The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Friday, February 17, 2017 — 7
‘M’ looks to respond in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
The last time the Michigan
softball team entered the second
weekend of its season with
multiple losses was 2006.
But after dropping two close
games in Tampa, Fla. last weekend,
the Wolverines fell from No. 6 to
No. 11 in the national rankings and
now find themselves in uncharted
waters heading into the ACC/Big
Ten Challenge this weekend in
Raleigh, N.C.
Still,
the
calendar
reads
February, and for Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins and her team, that
means prioritizing progress over
results. For one of the longest-
tenured coaches in college softball,
a couple of opening-weekend
losses hardly phase her.
What does concern Hutchins,
though — which she emphasized
this week in practice — is
consistency
throughout
her
lineup, particularly with runners
in scoring position.
Last weekend, the Wolverines
hit .314 as a team, but managed an
average below .200 with runners
in scoring position. There are
several potential explanations for
that disparity, both physically and
mentally.
“A lot of it was our mindset,” said
senior shortstop Abby Ramirez.
“We didn’t get the timely hits we
needed, so we’ve been working
on hitting with runners in scoring
position and not making it too big
of a deal in your head. Just taking
it as a normal at-bat.”
That struggle may also be a
product of the lack of experience.
Entering last weekend, only five
players on the roster had earned
over 100 at-bats in their careers.
Sophomores
Natalie
Peters,
Courtney
Richardson,
Alex
Sobczak and Faith Canfield — all
expected to be major contributors
on offense this season — entered
the season with a combined total
of 182 at-bats in their careers, with
most coming in blowouts, pinch-
hit appearances or other lower-
leverage sitations. For context,
senior outfielder Kelly Christner
had nearly that many (179) on her
own last season.
“We spent most of yesterday
free-swinging, working on drills
that help untie us. We’re a little
tied-up, a little tight,” Hutchins
said. “And they look like they’re
swinging a little better, but
obviously we’ll see this weekend.”
Granted, this weekend will not
mount the same type of challenge
to the young lineup that now-No.
1 Florida was able to provide last
weekend.
Michigan will go up against
NC State and Notre Dame — each
twice — in this year’s ACC/Big
Ten Challenge. The Wolfpack
and Fighting Irish went 2-3 and
3-2, respectively, in their opening
weekend tournaments.
These two games will be just
the fifth and sixth matchups all-
time between Michigan and NC
State — the Wolverines have won
all four of their previous contests.
If Michigan can focus on keeping
the ball in the ballpark, it should
have a good chance to take both
games against the Wolfpack.
Last season, NC State finished
11th in the country in home
runs per game (1.29), despite
managing just the 179th best
batting average in the country
(.270 average).
Notre Dame, on the other hand,
is a more well-known opponent.
“I know we’ll have our hands
full (with the Fighting Irish),”
Hutchins said in an interview with
WTKA on Thursday. “We always
have great competitive matchups
with Notre Dame, they’re a very
familiar team, as we see them
often in our postseason.”
Most
recently,
Michigan
topped the Fighting Irish last
May, 6-2, to advance to the NCAA
Super Regionals. That day, then-
junior right-hander Megan Betsa
neutralized
the
Notre
Dame
lineup, limiting it to just two runs
in a complete-game performance.
Most notably, though, Betsa
did not walk a batter and threw
just 93 pitches. While she has
been outspoken about wanting to
pitch to contact more this season,
Betsa threw over 300 pitches and
walked 10 batters in 17 innings last
weekend.
Though she was named Big
Ten Pitcher of the Week for the
dominance — to her credit, the
0.41 earned-run average and 27
strikeouts speak for themselves —
Hutchins knows that in order to
maximize the number of innings
Betsa can throw this season while
still maintaining her health for a
postseason run, Betsa will have to
be more efficient.
“It’s not lost on her that the
more pitches she throws in a
game, the less available she’s going
to be,” Hutchins said. “We’re
very cognizant of (her workload).
She just needs to attack hitters.
