Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, March 24, 2017 — 7
Wolverines begin Big Ten play at Maryland
Prior
to
the
season,
the
Big Ten’s coaches picked the
Michigan baseball team to finish
second in the conference, right
behind Maryland. But as the
Wolverines prepare to open Big
Ten play against the Terrapins,
rankings are the last thing on
their minds.
“Preseason rankings really are
worthless,” said Michigan coach
Erik Bakich. “The only rankings
that mean anything are the final
ones. Even the in-season ones
don’t mean jack squat. We’re not
going in to prove anything to
anyone, we’re just going to play
our butts off.”
While the Wolverines (16-4
overall) may not be paying
attention to polls, it’s clear that
after their hot start, the polls are
paying attention to them. After
taking three out of four against
Northern Illinois last weekend,
Michigan moved up three spots
in the D1Baseball.com poll, going
from 21st to 18th, and currently
finds itself in the Top 25 in three
other polls as well.
Regardless of the Wolverines’
opinions about rankings, the polls
still demonstrate the respect that
Michigan has earned from its early
triumphs against a challenging
non-conference schedule.
“We’ve gone toe-to-toe as
a conference with some of the
nation’s best and we’ve been
fortunate to have a lot of early
success,” Bakich said. “We bring a
high level of confidence going into
conference play. We recognize it
is conference play, but we’re not
going to change anything, that’s
for sure.”
Michigan will look to continue
its
early-season
momentum
against Maryland (13-7), where
Bakich coached from 2010 to
2012 before taking the Michigan
job. While the Terrapins have
a slightly worse record than
the Wolverines, their statistical
profile indicates what should be a
well-matched series.
Offensively,
Michigan
and
Maryland have put up almost
identical
numbers
–
the
Wolverines bat .270 as a team with
18 home runs and a .792 on-base
plus slugging percentage (OPS),
while the Terrapins have a .269
average, 18 home runs and a .797
OPS. Both teams also love to run,
and excel at doing so – both rank
in the top 10 nationally in steals,
with 47 and 44, respectively.
The beginning of the home
schedule saw some lineup changes
for the Wolverines, most notably
the ascension of
senior shortstop
Michael
Brdar.
With
a
.325
average,
three
home runs and a
.907 OPS, he has
been Michigan’s
hottest
hitter
recently, earning
a move to third in
the batting order.
“In
baseball,
you try to play the hot hands,”
Bakich said. “Sometimes you go
off hunches, and sometimes you
just go off statistics. He’s been
hitting in the six-hole most of
the year and we just felt like we
wanted him up more often. If
there’s opportunities to get him
more at-bats throughout the
game, we want to do that.”
While
statistically
the
Wolverines lack the individual
offensive firepower of players
such as Maryland’s right fielder
Marty Costes, who is hitting
.350 with four home runs and
a 1.027 OPS, there are very few
weak spots top to bottom in their
lineup, especially with junior
first baseman Jake Bivens and
third baseman Drew Lugbauer
emerging
from
their slumps to
begin the season.
Bivens
recently recorded
multiple
hits
in four straight
games – a streak
that
came
to
an
end
during
Wednesday’s
game
against
Western
Michigan
–
while
Lugbauer
batted .333 with three home runs
and nine RBIs in the Northern
Illinois series last weekend.
While Michigan and Maryland
appear to be even on offense,
the mound has proven to be a
different story. The Terrapins
possesses an earned-run average
of 4.24, a full run higher than
the Wolverines. But this isn’t to
say Maryland lacks shut-down
potential: Brian Shaffer (2-1) has a
1.65 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 32.2
innings, while Tyler Blohm (4-1)
has kept pace with him by putting
up a 1.78 ERA.
However, Michigan’s starting
rotation this weekend – consisting
of
junior
left-handers
Oliver
Jaskie and Michael Hendrickson
and junior right-hander Ryan
Nutof – is well-equipped to keep
pace with Maryland’s hurlers.
While Jaskie leads the staff
with a 3-0 record, 2.60 ERA and
32 strikeouts in 27.2 innings,
Hendrickson has come on strong
lately as well, having not allowed
an earned run in two of his
previous three starts.
The optimism around the
Michigan program has been
palpable all season. And as the
Wolverines prepare to take on the
Big Ten, there has been no change
in their confident attitude.
“We just try to stick with
our brand of baseball and the
toughness and grit that we bring
every day,” said senior catcher
Harrison Wenson. “We’re just
going to go in there and win some
ballgames.”
SOFTBALL
Michigan looks to extend
dominance vs. Penn State
Timing is vital to extending
winning streaks when hungry
competition
presents
itself.
Almost as essential as it is to hit
the softball.
After scoring 15 runs in two
contests against Bowling Green
and Eastern Michigan this week,
the Michigan softball team looks
like it has finally turned a corner
offensively — just in time for the
start of Big Ten Play.
This
weekend,
the
19th-ranked Wolverines (19-7-
1)
will
ride
its five-game
winning
streak
as
they
open
conference
play
against
Penn
State
(12-14)
at
Alumni Field.
