The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Friday, February 22, 2019— 7A

For Black History Month, a legacy

For players slipping and sliding 
on the icy sidewalk outside Ray 
Fisher Stadium while leaving 
practice on Wednesday, the words 
“Branch Rickey Classroom” on the 
stadium wall might have been easy 
to miss. But inside the classroom 
— whose walls are adorned with 
murals 
documenting 
Rickey’s 
contributions to baseball — the 
team has learned extensively about 
his legacy. 
Rickey is best known for 
integrating 
Major 
League 
Baseball with the signing of Jackie 
Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers 
in 1947 and the invention of the 
farm team system. His four years 
spent coaching Michigan’s baseball 
team from 1910 to 1913 are often 
forgotten.
“I don’t know if there’s a better 
pioneer for our game,” said current 
Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “So 
to have him on our wall and as 
the namesake for our classroom, 
to know that he coached here 
from 1910 to 1913 and went on to 
make such an impact in the game, 
is just a major source of pride and 
inspiration for our players and for 
me.”
Rickey’s frustration with racial 
prejudice was evident from early 
in his career. While coaching at 
his alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan 
University, Rickey was disgusted 
to find out that the South Bend, 
Ind. hotel the team was staying in 
that night was refusing African-
American player Charles Thomas 
a room. Rickey quickly arranged 
a cot for Thomas to sleep on in his 
own room.
In his time with the Wolverines 
— during part of which he balanced 
his coaching duties with a full law 
school courseload — he continued 
to 
harbor 
a 
commitment 
to 
equality that would be on display 
throughout his long career.
With February being Black 
History 
Month, 
Michigan 
baseball’s legacy in equality is 
especially prominent in the team’s 
mind. And Rickey is only part of the 

story.
Long before Rickey signed 
Jackie Robinson and helped break 
Major League Baseball’s modern-
era 
color 
barrier, 
Michigan 
alumnus Moses Fleetwood Walker 
became one of the first African-
American professional baseball 
players in 1884 upon signing 
with the American Association’s 
Toledo Blue Stockings. Walker 
attended Michigan Law School 
from 1881 to 1882 and played in the 
Wolverines’ 1882 season, leading 
the once-beleaguered squad to a 
10-3 record with his strong hitting 
and catching. His brother, Weldy 
Wilberforce Walker, who played 
at Michigan in the 1883 and 1884 
seasons, eventually joined him in 
Toledo.
“The team was very interested to 
learn about the Walker brothers,” 
Bakich said. “That they were 
among the first African-Americans 
to play baseball makes them stand 
out in Michigan’s history.”
After Moses Walker left the 
Blue Stockings in 1889, the league’s 
directors agreed to no longer offer 
contracts to Black players. No 
players of color would again play in 
the major leagues until Robinson’s 
signing in 1947.
106 years after Branch Rickey 
left Ann Arbor, Bakich tries his best 
to live up to his legacy.
“You know, the first year I 
was here, there were no minority 
players on our team,” Bakich said. 
“Maybe this is just a personal 
philosophy or preference, but I just 
feel that at this school, especially 
given its legacy, our roster should 

look like the United States of 
America.”
That approach has been reflected 
in the dedicated effort made by 
Bakich since his arrival in 2013 to 
recruit from diverse backgrounds. 
Michigan’s team today is far more 
diverse than it was seven years ago 
with six African-American players
“There are so many outstanding 
players of color often hidden in 
poor communities who just aren’t 
able to play on those expensive 
travel teams or make their rounds 
on the summer circuit,” Bakich 
said. “So when you can find those 
guys and target those guys and 
have kids from all backgrounds 
and socioeconomic statuses. … I 
think it’s a win not only for them 
and their families but also for our 
program and for everyone on our 
team, which is why we recruit the 
way we do.” 
Rickey graduated from the 
University’s 
law 
school 
with 
highest honors and would often 
use his legal knowledge — a rarity 
among MLB managers — to his 
and his teams’ advantage. Upon 
leaving Ann Arbor in 1913, he 
recommended 
the 
stadium’s 
current namesake, Ray Fisher, to 
replace him. At the time, The Daily 
bid him a fond farewell:
“(Rickey) leaves with a sterling 
record behind him, and a host of 
friends to remember him. ... Above 
all he taught clean ball, gentlemanly 
tactics, and clean living. 
“... 
A 
gentleman, 
a 
true 
sportsman, and a man, he will long 
be remembered by those who love 
and help Michigan athletics.”