You don’t pitch to not get hit, you
pitch to beat them, and she’s very
capable of that.”
While the theme of the week
was improving the consistency
of the offense, perhaps the most
important aspect to watch this
weekend will be the pitching staff.
If Betsa and junior right-hander
Tera Blanco can be more efficient
and effective in their outings, that
could bode well not only for this
weekend, but for the rest of the
season.
The calendar may read February
— and for Betsa the results may
continue to be good — but it’s those
types of gradual improvements
that may be beneficial come May.
Michigan falls to Indiana
At
halftime,
the
No.
20
Michigan women’s basketball
team appeared dead in the water.
Michigan
trailed
Indiana
40-22 — its
lowest point total this season —
while shooting just 12.5 percent
from 3-point range. The Hoosiers
looked to be running away with
the contest.
But the Wolverines managed
to fight back in the second half.
Michigan went on an 11-0 run in
the fourth quarter and trimmed
the deficit to just eight points.
It wasn’t enough, though, as
Indiana held on for a 72-61 win.
The Wolverines made just 21.3
percent of their three-point shots
in the game.
“Coming into tonight, we
needed to remind ourselves that
Indiana is a good team,” said
Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico. “They’re a team that’s
experienced and a team that
plays well at home. It just felt like
anything we were throwing at
them, they were scoring on.”
With 7:31 to go in the fourth
frame, Michigan (10-3 Big Ten,
21-6 overall) found itself in a
65-46 hole until freshman guard
Kysre Gondrezick made her first
3-pointer of the night. Junior
guard Katelynn Flaherty and
freshman forward Kayla Robbins
followed Gondrezick up with a
pair of layups before Gondrezick
made a two-point jumper. The
comeback effort was on for
Michigan.
Reality then set in for the
Wolverines, as Hoosier guard
Tyra Buss made a layup with
2:18 to go that put Indiana (8-5,
18-8) ahead by double-digits once
again. The Wolverines never
recovered from the 68-57 deficit,
as they scored only once in their
final four possessions.
“We had a legitimate shot
in the fourth quarter,” Barnes
Arico said. “Then we kind of got
stagnant. We got some stops, but
we weren’t able to get scores.
We haven’t lost in a long time.
It’ll be interesting to see how we
respond.”
Most
of
the
game
was
dominated
by
the
Hoosiers,
especially the first quarter.
Indiana outscored Michigan
13-0 over the last six minutes of
the first frame, which allowed the
Hoosiers to take a 23-8 lead. Buss
led the charge for Indiana, scoring
nine points. The Wolverines,
meanwhile, made just three of
their 11 shots in the quarter.
Michigan continued to implode
in the second stanza, as the
Hoosiers rode an 8-0 run to their
40-22 halftime lead. This time, it
was guard Karlee McBride who
abused the Wolverines, putting
up seven points in the frame.
Michigan further hindered its
cause by turning the ball over six
times while Indiana coughed it
up just thrice.
“We couldn’t get stops early
on, and I think that frustrated
us,” Barnes Arico said. “I think
that forced us to take some bad
looks on (the) offensive end.”
Life was marginally easier
for the Wolverines in the third
quarter, as they made 53.3
percent of their shots. Michigan
even managed a 6-0 run thanks
to
back-to-back
3-pointers
from sophomore guard Nicole
Munger and senior guard Siera
Thompson.
But it was nowhere near
enough to erase the Wolverines’
deficit. The Hoosiers shot 56.3
percent and commanded a 61-42
edge at the end of the third. The
hole proved to be too much for
Michigan to crawl out of.
Despite
the
defeat,
the
Wolverines remain two games
ahead of Indiana for third place
in the Big Ten standings. They
can clinch the third seed in the
Big Ten Tournament with a win
over Michigan State on Sunday,
but after falling to the Hoosiers
on Thursday, they will also need
an Indiana loss to achieve their
season-long goal.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ICE HOCKEY
Michigan set for tough
series with Wisconsin
The last time the Michigan
hockey team played on an
Olympic-sized rink, it struggled
defensively, allowing nine goals
in two games to Minnesota.