Michigan’s
offensive
production
— though down by a run per
game since last season — is now
rolling behind the bat of junior
first baseman Aidan Falk, who
notched two hits and two RBI
on
Wednesday.
After
being
moved to the cleanup spot in an
ever-changing order, Falk drove
in five runs in a doubleheader
against Kent State last Sunday.
“She’s settling into the fact
that she’s in the four-hole, which
is a big RBI spot,” said Michigan
coach Carol Hutchins.
Falk and the Wolverines,
however, will have to contend
with the augmented frustration
their opponent carries into this
weekend, as Michigan has ended
the Nittany Lions’ season in the
second round of the Big Ten
Tournament the last two years.
And that suffering for Penn
State is even more far-reaching.
It has lost the last 25 games
in the series — a streak that
extends back to 2007. When
the Wolverines struggled to
score against ranked teams
in preseason tournaments, it
looked as if 2017 might finally
be the Nittany Lions’ time to
dethrone the king of the Big Ten.
The Wolverines, though, are
playing like the team they were
expected to be at the season’s
start. Junior right-hander Tera
Blanco is throwing like the
pitcher she was supposed to
be as a highly touted recruit,
surrendering
just
three
combined runs and notching 12
strikeouts in this week’s games.
Most importantly, however, the
offensive attack has begun to
return to its form of previous
seasons.
Eight runs,
four
extra-
base hits and
homers
from
Blanco
and
sophomore
right
fielder
Natalie Peters
on Wednesday
provided
a
marked
improvement
over Saturday’s win against Kent
State, in which the Wolverines
had to rely on costly errors from
the opposition to squeak by what
should have been a far inferior
opponent.
Hutchins
credits
the
improvement to a combination
of some players’ extra work and
an improved sense of timing at
the plate.
“We’ve been working on our
swings and working on our
timing,” Hutchins said. “We saw
some well-hit balls and hit two
home runs in two games — that’s
definitely an improvement.
“We’ve
had
some
kids
(practicing) extra this week, and
their desire that’s what a coach
wants to see.”
Those additional repetitions
might make Michigan even more
nightmarish for Penn State this
weekend, as the Wolverines’
confidence
is
blooming.
Michigan will look to continue its
win streak and hold the Nittany
Lions to an additional loss.
MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Writer
“Their desire,
that’s what a
coach wants
to see.”
MATTHEW VAILLIENCOURT/Daily
Junior first baseman Jake Bivens is on a hot streak heading at the plate heading into this weekend’s conference opener.
JACOB SHAMES
Daily Sports Writer
“We’re not
going to change
anything, that’s
for sure.”
Wolverines advance to WNIT quarterfinals
This game was always going to
be memorable. For the first time,
Michigan
women’s
basketball
coach Kim Barnes Arico faced off
against her
old team —
a team that
she
had
led to 176 wins over 10 years and
exited as the winningest coach in
program history.
The Wolverines hosted St.
John’s at Crisler Center for the
first time in Barnes Arico’s tenure,
and her team did not let her down,
beating St. John’s, 60-40.
“I thought it was incredible,”
Barnes Arico said. “I’ve been
pretty sick about it for the past few
days. It’s tough. I think more from
the outside noises of my family
wanted to fly in, my uncle coming
in, seeing some people I haven’t
seen in a long time.
“There’s a lot of memories
there, which stir up a lot of things.
Very positive memories. St. John’s
gave me my first opportunity at
the Division I level so I’m always
loyal to them.”
During the contest, senior
guard Siera Thompson became the
program leader in games played
with a total of 138. She finished
with eight points, three assists and
two steals.
The game started off with a
surprise, however. Instead of
walking out with the starting five,
freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick
missed Thursday’s game and will
take a leave of absence for personal
reasons. In her place, senior guard
Danielle Williams earned the
start, but Gondrezick’s absence
was noticeable. The team did not
comment when she’ll be returning.
The
Wolverines
initially
struggled from the field, shooting
0-for-7 in the first four minutes
of gameplay and only managing
a pair of free throws from junior
guard
Katelynn
Flaherty.
St.
John’s, though, managed just five
points during that timeframe.
The best play of the second
quarter was a layup by Munger
with 4:53 left to go. A huddle of
Red Storm and Wolverines were
beneath the basket, and, from the
corner, Munger rushed into the
paint and stole the ball. The two-
point boost brought Michigan
within one point, the closest it had
been all game. Then, Williams
pushed Michigan over the edge
with a layup to give the Wolverines
their first lead.
The first half ended, 30-29, with
Flaherty making three free throws
to push her team ahead.
“I’m kind of mental with my
free throws,” Flaherty said. “I was
just hoping I could end the half
by hitting those three and really
helping our team get back our
momentum. So I think that was
the best part of it.”
The
second
half
was
a
completely
different
story.
Michigan held St. John’s to just 10
points on 5-for-26 shooting. The
Wolverines also managed to foul
out two of the Red Storm’s most
prominent performers.
