The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 — 7A

Blanco notches no-hitter in Wolverines’ victory over Eastern Michigan

For anyone that knows Tera 

Blanco, it’s not surprising that 
the senior right-hander’s walk-
up song is “God’s Plan” by 
Drake. Blanco always listens to 
the song to pump herself up and 
got her teammates to play the 
Canadian rapper’s music in the 
locker room.

When 
Blanco 
threw 
the 

first no-hitter of her college 
career in a 4-0 win against 
Eastern Michigan on Tuesday 
afternoon, the constant blaring 
of the hit single was, in a way, 
poetic. Every time the No. 17 
Michigan softball team left 
a runner stranded on base, 
Blanco came in the next inning 
and answered the prayers of the 
Wolverines, either with one of 
her 12 strikeouts or a laser to 
catch a runner at first base. 

“We weren’t a real inspired 

group today, and Tera has just 
been such a steady force for us 
all year,” said Michigan coach 
Carol Hutchins. 
“I’m 
proud 
of 

her, 
she’s 
so 

deserving.”

That’s 
not 

to say that the 
right-hander’s 
ride 
to 
the 

no-hitter 
was 

smooth by any 
means. On the 
first pitch of the 
second 
inning, 

Eagles’ 
outfielder 
Brandice 

Olmos launched a shot to deep 
center that threatened to end 
Blanco’s bid before it was even 
conceivable. 

Junior 
outfielder 
Natalie 

Peters, 
however, 
had 
other 

plans. As the ball sailed straight 
over 
Blanco’s 
head, 
Peters 

started 
running 
from 
right 

field and didn’t stop until the 
ball was in her glove, making a 
twirling catch. 

In 
other 

moments 
when 

Blanco’s mastery 
was in danger, 
the 
California 

native 
pushed 

through on her 
own. 
In 
the 

sixth 
inning, 

Blanco 
found 

herself facing a 
3-1 count with 
no 
outs. 
Just 

like that, Blanco battled back to 
strike out the Eastern Michigan 
batter. 

The next batter came up to 

the plate for the Eagles, and 
with that came a 3-0 hole for 
Blanco to climb out of. Blanco 
fired off three straight swinging 
strikes. 

“I was frustrated with always 

getting behind, and not getting 
ahead,” Blanco said. “You put 
yourself in a hole and you just 
want to get out. 
And I did.”

Eastern 

Michigan, 
though, 
seemingly 
tried 
every 

possible way to 
spoil 
Blanco’s 

masterpiece. 
Despite 
failing 

to capitalize on 
a deep fly ball, 
and multiple hitter’s counts, the 
Eagles still seemed destined to 
end the no-hitter. 

Freshman shortstop Natalia 

Rodriguez saw a ball bounce 
off the tip of her glove and into 
left field with two outs in the 
seventh inning, but the umpires 
around her ruled the play an 

error, keeping the bid alive long 
enough for Blanco to crush the 
next Eagles batter with three 
strikes. 

“I’m very hard 

on myself, so I 
expected 
that. 

It wasn’t really 
surprising, 
Blanco said. “As 
the game went 
on I was like, 
‘I need to do 
this more,’ but 
when the game 
finished, I could 
sit back and say 

that I actually did it, which was 
cool.”

Outside Blanco’s dominance, 

the 
Wolverines 
didn’t 
play 

particularly 
well 
— 
save 

for a few stolen bases. But 
perhaps the moment that most 
encapsulates the right-hander’s 
game came at the plate instead 
of the circle. Blanco corked a 
low hit off an Eastern Michigan 
fastball, which grazed the glove 
of an Eagles outfielder and 
gently whizzed past the right 
field foul pole for a home run. 

Like most of what happened 

during the game for Michigan, 
that hit could have gone against 
the Wolverines. 

It didn’t though. Call it good 

fortune or call it “God’s Plan,” 
but Blanco came through again 
for Michigan.

MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily

Senior right-hander Tera Blanco threw a no-hitter and hit a home run in Michigan’s 4-0 victory over Eastern Michigan on Tuesday afternoon.

RIAN RATNAVALE

Daily Sports Writer

“Tera has just 
been such a 

steady force for 

us.”

“I’m very hard 
on myself, so ... 
it wasn’t really 

surprising.”

Though Michigan didn’t seem to play its best against the Eagles, Blanco’s strong perforance made all the difference

Keener secures starting catcher’s role midseason

For the Michigan baseball team, 

no position was more of a question 
mark coming into the season than 
catcher. Last year’s team had a 
program-high eleven draft picks, 
and one of them was senior catcher 
Harrison Wenson, who started 
126 games over the course of his 
Wolverine career.

The departure left a clear void 

in the lineup. Senior Brock Keener, 
sophomore Harrison Salter, redshirt 
freshman Marcus Chavez and 
freshman Joe Donovan battled for 
the position through the fall and 
winter. Teammates and coaches 
alike were impressed with all four 
players in the offseason.

“Harry, last year, was a fantastic 

catcher,” said senior pitcher Alec 
Rennard. “After he left, what I saw 
in the three guys that are returning 
— Brock, Harry Salter, Marcus and 

then the new kid, Joe Donovan 
— was just an absolute fire was lit 
from day one with them. I’ve just 
seen them all putting their best 
foot forward every day. I just think 
they’re pushing themselves to 
compete at their highest level.”