Since then, the Wolverines’
defense has continued to be
a trouble spot, giving up two
goals or fewer in only one of six
games since playing the Golden
Gophers.
This
weekend,
Michigan
will face another offensive-
minded team on a larger sheet
of ice when it takes on No. 20
Wisconsin.
The
Badgers
boast
the
seventh-best offense in the
country
and
showed
their
ability to score goals in their first
game against the Wolverines,
exploding for seven goals.
Though the larger ice rink
can sometimes pose a challenge
for opposing defenses, Michigan
knows what it has to improve
upon to be ready for Wisconsin.
“I think the forecheck is
going to be really important,”
said senior defenseman Nolan
De Jong. “Because the faster
we can take away their time
and space in the offensive zone,
obviously the less we’ll have it
in our zone.
“For the defense, kind of
staying between the (faceoff)
dots. You see these teams,
they’ll try to spread you outside
the dots and try to find that lane
to the middle. Wisconsin’s a
team that’s going to try to sneak
guys behind you and try to
score on breakaways and kind
of quick, fast transitions.”
Offensively, the Wolverines
seemed to be improving, but
they
struggled
again
last
Saturday
against
Michigan
State. Though senior forward
Alex Kile remains sidelined
with an injury, Michigan hopes
to show its offensive potency on
the larger ice.
One reason for optimism
could be freshman forward
Will Lockwood. His scoring has
slowed down after a hot start
to the season, but with more
room to skate this weekend, the
freshman’s speed and offensive
ability could be on display. He
was unable to make the trip to
Minneapolis due to an injury of
his own, so this will be the first
time he has an opportunity to
make an impact for Michigan
with extra space on the ice.
According
to
Michigan
coach Red Berenson, his team’s
competitiveness
and
puck
security will be key.
“We didn’t have all of our
speed in the lineup (against
Minnesota),”
Berenson
said.
“This is a skater’s rink, but
you still have got to compete.
Wisconsin’s a skilled team, and
they skate. They’re one of the
better offensive teams in our
league, especially on the power
play.
“But we’ve got to take care
of the puck. That’s one thing
I thought we did poorly on
Saturday at home. We got the
puck, and then we’d turn it
over, and then we’d be chasing
it again. And in a rink like this,
you’re going to be chasing all
night if you don’t take care of
the puck.”
In net, the Wolverines will
turn to freshman goaltender
Jack LaFontaine. After not
playing much in the middle of
the season, LaFontaine started
Saturday against the Spartans
and started strong before an
injury forced him to leave the
game early.
Michigan
is
heading
to
Madison in the midst of a rather
rough stretch, losing five of
its last eight games. But the
Wolverines are still optimistic,
according to De Jong.
“I think we’re pretty upbeat
right now,” De Jong said. “I
think we know we got a bit of a
wakeup call last Saturday. That
wasn’t an acceptable effort. But
I think we had a really good
practice out there today, and I
think we’re excited to go and
excited to get another game
under our belt.”
Wolverines to open season against Seton Hall
With so much of the same
personnel returning for the
Michigan
baseball
team,
it
seems fitting that its 2017
season will begin in the same
place the 2016 campaign did.
The Wolverines, who were
recently picked to finish second
behind Maryland in the Big Ten
Preseason Coaches Poll, will
take on Seton Hall in a four-
game series in Port St. Lucie,
Fla. beginning on Friday. The
trip marks the ninth time in 10
years that Michigan has played
in Port St. Lucie, the spring
training home of the New York
Mets.
Michigan was ranked 15th
in the country at the start of
last season, and justified that
placement
with
a
season-
opening
four-game
sweep
of Canisius in Florida. The
Wolverines
will
begin
this
season unranked, however, due
to the loss of key contributors,
such as utility player Carmen
Benedetti
and
left-handed
pitcher Brett Adcock, as well as
their struggles down the stretch
last season. After a 34-12 start,
they lost nine of their final
11 games and failed to reach
the NCAA Tournament. Still,
Michigan coach Erik Bakich’s
expectations for his veteran-
laden squad remain high.
