‘M’ Softball Academy
provides perspective
By ORION SANG
Summer Managing Sports Editor
Just like the last series against
Penn State, this weekend’s series
against Rutgers is important for the
No. 2 Michigan softball team in its
chase for another Big Ten conference
title.
But
before
the
Wolverines
take on the Scarlet Knights, they
will participate in an event that,
according to coach Carol Hutchins,
should allow her players a glance at
the bigger picture outside of softball.
Thursday, Hutchins and her team
will host the seventh annual Michigan
Softball Academy, a fundraiser aimed
at raising money and awareness in
the fight against breast cancer, before
donning pink in their series opener
against Rutgers on Friday.
In exchange for a donation that
serves as a registration fee, the event
offers participants the chance to
learn softball while interacting with
coaches and players.
Hutchins was intrigued by the
women’s football academies held by
former head football coach Lloyd
Carr that similarly raised money and
awareness for cancer research, and
then one day, an exchange at her own
summer camp inspired her to start
her own fundraiser.
“While the kids were registering,
the moms were talking about how
cool it would be to go to camp and
how they wish they could have gone
to softball camp,” Hutchins said. “I
said, ‘What would you do if you went
to camp?’ They said, ‘We’d run the
bases, get to hit on the field and drink
wine.’ I said, ‘That sounds like a good
camp,’ and that’s the way it was born.
We were in at that time with the
American Cancer Society, and I said,
‘This would be a great thing to do,
and I’d really like to do it,’ and wow,
it’s really turned into something.
“The first year we had 84
participants, we raised $20-some-
thousand — I forget the exact number
— but it was great and very heart-
warming. We had a fantastic time.
Within a year or two, we were up
to $80,000, and the last two years,
$125,000 each year. And we’re on
pace this year to break it.”
According
to
the
academy’s
website, it has already raised over
$106,000 in donations.
In previous years, other Michigan
coaches such as men’s basketball
coach John Beilein and women’s
basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico
have participated in the event.
And this year, there’s a special
twist
involving
football
coach
Jim Harbaugh: a home run derby
between him and former Michigan
football player Rick Leach that
stemmed from a challenge Leach
issued Harbaugh at his induction
into the Pioneer High School Hall of
Fame.
“Jim
Harbaugh’s
wife
had
already agreed to be the (Honorary
Chair), and Rick Leach has been a
member of the academy on a couple
occasions,” Hutchins said. “I thought
it was a fantastic way to get Harbaugh
involved, and I of course said we’re
going to only do this if we make
money on this. So I think we’ve raised
$10,000 so far just on the home run
derby, and we’re hoping for Harbaugh
to get his fundraising going because
Leach is beating him. How you win
in the academy, whether it’s the home
run derby or the academy itself, you
win by raising the most money. That’s
the name of the game.”
For Hutchins, the event not only
raises money and awareness for an
important cause, but it also provides
her team with a bit of perspective.
“It’s a chance for our kids to step
outside of their softball selves and
recognize that there’s a bigger picture
in the world,” Hutchins said. “We’re
really overprivileged. I always tell
people I work with overprivileged
people — we’re healthy, we’re young
and we have our life in front of us.”
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Sierra Romero and the No. 2 Michigan softball team will don pink in their game Friday against Rutgers.
Michigan beats
Eastern, 12-0
By NATE CLARK
Daily Sports Writer
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Three
times this season, the No. 21
Michigan baseball team played
Eastern Michigan.
And in all three games, the
Wolverines (10-5 Big Ten, 31-12
overall) were victorious. They
added a 12-0 victory Wednesday
to their previous 12-4 win on
May 3 and 19-3 drubbing of the
Eagles on April 13.
“We’re
always looking
to
have
quality at-bats
and
string
quality at-bats
together,”
said Michigan
coach
Erik
Bakich.
“We
trust
that
when we do
that, we will
have scoring opportunities, and
we want to cash in and take
advantage of them.”
Michigan wasted no time
getting
on
the
scoreboard
Wednesday.
With two outs in the top of the
first inning, junior right fielder
Carmen
Benedetti
walked,
bringing junior catcher Harrison
Wenson to the plate. Wenson
promptly drove Benedetti in
with a double to give his team an
early lead.
But it was the second frame
where the Wolverines really put
their foot on
the gas pedal.
Freshman
third
baseman
Jimmy
Kerr
and freshman
second
baseman
Ako Thomas
revved Michigan’s engines by
drawing back-to-back one-out
walks. Sophomore third basemen
Jake Bivens then grounded into
a fielder’s choice, but an error
allowed him to safely reach base
and Kerr to score.
The miscue proved to be
costly for Eastern Michigan (8-7
Mid-American, 17-25 overall)
as fifth-year senior left fielder
Matt Ramsay then hit a sacrifice
fly
to
bring
Thomas
home
and Benedetti scored Bivens
on an RBI double to give the
Wolverines a 4-0 advantage.
“I’m just seeing pitches that
I can drive, not trying to do too
much,” Benedetti said. “The guys
were doing a great job of getting
on base today. I’m happy to drive
them in and help the team out.”
Michigan truly put the game
away in the fourth as Benedetti
smacked
another
RBI
double.
Wenson
proceeded
to
reach
on
another
Eagles’
error,
permitting
senior
center
fielder
Cody
Bruder to hit
his own RBI
double. The Wolverines only
continued to pile on from there.
But
what
might
be
the
most
impressive
feat
from
Wednesday’s
game
was
the
pitching
performance
from
freshman
left-hander
Will
Tribucher. He threw six shoutout
innings, allowing only one hit
and three walks while striking
out five.
Part of Tribucher’s big night
might have been due to a new
pitch he recently added to his
arsenal.
“Coach (Sean) Kenny and I
started working
on
a
cutter
yesterday,”
Tribucher said.
“I have to give
it to him, he’s
been helping me
out a lot along
the way. I got a
couple of guys
out with it.”
Wednesday’s
victory
improves
Michigan’s
out-
of-conference record to 8-2
since March 25. However, the
Wolverines won’t have much
time to dwell on their non-
conference success, as they will
return to Big Ten action Friday
night against Rutgers.
12
Thursday, May 5, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS
BASEBALL
“I’m just seeing
pitches that I can
drive, not trying
to do too much.”
Tribucher has
added a cutter
to his arsenal.