8A — Thursday, February 9, 2017 Sports The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Betsa chases perfection in circle For a steadfast endurer like Megan Betsa, stopping is the most difficult aspect of striving for perfection. But that’s what the senior pitcher — who was described as the epitome of a perfectionist by Michigan coach Carol Hutchins — was forced to do this fall while healing nagging injuries. Following a dominant season en route to a College World Series Championship appearance in 2015, the two- time Big Ten Pitcher of the Year felt the lingering effects of repeated use in high-pressure situations the next spring, sitting out during parts of the preseason. So instead of throwing in the bullpen, playing catch and running out to the rubber during fall exhibitions, she was forced to watch from the dugout and attempt to achieve perfection on the trainer’s table and in the weight room. “… She was convinced she was behind (last spring),” Hutchins said. “And if you think you’re behind, you’re behind. If you think you’re tired, you’re tired. We needed her to be ready for this part of the year — that’s the only way we could almost guarantee it.” During her recovery period, Betsa changed her approach to challenging hitters and focused on throwing strikes — something she struggled with in 2016, when she walked 113 batters. While Betsa’s pure ability has allowed her to escape numerous jams caused by control issues, the senior has concluded that allowing contact will allow for more efficient pitching. “I definitely want to modify the amount of pitches that I throw,” Betsa said. “My goal is always to get ahead of the hitter, and I’m learning now that it’s okay to let my defense work for me. I have to attack every hitter from the very first pitch. I know that my defense has my back and that’s what I have to trust. I trust myself and I trust them.” Still, control continues to be a rare weakness for the right-hander in the eyes of Hutchins, who credits offseason conditioning to Betsa’s pitches breaking sharper than before — even to the point that her command has become inconsistent. “I think she’s pitching better than ever,” Hutchins said. “Her spin’s tighter, her fitness is very good, she’s strong because she had to work her back and core muscles. Her command of the zone is still not as good as it would normally be at this point, and partly because her ball is breaking more.” Betsa’s presence will be stressed in 2017. She’s the only established pitcher returning to the rotation following the graduation of Sara Driesenga, who went 22-1 with a 2.13 earned-run average for the Wolverines last season. Replacing the 131-plus innings of work Driesenga brought to the rotation has been a puzzle that Hutchins has attempted to solve all offseason by giving junior Tera Blanco and sophomore Leah Crockett opportunities in bullpen sessions and fall scrimmages. Blanco has started just five games in her career despite being recruited to Michigan as a highly-touted pitcher. Instead, she’s been most valuable inside the batter’s box, hitting .404 with 13 home runs and 66 runs batted in as the starting first baseman in 2016. As Blanco proves to be one of the most offensively potent Wolverines returning to the lineup — Hutchins mentioned she’d most likely hit in the four or five spot this season — conventional knowledge points to the possible production drop- off that could come with an added pitching responsibility. But Hutchins doesn’t believe Blanco is a conventional softball player. “I don’t think (pitching and the loss of offensive production) has to go hand-in-hand,” Hutchins said. “She spent most of the preseason pitching, but she was first-team All-American because of her bat. She actually makes the case for ‘Why do we hit so much?’ because she didn’t hit as much as the rest of these guys. Tera’s definitely a gamer.” Crockett, meanwhile, pitched to just four batters in only one game last season — the final inning of a 9-1 February blowout against Virginia Tech. As expected with an untested player, Crockett will have to show that she’s deserving of pitching meaningful innings. “… Leah Crockett has to earn a spot,” Hutchins said. “She has to show us when she gets her opportunity, that she can be the one. She’s going to get an opportunity and she’s got to command the zone and be able mix up speeds. That’s all she has to do.” While Betsa is the seasoned ace that can carry the Wolverines through a pivotal game or postseason series, her time away from pitching actually gave the rest of the Michigan pitching staff the repetition it needed. “I really think Megan Betsa sitting out in the fall really put the weight of the world on Tera and Leah,” Hutchins said. “It gave them really meaningful experience. Both of them grew a lot because you grow a lot by getting thrown into the fire. So, the fall was critical.” And Betsa didn’t forget about Blanco and Crockett while working on her own health and strength, either. “During the fall, I was watching them pitch,” Betsa said. “I think one of my strengths is being able to control my thoughts and the mental side of my game. So, if there’s anything that I’ve been able to help the other pitchers with, I think it’s that. Everything that I do, I’m doing for the girls around me. I’m doing it for the person to my left and the person to my right. I try to be as selfless as I can when it comes to that stuff.” Perfection isn’t necessarily what Michigan seeks. But with Betsa’s perfectionist spirit affecting both her own and others’ pitching, the Wolverines can move closer to it this season. MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Writer FILE PHOTO/Daily Senior right-handed pitcher Megan Betsa took the fall off to heal nagging injuries in preparation for her final season. Embracing “junkyard dog” mentality, Simpson emerges for Michigan In the locker room before Tuesday’s contest against Michigan State, John Beilein posted a picture of a dog on the board