“(This
team
has)
been
training as hard and with
as much intent as possible,”
Bakich said. “There’s as much
anticipation for this particular
group as any team I’ve been a
part of.”
For the pitching staff, junior
left-hander Oliver Jaskie is
effectively locked in as the
Wolverines’ top starter after
compiling a 7-3 record with a
3.19 earned-run average last
season.
Sophomore
right-
hander Alec Rennard, a junior
college transfer from Santa
Rosa Community College, is
all but assured of a rotation
spot as well. Behind them, a
number of veterans will look to
assert themselves. Junior right-
hander Ryan Nutof and left-
hander Michael Hendrickson
are
currently
leading
the
competiton to fill out the
rotation.
Michigan’s
strength
on
offense
centers
around
an
experienced
and
versatile
infield
that
returns
four
starters, all of whom are capable
of filling a number of roles if
necessary. Juniors Jake Bivens
— a .356 hitter last season — and
Drew Lugbauer — second on
the team with seven home runs
— will man the corner infield
spots. Senior shortstop Michael
Brdar and sophomore second
baseman Ako Thomas, who
aren’t as prolific at the plate as
Bivens or Lugbauer, will serve
as anchors up the middle.
“Brdar and Ako Thomas
are really skilled defensively,”
Bivens said. “(Senior catcher
Harrison Wenson) and Drew
and
(sophomore
infielder
Jimmy Kerr) can play any
position,
so
obviously
that
experience will be important
for us.”
Added Bakich: “It’s not very
often you get the entire infield
back. (Bivens) has played plenty
of shortstop in his time here
and even Lugbauer got a little
time at shortstop last fall. I feel
very confident about our infield
talent.”
Accentuating this versatility
is Wenson, Michigan’s leader
in home runs and runs batted
in last season with eight and
56, respectively. Not only will
he occupy a spot in the middle
of the order as the Wolverines‘
primary
power
source,
but
he has proven himself to be
dependable as a backstop.
“He gives us not only a good
presence behind the plate, but
allows us to get our best offense
on the field,” Bakich said.
Similar to Michigan, Seton
Hall missed out on an NCAA
Tournament berth last season
despite a solid 38-20 record.
With a lineup anchored by Mike
Alescio, a preseason All-Big
East selection at catcher, the
Pirates will likely implement a
small-ball approach predicated
on baserunning and defense.
Seton Hall hit just 11 home runs
with a .273 average last season,
far below the Wolverines’ 28
home runs and team batting
average of .299, but the Pirates
led the nation in stolen bases at
183.
While Seton Hall may not
hold an offensive advantage
over
the
Wolverines,
the
Pirates do boast an experienced
pitching staff which posted
a 3.21 ERA last year. Shane
McCarthy
—
a
unanimous
selection to the All-Big East
first feam — and Cullen Dana
both recorded sub-3.00 ERAs,
while closer Zach Schellenger
struck out 70 batters in just 45.2
innings.
Despite the bitter end to
last season, excitement and
optimism
around
Michigan
baseball remains high, and a
quality opponent in Seton Hall
will provide an experienced
Wolverine squad with their
first big test in their quest to
return to the postseason.
“We have a great group of
guys that know how to handle
the pressure,” Bivens said. “It’s
been exciting to play with them,
and it’s going to be a great time
going down South.”
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins geared practice toward the offense in preparation for this weekend’s tournament.
MAX MARCOVITCH
Daily Sports Writer
NATHANIEL CLARK
Daily Sports Writer
MICHIGAN
INDIANA
61
72
MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Editor
EVAN AARON/Daily
Junior infielder Jake Bivens will provide a steady presence at the plate and in the field for the Wolverines this season.
JACOB SHAMES
Daily Sports Writer