports Editor

Spring 
football 
usually 

comes 
and 
goes 
quietly, 

with its 15 practice sessions 
wrapping up almost as soon 
as fans even knew they began. 
But for the Michigan football 
team, the offseason practices 
were anything but reticent. 
The 
Wolverines 
received 

scrutiny and praise for Spring 
Break travel plans while also 
garnering a captive nationwide 
audience left wondering what 
Jim Harbaugh would do (or 
tweet) in his second year at 
Michigan.

Friday 
night, 
its 
well-

watched spring season will 
come to its close in a fitting 
way: under the lights and in 
front of hoards of curious fans 
in the Big House. 

Here’s what to watch for 

when the Maize takes on the 
Blue in the Wolverines’ Spring 
Game. 

1. Who’s under center?
Jake Rudock was a more-

than-capable signal caller in 
2015, but the fifth-year senior 
transfer from Iowa was only a 
temporary fix at quarterback.

Following 
his 
departure, 

three 
quarterbacks 
have 

separated themselves from the 
pack, but the coaching staff 
says it hasn’t gained enough 
confidence 
in 
any 
player 

to name a starter. Redshirt 
sophomore Wilton Speight and 
redshirt juniors Shane Morris 
and John O’Korn are still 
battling it out, but Friday night 
should provide insight to who 
has the best chance of playing 
on the gridiron on Sept. 3. 

Both O’Korn and Morris sat 

out last season, but Speight did 
see some game action. Against 
Minnesota, the 6-foot-6 player 
came in for an injured Rudock 
and 
led 
a 
game-winning 

touchdown drive, proving he 
can play under pressure.

While 
the 
Spring 
Game 

provides a clear checkpoint 
and will show how the other 
two react to a large audience, 
things will still change over the 
summer months. 

2. O-line chemistry
Of the five offensive linemen 

who 
played 
regularly 
last 

season, four are returning. 
After playing two seasons at 
left tackle, sophomore lineman 
Mason Cole is expected to 
take over at center following 
Graham Glasgow’s graduation.

Cole’s move will leave a spot 

open at the left tackle position, 
which 
sophomore 
Grant 

Newsome will likely assume. 
Newsome, who made his college 
debut against Minnesota in 
2015, contributed as a true 
freshman on the O-line. Now, 
with a season of experience 
under his belt, Newsome is 
expected to perform. Redshirt 
junior Patrick Kugler could 

also play into the mix, if he 
plays well enough at center. If 
so, Cole could be pushed back 
to the outside and Newsome 
would move to the bench.

A lot of team leaders will be 

returning on the line as well, 
including 
three 
fifth-year 

seniors: Kyle Kalis, Ben Braden 
and Erik Magnuson. With as 
much experience as it has, the 
O-line should be a good match 
Friday for a unit that ranked 
fourth 
nationally 
in 
total 

defense last season. 

3. Receivers who aren’t 

named Amara Darboh or 
Jehu Chesson

Last season, Darboh and 

Chesson 
made 
names 
for 

themselves as starting wide 
receivers, but the Wolverines 
could have benefitted from 
more depth at the position. 

Michigan 
passing 
game 

coordinator Jedd Fisch listed 
Moe Ways as a receiver who was 
making strides in the offseason, 
but the sophomore recently 
injured his foot and had surgery 
on Tuesday. He’s expected to be 
back in time for the start of the 
season, but he will miss critical 
practice time throughout the 
summer that will lead to more 
opportunities for others. 

Michigan natives Grant Perry 

and Drake Harris could step up, 
but the sophomore and redshirt 
sophmore, 
respectively, 
will 

need to prove they can play 
under pressure. The Spring 
Game will be another good test 
for that. 

Early-enrollee 
freshman 

Ahmir Mitchell has turned 
heads 
throughout 
spring 

practice and received more 
than a few reps at the spring 
practice held at Ford Field. 
Don’t be surprised if the young 
wide receiver grabs attention 
on Friday night, too. 

4. Don Brown’s new defense 

(starring Jabrill Peppers)

Redshirt sophomore Jabrill 

Peppers could be found on both 
sides of the ball last season, but 
so far this spring, he’s spent 
all of his time on defense. 
Peppers is a big asset for first-
year 
Michigan 
defensive 

coordinator Don Brown, who’s 
using Peppers in multiple ways. 

Brown 
likes 
Peppers 
at 

the SAM linebacker position, 
estimating that he spends about 
70 percent of his time at the 
position. He likely allots the rest 
of his time at safety or nickelback. 
The 
Wolverines 
might 
put 

Peppers on offense for the first 
time during the Spring Game for 
the crowd’s enjoyment, but don’t 
expect too much from him there. 
No promises on defensive scores, 
though. 

Brown left Boston College 

after leading the Eagles to the 
best total defense in the nation 
in 2015, and he’s taking over 
the remnants of the fourth-
best total defense. With the 
combination of returning talent 
and coaching, it’s expected that 
Michigan’s defense will be of 
similar strength to last season’s. 

Brown is known as “Dr. Blitz” 

for a reason, so keep watch on 
the defense if you can tear your 
eyes away from the quarterback 
competition. 

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Jim Harbaugh believes he has a more athletic team this spring than a year ago

Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, April 1, 2016 — 7

