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.