The competition lasted well into 

the start of the season. During the 
team’s spring break tour, they all saw 
time behind the plate, but Chavez 
was given the start in the first game 
of the season against Army.

“We had that pre-determined 

that Marcus was going to catch 
the first two and Salter was going 
catch on Sunday,” said head coach 
Erik Bakich at the time. “And Joe 
Donovan’s had mono for pretty 
much the entire preseason and 
Brock Keener (was) out for over a 
week with an illness as well.”

Bakich would continue to rotate 

through all four prior to returning 
to Ann Arbor. Chavez started six of 
the first 14 games, while Donovan 

and Salter started five and three, 
respectively. Keener, on the other 
hand, had seen ample time at first 
base during the trip, but had yet to 
make a start at catcher. The matchup 
against Lawrence Tech was that 
opportunity.

The senior, who may have been 

favored for the starting position 
coming into the offseason, has 
relinquished the position just twice 
since then.

Early 
on, 
Keener 
struggled 

defensively. He leads the other 
catchers in passed balls with nine 
and has the third-most errors on the 
team with four. Gradually, though, 
he 
became 
more 
comfortable 

behind the plate. His blocking has 
considerably improved as the season 
continues.

Offensively, Keener has also 

grown into his own. Of the four 
catchers, Keener’s .276 batting 
average is second only to Salter’s 
.314. He is also tied for third on the 

team in doubles and runs scored 
with four and 18, respectively.

Though it’s safe to say Keener 

has secured the starting spot for 
now, the other three catchers will 
certainly play a role as the season 
progresses.

Salter seems to be the go-to, 

second-string catcher during busy 
portions of the schedule. But if we 
know anything about this team, it’s 
that the coaching staff is willing to 
throw young players into the mix if 
necessary. The idea of playing the 
two promising freshmen, Chavez 
and Donovan, will not be abandoned 
entirely.

“I’d tell you that we have four 

legitimate catchers that could start 
at a lot of Division I programs,” 
Bakich said. “And instead of having 
competition where we are just going 
to pick one, we’re going to ask all 
four of them to contribute and add 
value every time their number is 
called.”

CARTER FOX/Daily

Senior catcher Brock Keener has secured the starting catching position after a period of volatility at the beginning of the Michigan baseball team’s season.

CONNOR BRENNAN

Daily Sports Writer

Despite big win, ‘M’ has 
room for improvement

In the first home meets of 

the spring season, the No. 6 
Michigan rowing team came 
out almost perfect for the 
weekend, winning 13 of 14 
events.

Facing No. 16 Indiana, No. 

11 Iowa and No. 18 Michigan 
State, 
the 
Wolverines 

performed to the expectations 
of 
Michigan 
coach 
Mark 

Rothstein, who, despite the 
dominant performance by the 
team, only saw room to grow.

“We 
are 

looking to get 
better each and 
every 
week, 

and 
I 
don’t 

think 
we 
did 

that this week,” 
Rothstein 
told 

MGoBlue.com. 
“In some events 
we did, and in 
some, we didn’t. 
We need to do it 
in every event, 
and we’ll get back to work on 
Monday.”

Though few, the areas that 

needed work were the most 
essential — the first varsity 
eight boats in both sessions. In 
the morning session, the first 
varsity eight boat took first 
with a time of 6:26.99, with a 
gap of just 1.82 seconds. In the 
afternoon session, however, 
Michigan took its first and 
only loss of the day with the 
first varsity boat against the 
Hawkeyes.

The performance by the 

first varsity eight boat wasn’t 
up to the Wolverines’ normal 
standards, as their boat not 
only performed slower than 
Iowa’s, but also both teams’ 
second varsity eight. With a 
time of 6:30.18, the first varsity 

eight boat was outdone by the 
6:17.80, 6:28.00 and 6:28.30 
posted 
by 
the 
Hawkeyes’ 

first varisty eight, Michigan’s 
second 
varsity 
eight, 
and 

Iowa’s second varsity eight, 
respectively.

“Today was good, up until 

the 
last 
race,” 
Rothstein 

told MGoBlue.com. “I didn’t 
think we raced really well, 
and Iowa is really, really 
good. That combination led to 
their victory by a substantial 
mark.”

However — outside of the 

subpar performances of the 

normally elite 
first 
varsity 

eight 
boats 

— 
the 
other 

boats 
carried 

their weights. 
Continuing 
from their tear 
the 
weekend 

prior, 
the 

first 
and 

second varsity 
four 
boats 

continued 

to dominate, sweeping the 
competition. With times of 
7:09.60 and 7:24.60 in the 
morning session, they won by a 
combined differential of 26.89 
seconds. The third varsity 
four additionally won with a 
time of 7:38.80, 15.61 seconds 
faster than the second-best 
Hoosiers finisher.

In the afternoon session, 

the Michigan varsity four 
boats found a way to top off 
their 
already 
commanding 

performance. Finishing with 
times of 7:18.20 and 7:18.1, 
the first and second varsity 
four boats beat Iowa’s by 
a combined 38.33 seconds. 
Both third varsity four boats 
for the Wolverines beat out 
Iowa to cap off a powerhouse 
performance.

“We are 

looking to get 
better each and 

every week.”

TIEN LE

Daily Sports Writer

ROWING

