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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.”

