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Sports
Friday, April 7, 2017 — 7
Speight and Hamilton quickly develop working relationship
The first time Pep Hamilton
ever saw Wilton Speight, it
had nothing to do with the
Michigan football team.
Speight wasn’t the starting
quarterback for the Wolverines
yet. In this case, he was just a
high school lacrosse player.
Hamilton, then at Stanford,
had made his way down to
Richmond, Va., to watch the
lacrosse game of a defensive
end he was recruiting. Speight
just happened to catch his eye
as a player who was “extremely
quick and athletic for his size”
on the lacrosse field.
Hamilton later found out
who the “scrawny” 6-foot-5 kid
really was: Collegiate School’s
starting quarterback who was
supposedly heading to North
Carolina State to play football,
and that was the full extent of
the interaction back then.
Lo
and
behold,
Speight
never played for the Wolfpack,
despite holding a childhood
affinity for them. He ended up
in Ann Arbor. So did Hamilton,
many years later.
And it didn’t take long for
Michigan’s
new
associate
head coach and passing game
coordinator
to
realize
the
connection he had with his new
pupil.
“I knew as soon as I decided
to be a part of coach Harbaugh’s
program who I was going to
have an opportunity to work
with,”
Hamilton
explained
Tuesday.
The two have built what
appears to be a solid working
relationship through the early
part of spring practices. Both,
as Hamilton relayed, have a
good understanding of what his
job is, which is to help Speight
become the best quarterback he
can be.
That has clearly resonated
with the redshirt junior as
he
enters
his
first
spring
entrenched
as
Michigan’s
quarterback. For once, there
is some comfortability in his
position
—
though
Speight
and Hamilton have said the
customary
things
about
fending
off
internal
competition
—
and
that
has
allowed
Speight to set
his
eyes
on
further goals.
He
doesn’t
want
to
be
just the best
quarterback on
the team. Now,
he wants to be the best in the
entire conference.
“It’s always, ‘OK, if I can
check this off, then it’s (the)
next (box),’ ” Speight said. “It’s
not, ‘OK, let me sit in this little
checked-out box for as long as
I can and be comfortable.’ It’s
‘OK, I need to keep achieving
every little goal
that I have on my
list.’
“Obviously, I’m
still doing my best
to make sure that
box
is
checked
off and I’m the
quarterback here,
but at the same
time, I’m trying
to check that next
box off.”
How
he’ll
achieve
that
next step will surely involve
the
tutelage
of
Hamilton,
who replaces former assistant
Jedd Fisch — a coach Speight
described as being “on the same
page all the time” with.
Despite any unfamiliarity,
the new mentor and mentee
jumped into things from the
very
moment
they
met
in
person. Speight
recalls
shaking
Hamilton’s
hand
before
immediately
heading
to
a
whiteboard
together, where
Hamilton
quizzed him on
his
decision-
making
versus
certain
defensive looks.
“His big thing was we’ll get
to know each other as time
goes on, we’ll build a good
relationship, but right now it’s
about football,” Speight said.
“That’s what I love — a working
relationship first.”
Hamilton had a lot of praise
for what his new
quarterback
brought
to
the
table
performance-
wise
—
especially from
what
he
saw
watching
last
year’s tape.
“I
thought
that
(Speight)
had
above-
average physical
stature for the
position,” Hamilton said. “He
can function from the pocket,
he has great field vision and
he can deliver the ball under
duress. And I felt like that was
an extreme positive.”
Speight’s
mental
grasp
of the game, especially as
Hamilton adds new concepts
and terminology to the pre-
existing offensive scheme, has
impressed the coach as well.
“Wilton
is
a
conceptual
learner, and so some of the
things that we’ve put on his
plate up until this point in the
spring, he was a quick study,”
Hamilton said. “... It’s preferred
that
you
have
guys
that
understand the why, that get it
the first time. I think it helps
them to ultimately be good
decision-makers post-snap, and
that’s something that you see in
Wilton when you watch him.
“You just go back and watch
his film. He can manage bad
plays, and he does a good job of
playing situational football.”
