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