To
fill
Gondrezick’s
place,
Michigan needed to go deeper
into the bench, meaning freshman
guard Kayla Robbins stood out.
She finished with a game-high
seven rebounds.
“I don’t know if it shows up in
the box score in points,” Barnes
Arico said. “But she was able to
draw some key, key fouls on their
kids, and actually the fifth foul on
their best player and get them out
of the game. So sometimes people
don’t recognize and see that, but
for us that was critical.”
Barnes Arico had prepared for
the game knowing St. John’s kept
their opponents to around the
60-point mark — which Michigan
hit squarely — and this game was
no different. For a team that hit
the century mark three times
in a row at the beginning of the
season and regularly reaches 80,
that was an anomaly.
“We definitely just had to
execute well and take advantage
of the shots, because we knew
we weren’t going to have many,”
Thome said. “We really just
had to make sure we had stops
on defense down on the end,
because if it’s going to be a low-
scoring game, we can’t have it
being too close.”
At the end of the game, Barnes
Arico still shook the hand of her
former assistant coach — now St.
John’s head coach Joe Tartamella.
And she did so victoriously.
A
few
minutes
before
the
Michigan
women’s
basketball team’s third-round
WNIT
matchup
against
St.
John’s, reporters received an
announcement that Wolverine
freshman
guard
Kysre
Gondrezick, a breakout star
this year, is taking an indefinite
leave of absence from the team.
Gondrezick had been scoring 14.9
points per game on the season,
and her absence left a void in the
team’s offense.
Michigan
decided
to
compensate by taking the ball
to the paint almost exclusively
in the first half, scoring 32 of its
60 points there by game’s end in
a 60-40 win.
“At the half, it was good for us
to keep encouraging the kids,”
said Michigan coach Kim Barnes
Arico. “They came in like they
couldn’t get a shot off. We had to
say, ‘If they’re over there, then
penetrate the basket or push and
wear them down.’ ”
St. John’s coach Joe Tartamella
instructed his players to “stay
vertical” when his players were
defending in the paint. With the
Red Storm keeping their arms
up and not fouling, Michigan
struggled scoring in the game’s
beginning. St. John’s has held its
opponents to just under 62 points
per game on the season, giving
the Wolverines a challenge in the
scoring column.
Michigan managed just 10
points in the first quarter, just
six of which came in the paint,
and sophomore center Hallie
Thome went 1-for-4 from the
field. Without Thome’s post
presence, the Wolverines had
difficulty scoring in other areas,
failing to make one 3-pointer
while shooting below 20 percent
from the field. The Red Storm
led, 13-10.
“I think they’re very aggressive
and it took me a moment to get
used to it,” Thome said.
Thome readjusted and got
to the basket with ease in the
second quarter, scoring the
team’s first four points. But
Michigan’s guards had less
success against the Red Storm
interior defense, as St. John’s
swatted three shots by the
midpoint of the second quarter.
Michigan started to gain some
momentum at the same time
after sophomore guard Nicole
Munger rebounded an airball in
the paint and put it back up to
cut the deficit to one, 23-22. On
the next Wolverine possession,
senior guard Danielle Williams
made a finger-roll layup while
driving through the key to give
Michigan its first lead of the
game.
By halftime, Michigan had
20 points in the paint but still
trailed 30-29. The Wolverines
didn’t make either of their two
attempted 3-pointers and scored
seven from the charity stripe.
That left just one made jump shot
as Michigan shot 38 percent for
the half.
“By the half, I think I only took
one 3-point attempt,” said junior
guard Katelynn Flaherty. “It was
definitely different trying to take
it to the basket.”
The first 3-pointer came in
the first minute of the second
half when senior guard Siera
Thompson nailed one from the
corner to tie the game at 32.
Thome ran to the low block on a
fast break a minute later to give
Michigan a two-point lead.
The rest of the third quarter
continued to be a defensive
struggle as Michigan made only
one of its last seven shots while
St. John’s made one of its last nine
on a four-minute scoring drought.
The Wolverines led 43-36 going
into the fourth quarter.
Michigan
began
to
pull
away in the fourth quarter as
it had a 12-point lead with just
6:10 remaining in the contest.
Flaherty pushed the lead to 15
with her first triple of the game
two minutes later to continue
a 10-0 run for the Wolverines.
She finished with 18, and Thome
ended with 19 to help Michigan
close out the game without
Gondrezick.
It’s fitting that without their
third-best scoring option, that
the 1-2 punch of Flaherty and
Thome would carry the load
to lead the Wolverines to the
WNIT Sweet 16 for the second
year in a row.
Barnes Arico defeats her former team in 60-40 blowout
Without Gondrezick, Michigan goes inside to find offense
CHRIS CROWDER
Daily Sports Editor
SYLVANNA GROSS
Daily Sports Editor
MAX KUANG/Daily
Junior guard Katelynn Flaherty led Michigan with 18 points Thursday night.
ST. JOHN’S
MICHIGAN
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