While Hamilton and Speight
have hit the ground running
on the field, there doesn’t
appear to be much of a personal
relationship.
Hamilton
even
said he didn’t know that he
would label what the two have
as a relationship yet.
That won’t be an issue as
Hamilton seeks to build the
offense
around
Speight’s
strengths. His new pupil has
the keys to the Ferrari, and
their utmost concern is making
sure Speight knows just how to
handle that responsibility while
continuing to elevate his game.
But it wouldn’t be a surprise
if the two became even closer as
they continue to work alongside
each other. After all, they have
the most important thing in
common — they want to win.
“I think once we finish spring
ball and maybe while we’re
over in Europe, we’ll have a
chance to actually sit down and
get to know each other better,”
Hamilton said. “A lot of our
time is spent just grinding on
football right now, and thank
goodness Wilton is mature
enough to manage all his affairs
very well off the field. It’s been
all ball, all the time.”
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight and associate head coach Pep Hamilton have emphasized a football-first focus to their relationship in the early going.
ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor
“I’m trying to
check off that
next box.”
“It’s been all
ball, all the
time.”
Wolverines ready for
clash with Buckeyes
It will be strength against
strength when the No. 18
Michigan softball team (6-0
Big Ten, 26-7-1 overall) visits
No. 25 Ohio State (6-0, 27-7)
this weekend.
The Wolverines’ top-ranked
pitching
rotation,
which
hasn’t surrendered a run in
Big Ten play thus far, will
face a Buckeye offense that
hits .444 and averages over
11 runs per game — good for
the conference lead in both
categories.
Ohio State’s run production
was
apparent
against
Rutgers
last
weekend,
as
it
outscored
its
opponent,
32-3,
in
a
brisk
sweep.
The Buckeyes
also
notched
three victories
against
Maryland
to
open
conference
play
in
late
March.
Sophomore
Lilli
Piper,
who hits .443 with nine home
runs and 38 RBI, leads Ohio
State offensively. She
will
undoubtedly be the toughest
matchup both senior right-
hander Megan Betsa and junior
right-hander Tera Blanco have
faced in the last month.
But it’s not a one-woman
show for the Buckeyes. Seven
players are hitting over the
.300 mark, including junior
Taylor White, who has hit
seven home runs in 2017.
“You look at Taylor White —
she’s a player,” Hutchins said.
“They hit very well.”
In the circle, Ohio State
right-handers Shelby Hurst
(1.79 earned-run average) and
Lena Miller (2.08) are talented
starters who can capitalize on
Michigan’s struggles against
effective pitching.
When
facing
pitchers
with an ERA under 2.00, the
Wolverines are averaging just
1.625 runs per game and have
been shut out three times.
That shortcoming proves to be
the culprit behind Michigan’s
lackluster 2-6-1 record against
ranked opponents this season.
If
that
trend
is
any
indication,
the
Buckeyes’
ranking isn’t promising for the
Wolverines.
Then
again,
Michigan’s
offense has excelled recently,
averaging eight runs per game
in Big Ten play. Sophomore
second baseman
Faith Canfield’s
bat
(.556)
ranks
fourth
in
conference
while
sophomore
outfielder
Natalie
Peters’
.444
mark
rounds out the
category’s
top
10.
“(Canfield)
has improved so
much since last
season,” said junior designated
player Amanda Vargas. “It just
pumps me up to watch her”
After rain and snow hit the
Columbus area this week, a
doubleheader is now scheduled
for Saturday with the series
concluding Sunday afternoon.
With six days in between
games, Hutchins will put an
emphasis on “playing live” in
Friday’s practice, scrimmaging
for an abbreviated session. By
doing so, she hopes to prepare
the Wolverines to add to their
12-game winning streak.
But
Hutchins
is
still
very aware of Ohio State’s
capabilities.
“They’re a talented team,”
Hutchins
said.
“They’re
a
balanced team, hit for power,
and pitch well. We have our
hands full.”
‘M’ riding seven-game win streak into Illinois
The No. 18 Michigan baseball
team’s scheduled game against
Bowling Green was cancelled
Wednesday after just half an
inning due to rain. That has been
just about the only thing capable of
putting out the Wolverines’ fire the
last two weeks.