where he does his pregame talks. He wanted his team to look into the eyes of the image of the “junkyard dog” to understand the anger and the desperation the canine had. It wasn’t meant to be a cute pregame talk. The Michigan coach had been trying to get his team to play with that sort of attitude for weeks. Perhaps all it took was a visual aid. Beilein’s team finally responded, bullying the Spartans all night and making plays that revolved around the toughness idealized by the dog. “Today was perfect,” Beilein said. “They were there. They were angry. They were like junkyard dogs. That was the whole idea. We had to go out there angry and play with that edge we so desperately need.” One of the more surprising players who took the night’s motto to heart was Xavier Simpson. The freshman guard was averaging just eight minutes per game and had scored just nine total points in conference play entering Tuesday. With senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. carrying Michigan through the most recent stretch of games, Beilein knew he had to find a more effective way for Simpson to get involved and make an impact to take the load off of Walton. Simpson’s struggles in Big Ten play have revolved heavily around not being comfortable with the increased pace. Though the freshman once scored 65 points in a high school game, he hasn’t yet seemed comfortable putting it all together at the collegiate level. Beilein has primarily used Simpson in tight defensive situations in recent games, subbing him in for Walton or junior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman when the Wolverines need stops on defense. But assistant coach Saddi Washington, who has worked closely with Simpson, approached Beilein this week and proposed tweaking the freshman’s gameplan. “Saddi Washington’s been doing a great job and he really suggested that he played more today,” Beilein said. “He also simplified (Simpson’s) package. He understands everything we do, but the timing of it is still just a little bit off.” Washington’s adjustment, paired with Beilein’s pregame message, created the perfect storm for Simpson to have the breakout game he had been seeking all season. In his 12 minutes of play, Simpson was a menace to Michigan State guards on both ends of the court. Defensively, he built upon his recent solid performances by being more aggressive and taking advantage of the Spartans’ inability to protect the ball. Simpson didn’t record any steals, but much of the night, he was either putting his teammates in positions to make them or forcing Michigan State players to turn the ball over. It was on the offensive end where Simpson really showed signs of growth. The freshman, who was shooting just 24 percent from the field before Tuesday’s contest, went 3-for-4 from the field while also dishing out two assists. The six- foot guard showed a new willingness to drive to the hoop and absorb whatever contact met him near the basket. “I’m a (more) complete player than I was a month ago and a week ago,” Simpson said. “So the coaches are teaching me and I’m embracing the challenge. Obviously, it was hard at first, but I just have to stick with it and trust the process.” After Simpson drained his lone 3-point attempt, Michigan State called a timeout and Michigan’s bench exploded, mobbing him when he reached the Wolverine sideline. But no other Michigan player will welcome Simpson’s emergence as much as Walton. Despite playing the best stretch of basketball of his career, Walton still needs help from his fellow guards to help him lead the offense or fill in when he needs a rest. “I knew for a fact, down the road (Simpson would break out),” Walton said. “He’s a really tough kid and he always sticks to it. Nights like this don’t surprise me. I’m really excited for him and I’m hoping he can build on it.” Walton himself has been part of the problem as to why Simpson hasn’t had this type of performance, simply because it has been impossible for Beilein to sub out the senior during his recent run. But Simpson is in no way deterred by staying on the bench and watching his mentor perform like he has. “Derrick (has been) playing tremendous the last few games,” Simpson said. “I can’t be on the bench and wish he got more fouls or wish a negative impact on him. He’s been playing great. “When a guy like that is doing his job and getting us wins, you have to do what you have to do.” Walton and Simpson did spend some time on the court together Tuesday, with the freshman playing the point and the senior at the ‘2.’ Beilein was able to use that combination, and one in which Walton, Simpson and Abdur-Rahkman were all on the court together. Beilein will hope Simpson’s form carries over into the future so he can use these lineups again in order to give the Wolverines a different look. “He actually surprised me with the three-guard lineup,” Simpson said. “I knew we could do it. We’re all pretty aggressive and at the time that’s what (Beilein) wanted, so that’s what we did. I felt like it was great for the team.” Simpson’s emergence has been a long time coming, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for Michigan. His “junkyard dog” mentality and the simplified game can give the Wolverines the boost off the bench they’ve been looking for to power them through the upcoming stretch of the Big Ten schedule. “It feels great,” Simpson said. “Not just for me, it takes pressure off Derrick. It takes pressure off other players also. For me to come in and give that extra boost I felt like I not only helped myself, but also, most importantly, helped the team.” EVAN AARON/Daily Freshman guard Xavier Simpson responded to coach John Beilein’s pregame talk with an aggressive attitude on both ends of the court against the Spartans. The freshman guard has been waiting under the wings of senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. this season BRANDON CARNEY Daily Sports Writer “He’s a really tough kid and he always sticks to it”