AIDAN WOUTAS
Daily Sports Writer

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Erik Bakich is committed to diversity in recruiting.

Grant Gabriele returns to Ann Arbor

In his USA Hockey National 
Team Development Program 
days, 
Grant 
Gabriele 
was 
emphatically circling the date 
of his most-anticipated game 
— the team’s exhibition match 
against Michigan.
Now a Division 1 athlete, 
little has changed, except a 
higher level and a bigger stage.
The Ohio State defenseman 
grew up in Brighton, Mich. 
with a dream. At age 17, he was 
set to be a full-time player for 
the USNTDP after a brief stint 
on the Under-17 team as a part-
time reserve. He had hoped 
to be more involved with the 
Under-18 team, and when he 
received the call-up, it was a 
moment of fulfillment.
Settling in Ann Arbor, the 
city where the team played in 
before moving to Plymouth in 
2015, he stepped on grounds 
that he had been involved with 
his entire life.
When Gabriele was nine, 
he welcomed a new kid on the 
block. It was Jon Merrill, who 
went on to play three years for 
the Wolverines and currently 
plays for the Las Vegas Golden 
Knights. But at the time, for 
Gabriele, he was just his friend. 
Despite the five-year age gap, 
the two would hang out, even 
before 
Gabriele 
found 
out 
Merrill was a hockey player
Around the time he moved 
to Brighton, Merrill became 
the youngest player to commit 
to an NCAA hockey team. It 
was none other than the school 
the two had grown around: 
Michigan. Two years later, 
Merrill took the next step in 
his progression as a player and 
moved to Ann Arbor to be part 
of the USNTDP, paving a path 
for Gabriele to follow.
When Gabriele got his call 
up, it was Merrill that he went 
to for advice, asking about 
the experience and how to 
approach being a full-time 

player.
“It’s funny how our routes 
kinda ended being the same 
with USA and Big Ten college,” 
Gabriele said.
Merrill 
had 
raved 
about 
the amount of fun he had over 
those two years, but Gabriele 
spent only one year there 
before 
moving 
forward 
to 
different United States Hockey 
League 
teams, 
with 
brief 
stints at Omaha, Chicago and 
Muskegon. His year with the 
U18, however, wasn’t wasted. 
He ended the season with four 
goals and twelve assists for 
sixteen total points. But in the 
midst of the season was a much-
anticipated matchup.
An exhibition game doesn’t 
mean much. It doesn’t count in 
terms of standings. Both teams 
hold out players. But for many, 
like Gabriele, playing Michigan 
was always circled on their 
calendars.
“It’s 
always 
seems 
like 
some USA guys end up going 
to Michigan because of the 
location,” Gabriele said. “So it’s 
always a big matchup because 
of the kids going there, and the 
kids on the team.”
Michigan had five USNTDP 
alums on roster at the time, 
some of whom had been in the 
program as recent as the year 
before. The game itself wasn’t 
a pretty picture for USNTDP. 
Losing 7-4, the team snapped 
a two-year win streak against 
the Wolverines in its worst 
loss against Michigan in over a 
decade.

Eventually, 
Gabriele 
left 
the program. But despite the 
experiences in juniors leading 
him 
toward 
Michigan, 
he 
gravitated toward Ohio State 
— a sentiment he often shared 
with Merrill.
“I was still in juniors so I 
always told him I was a fan of 
Ohio State,” Gabriele said. “And 
he would always kind of gave 
me a little crap about it because 
he was going to Michigan.”
During his stay with the 
Waterloo Blackhawks, he made 
up his mind. Having previously 
committed 
to 
Western 
Michigan, Gabriele decided the 
Buckeyes were the best course 
of action for his dream to be in 
the National Hockey League.
A “no-brainer” decision for 
him, Gabriele committed to 
Ohio State, believing it was 
the best chance to make his 
dreams a reality. He didn’t see 
any action his freshman year 
but worked himself into the 
rotation his current sophomore 
year. Just like before, to him, 
the Michigan matchup — this 
weekend — meant a little more.
“The Michigan-Ohio State 
rivalry in hockey has been 
pretty intense,” Gabriele said. 
“So when we see that on the 
schedule, it always gets people 
going. It’s just kind of a big 
game people look for and a fun 
one. Just a lot of intensity and 
the tension between the two 
teams are pretty crazy.”
And again, just like before, 
he made sure a certain date on 
his calendar was circled.

