11
Thursday, May 12, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS
perhaps
most
important
is
the
maternal
atmosphere
that
Richvalsky brings to the Wolverines.
She even devotes herself to securing
a ride home for every player.
In order to promote team-wide
harmony, Richvalsky strives to
recognize each player’s learning
style. It is her goal to ease the
freshmen
transition
and
she
constantly offers comfort.
“Liv is kind of like the mom,”
Romero said. “She keeps everything
and everyone under control.”
“I worry about these girls,”
Richvalsky said. “I want their
success more than my own. More
than anything else, I want the
team’s success. (I want) each of the
individual girls to achieve their own
goals.”
***
The sliding specialist:
When Mary Sbonek first arrived
at Michigan in the fall of 2012, she
aimed to fulfill her life-long dream
of playing for the Wolverines. After
playing travel-ball in high school,
she felt she should at least try out.
Hutchins heard of Sbonek from
a cousin who knew one of Sbonek’s
relatives, who had mentioned her
speed on the basepaths. Sbonek first
participated in a separate workout
away from the team.
Then, she spent two weeks
working with Michigan’s players,
as a trial period of sorts. These two
weeks were filled with uncertainty
as Sbonek was unsure of her fate.
“That
was
nerve-racking,”
Sbonek recalled. “I was still kind of
trying to make the team.”
But after some time had passed,
Hutchins pulled her aside and told
her she had made it. After weeks
of hard work and anxiousness, her
dream had been realized: she was
finally a Wolverine.
Michigan’s
players
ensured
that she would have no trouble
integrating
with
her
new
teammates, quickly welcoming her.
”Once you’re on the team, I don’t
view anyone differently, if they are
a walk-on,” Driesenga said. “All of
us are equal members of the team.”
Added Romero: “We’re one big
family, and right away, we let them
know whenever we’re going out to
eat. Whenever we’re going to go
do something as a team, they’re
brought in right away.”
As
a
veteran
pinch-runner,
Sbonek works with sophomore
outfielder Nikki Wald, who will be
the first off the bench once Sbonek
and Richvalsky depart. The drills in
practice — often running back and
forth during a game-like simulation
— and open communication have
allowed Sbonek and Wald to forge
a teacher-to-student connection.
This bond leads to greater support
during the moments when Hutchins
will call their names and insert
them on the basepaths.
One thing Wald may have
difficulty picking up from her
mentor is Sbonek’s unique slide at
home. It perplexes even a three-
time All-American.
“She slides but then turns over,
swipes it with her back hand and it’s
a spin move, so that way the catcher
can’t tag her,” Romero said. “I could
never do that in a million years. I
don’t know how she does that.”
Because Sbonek is often the first
pinch-runner off the bench, she is
also first runner to gauge the arms
of the outfielders and the accuracy
of the catcher.
It can be tiring to pinch-run.
Practices often consist of time
spent on the basepaths waiting
for commands from the coaching
staff. They provide tremendous
assistance
as
the
baserunners
during defensive drills. And besides
pinch-running preparation, they
still need to do hitting and fielding
drills with the other members of the
team.
Sbonek loves the role she won
after a tryout years ago and hopes to
have memories as enjoyable as last
year’s World Series experience.
“(I love) being able to score the
runs,” Sbonek said. “I can go faster
on the basepaths for my team than
the person who is there. That’s why
I’m there. So if I can come in and
score a run, that’s great.”
***
As three of the oldest players on
the team, it is Connell, Richvalsky
and Sbonek’s job to organize cheers
in the dugout while Michigan is on
the field.
The cheers provide another
chance for these three role players
to add to Michigan’s success.
“Liv, Mary and I do a great job of
keeping everyone who’s not in the
game, cheering for the people on
the field,” Connell said. “When the
people come off the field and when
we’re at bat, to (try) get as loud and
crazy as possible.”
And while the on-field players
focus on the pitcher in the circle
or the batter at the plate, they still
recognize the support of their
teammates.
“When I’m at second base, and
they do one of their cheers, or when
the pitcher gets a strikeout, I see
them getting into it,” Romero said.
“(The cheers) are nice because they
take away that stress.”
Each of the 24 Wolverines are
expected to arrive at practice with
a desire to perform their specific
duty.
Hutchins fills her Michigan
roster with specialists. While many
pitchers nationwide are versatile
— starting on offense and in the
circle — Driesenga and junior right-
hander Megan Betsa have yet to
bat this season. Up and down the
lineup, certain players are expected
to hit for power, while others like
junior shortstop Abby Ramirez are
expected to focus on getting on
base.
Brandi
Virgil
came
before
Richvalsky and Sbonek, playing
from 2010-2014. She served as a
pinch runner for her four years,
and once she departed, Sbonek
and Richvalsky took her spot as
the lead pinch-runners. The two
work with Wald, who will anchor
the pinch- running corps next
year. Former bullpen catcher Becca
Garfinkel, who graduated last year,
caught pitches alongside Connell
throughout her career. This year,
Connell crouches in the bullpen
next to sophomore Morgan Swift,
who looks to take over the reins
next season.
It is a cycle of specialists that
will continue, even after Connell,
Richvalsky and Sbonek finish their
Michigan careers. Just like the
graduating members of the starting
nine, the pinch-runners and bullpen
catcher will be replaced next season.
They won’t be filled by a player as
clever and humorous as Connell,
or as motherly as Richvalsky or as
caring and motivated as Sbonek.
Instead, the players will embrace
these duties with their own unique
qualities,
and
add
their
own
characteristics to them, just as
Connell, Richvalsky and Sbonek
did.
***
Lauren Connell probably won’t
hit the walk-off home run to send
Michigan to the WCWS. But she
will spend hours preparing and
laughing
with
Driesenga
and
Betsa in the bullpen during the
postseason.
Olivia
Richvalsky
may
not
receive the opportunity to bat with
the bases loaded and the game on
the line. Whoever does receive
the
opportunity
will
certainly
be comforted and prepared by
Richvalsky, whether it be a fellow
senior or an anxious freshman.
Mary
Sbonek
will
see
opportunities on the basepaths in
the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.
And while these moments on the
field may be brief, she strives to
make the most of them, and perhaps
will utilize her unique slide.
The three will be fulfilling the
roles established by Hutchins. And
they will strive for success.
“They don’t get a whole lot of
opportunity, but they understand
the importance of their role,”
Hutchins said. “They are great role
models for the kids behind them
that will end up becoming role
players.”
SOFTBALL
From Page 10
MAZIE HYAMS/Daily
Senior outfielder Olivia Richvalsky is regarded as the team ‘mom.’
MAZIE HYAMS/Daily
Mary Sbonek has carved out a role as a pinch-runner after making the team as a walk-on.
“All of us are
equal members
of the team.”
“They
understand the
importance of
their role.”