Michigan’s bats took off against
Toledo, Central Michigan and
Penn State last week as its offense
drove in 64 runs, while the
pitching staff was as dominant,
allowing just 13. And after five
straight routs, the Wolverines
showed they still have what it
takes to win close battles, rallying
from a three-run deficit to defeat
Notre Dame on Tuesday.
Michigan (4-2 Big Ten, 23-6
overall) will look to extend its
seven-game winning streak at
home against Illinois (0-3, 10-16)
this weekend. While the Fighting
Illini are experiencing somewhat of
a down year, they have historically
been one of the Big Ten’s stronger
teams. During coach Dan Hartleb’s
11-year tenure, Illinois has won two
conference titles, in 2011 and 2015,
and has finished lower than sixth
just twice.
Illinois’ season so far has been
heavily influenced by the long
ball. Despite ranking in the middle
of the Big Ten in most offensive
statistics, the Fighting Illini lead the
conference with 30 home runs. But
Illinois ranks last in terms of giving
up homers, having surrendered 40
this season.
With Michigan’s offense the
most productive as it’s been this
season, it has a perfect opportunity
to keep its momentum going
against the Fighting Illini. The
Wolverines rank third or higher
in the Big Ten in every offensive
category aside from home runs, and
lead in on-base percentage (.396)
and stolen bases (67).
Junior third baseman Drew
Lugbauer, who bats .286 with eight
home runs and 34 runs batted in,
is Michigan’s main power threat.
But the entire lineup has been
impactful as of late. Sophomore
right fielder Jonathan Engelmann
has hit .700 over his last six games
to vault from ninth to first on the
team in batting average, while
sophomore designated hitter Nick
Poirier – who normally bats one
spot ahead of Engelmann – has put
up a .556 clip of his own.
Two
Wolverines
possess
impressive streaks they will look
to continue against Illinois. Senior
shortstop Michael Brdar is riding
a 15-game hitting streak into the
weekend, while sophomore second
baseman Ako Thomas has reached
base in every game this season.
The Fighting Illini possess
a young lineup, with only one
upperclassmen
among
their
top
seven
hitters.
That
one
upperclassmen, however, is senior
first baseman Pat McInerney –
the Big Ten leader in slugging
percentage (.727) and home runs
(11).
But McInerney doesn’t do it
alone. Outfielder Jack Yalowitz has
boosted his batting average from
.227 his freshman year to .355 this
season, and forms a formidable
middle-of-the-order
duo
with
McInerney. Casey Dodge and
Michael Massey also contribute
with solid batting averages of .299
and .291, respectively.
Illinois’
pitching
staff
is
equally youthful, and has shown
its inexperience this season – its
team earned-run-average of 6.20
is ahead of only Rutgers in the
Big Ten. However, freshman Ty
Weber gives the Fighting Illini
hope. In seven starts this season,
he has compiled a 3.80 ERA and
has held opponents to a .210
batting average.
While McInerney and Yalowitz
are two of the Big Ten’s best hitters,
they’ll have their work cut out for
them against Michigan’s pitching
staff.
Junior left-hander Oliver Jaskie
(4-1) is coming off a career-high
12 strikeouts against Penn State
and leads the conference in that
category, while juniors Ryan Nutof
and Michael Hendrickson round
out the starting rotation, coming
off quality outings of their own
last week. And when it comes time
to shut the door, the Wolverines
know they can turn to senior closer
Jackson Lamb, who has saved
seven games and has yet to allow an
earned run this season.
Illinois does boast its fair share of
talent, but with the way Michigan
has been playing lately, and barring
more
inclement
weather,
the
Wolverines appear to be in a good
position to extend their winning
streak this weekend.
JACOB SHAMES
Daily Sports Writer
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Sophomore right fielder Jonathan Engelmann has been a big part of the Wolverines’ offensive surge as of late after hitting .700 over his last six game.
SOFTBALL
MARK CALCAGNO
Daily Sports Writer
“They’re a
balanced team,
hit for power,
and pitch well.”