Seven straight!

Wolverines top Scarlet Knights, 86-76, for their seventh-straight win, further boosting NCAA Tournament chances

When 
Akienreh 
Johnson 
lobbed a pass from the corner 
into a double-teamed Hallie 
Thome midway through the 
fourth quarter, it looked like 
a turnover waiting to happen. 
Instead, 
Thome 
plucked 
it 
out mid-air and finished the 
contested layup.
A pass that would’ve resulted 
in a failed possession earlier in 
the season instead resulted in 
two points.
The bad luck and late-game 
struggles that had plagued the 
Michigan women’s basketball 
team (19-9 overall, 10-6 Big 
Ten) at the beginning of Big 
Ten play, were nowhere to be 
seen during their 88-76 victory 
over Rutgers (18-8 overall, 
10-5) on Thursday night.
Johnson catalyzed Michigan 
early. Within the span of a 
minute, the junior guard had 
converted an offensive putback 
on one end, dove to the floor 
to win a jump-ball and then 
blocked 
a 
Scarlet 
Knight’s 
jumper.
On top of their early lead, 
midway 
through 
the 
first 
quarter, the Wolverines also 
welcomed 
freshman 
point 
guard Amy Dilk back from 
a 
knee-injury 
which 
had 
sidelined her for the past three 
games. Michigan looked much 
more 
organized 
offensively 
with Dilk back at the helm.
“It’s awesome to have her 
back,” said freshman forward 
Naz Hillmon. “It mostly just 
the point of her getting her 
confidence back and getting 
back into the flow of things. 
Even 
though 
we’ve 
been 
winning, we definitely wanted 
her back on the court because 
she’s such a great floor general.”
Despite 
the 
Wolverines’ 
energetic 
start, 
Rutgers 
hung tough. On a number 
of 
occasions, 
the 
Scarlet 
Knights were able to break the 
Michigan’s full-court press and 
find an open shooter. For every 

layup a Wolverine converted, a 
Scarlet Knight would respond 
with one of their own.
After a back-and-forth ten 
minutes, Michigan held a one-
point advantage.
The 
opening 
minutes 
of 
the 
second 
quarter 
were 
characterized 
by 
frequent 
game stoppages. A loose-ball 
foul here, a shooting foul there. 
Even with the discontinuity, the 
Wolverines were able to open 
up an eight-point lead. In the 
midst of a sloppy possession, 
the ball found its way into the 
hands of senior guard Nicole 
Munger, who nailed her second 
three-pointer 
of 
the 
game 
from the top of the key. Soon 
after, Deja Church punctuated 
a Michigan fast-break with a 
skillful euro-step layup.
“I think we’ve gotten good 
on finding the open people 
and 
finding 
the 
offensive 
lanes,” said Michigan coach 
Kim Barnes Arico. “Deja and 
Akienreh have done a great job 
of finding the lanes and being 
able to penetrate through that. 
Akienreh did a great job of that 
tonight. But we want to take 
advantage of matchups at all 
times.”
Similar to the first quarter 
though, 
Rutgers 
wouldn’t 
go away. Charise Wilson cut 
the deficit to just two points 
heading into the break after 
capitalizing on a slow defensive 
rotation from the Wolverines 
and hitting a three from the 
wing.
The seesawing nature of the 
game continued into the second 
half. Following a threaded 
bounce pass from Church to 
Hillmon for an easy layup, the 
Scarlet Knights’ Stasha Carey 
converted a reverse layup off 
a precise no-look dish from 
her driving teammate. The 
Wolverines 
answered 
right 
back though. Again off an assist 
from Church, Hillmon finished 
a floater through traffic for an 
and-one opportunity.
Michigan re-established its’ 
eight-point 
advantage 
when 

Dilk stripped the ball from her 
opposite number and threw it 
ahead to junior forward Kayla 
Robbins, who finished at the 
rim.
Rutgers did everything it 
could to come back in the fourth 
quarter, but the Wolverines 
held firm. Hillmon — who 
finished with a team-high 21 
points — was a big reason why. 
She was an immovable object 
on the block down the stretch, 
with every touch under the 
basket leading to two points.
“I keep telling her teammates 
‘Just get Naz the ball!’ ” Barnes 
Arico said. “She’s just special. 
She has a knack for scoring the 
basketball with such a quick 
move and an explosive release. 
She can get her shot off against 
anyone. We did a great job of 
finding her in the second half.”
Michigan’s seventh straight 
victory was cemented a few 
minutes later when Johnson 
converted a floater from the 
baseline and Thome scored 
another layup through contact.
“We 
just 
have 
to 
keep 
sticking to one game at a time,” 
Munger said. “We’re having 
fun right and on the court we’re 
always smiling.” 

With under three minutes 
remaining, senior guard Nicole 
Munger 
received 
the 
ball 
following an inbounds play. The 
Michigan women’s basketball 
team (10-6 Big Ten, 19-9 overall) 
led Rutgers (10-5, 18-8) by six 
points, but the Scarlet Knights 
immediately brought the full-
court press on Munger.
It didn’t matter.
Munger created enough space 
for herself to send a pass to junior 
guard Akienreh Johnson near 
the right sideline at half-court. 
Johnson then connected with 
sophomore guard Deja Church 
who capitalized with a layup.
By no means was that play a 
major momentum-shifter, but it 
exemplified why the Wolverines 
won their seventh in a row 
on Thursday night: they are 
balanced and willing to share the 
ball.
“It’s not one person on this 
team that you can key on and 
stop,” Munger said. “And that’s 
what makes it a really dangerous 
team.”
At no point during that play did 
Michigan hesitate; the players 

stayed calm and trusted each 
other enough to make critical 
passes.
“I 
think 
that 
everyone’s 
stepping 
up,” 
Munger 
said. 
“Everybody is just making plays 
and we’re playing around each 
other. No one’s trying to force 
anything, and I think that’s the 
strength of our team because 
we’ll make extra passes and shots 
are falling.”
A quick glance at Thursday’s 
stats shows the balance of this 
squad. Freshman forward Naz 
Hillmon led her team in scoring 
with 21 points, but Munger, 
senior 
center 
Hallie 
Thome 
and Church hit double figures 
too. And junior forward Kayla 
Robbins and sophomore forward 
Hailey Brown also played key 
roles.
Having a balanced team is 
not always rosy. Without a main 
scorer, teams often don’t know 
who to fall back on in crunch 
time.
The Wolverines though, are 
managing just fine.
“Anybody on any given night 
can give you 20, and I think 
that’s what’s so special about our 
team,” Hillmon said. “ … When 
you have five players on the floor 

who can score, who can pass, 
who can do those little things it’s 
really hard to stop, really hard to 
guard. And we know that from 
playing against teams who have 
five players on the floor who can 
score in any way.”
Against 
Rutgers, 
multiple 
players 
proved 
crucial 
at 
different moments. For instance 
with the game still close and the 
shot clock winding down in the 
third, Brown calmly drained a 
triple from the right wing to give 
her team a spark.
Later in the third period, the 
Scarlet Knights hit a 3-pointer to 
cut Michigan’s lead to four. But 
then Munger responded with a 
triple from the left corner to keep 
her team ahead.
About 
a 
minute 
later, 
freshman guard Amy Dilk — in 
her first game back from a knee 
injury — reached out near the top 
of the key to intercept a pass and 
generate fast-break points for her 
team.
And the Wolverines’ post play 
was solid, too, led by Hillmon and 
Thome.
“If you get the ball inside to 

Hallie Thome or Naz Hillmon, 
that’s probably a 70-percent 
chance that that ball is going in,” 
said Michigan coach Kim Barnes 
Arico.
During the last few weeks, 
Michigan watched film of a game 
from last season against Illinois. 
That team, centered around 
Katelynn Flaherty, was much 
different. Munger takes note of 
this.
“We’re so much more versatile 
this year,” Munger said. “ … 
We make the extra passes and 
everyone’s a threat to knock 
down shots. That’s just really, 
really, really tough to guard as 
a defense, cause usually you 
have one or two really good 
defenders.”
The 
Wolverines’ 
balanced-
attack is helping them hit their 
stride during this important 
stretch of the season. If it 
continues, it could help them 
realize 
their 
post-season 
aspirations.

CONNOR BRENNAN
Daily Sports Writer

ROHAN KUMAR
Daily Sports Writer

KEEMYA ESMAEL/Daily
Junior guard Akienreh Johnson catalyzed Michigan’s offense early in its win over Rutgers on Thursday night.

TIEN LE
Daily Sports Writer

ALEC COHEN/Daily
Grant Gabriele played for the U.S. National Development Team in Ann Arbor.

