8 — Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Sports The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com ‘M’ blows out Gophers on road, 77-52 Two weeks ago, against then- No. 23 Northwestern, Michigan learned a hard lesson: In the Big Ten, if you don’t start well, you don’t win. In their three games since then, the Wolverines have taken that lesson to the max — establishing dominant leads in the first quarter of every game. Monday’s matchup in Minnesota was no different as Michigan (16-7 overall, 7-5 Big Ten) leapt out to a nine point lead over the Golden Gophers (15-9, 5-8) and never looked back, winning 77-52. With freshman guard Maddie Nolan starting her second game in a row due to a hand injury to sophomore guard Danielle Rauch, Minnesota swiftly targeted her with its own freshman guard, Jasmine Powell. Making her fifth start of the season, Powell caught fire early, dicing up Nolan on the way to the rim. Powell proved to be a daunting task for any defender, however, hitting a trio of first half 3-pointers and slicing through traffic for quick layups. Her 17 first-half points proved a thorn in Michigan’s side, teasing the idea of a comeback should it make a mistake. The Gophers, though, couldn’t get anyone else going. Only two other players scored points, leaving them limping into the half deeply frustrated. “(Powell) had a great first half and she had 17 points, and we were a little upset about that, but considering we held their team to 26, we were really happy about that,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “I thought our post did a tremendous job on their post play, just a great job defensively.” The Wolverines’ four most experienced players quickly found themselves in foul trouble, all getting to three apiece midway through the third quarter. On a roster with just nine healthy players, foul trouble threatened to bring down the game plan like a house of cards. Michigan’s house, though, stood strong no matter what the Gophers threw at it. Foul trouble aside, every single player that dressed put together a performance that left Minnesota in the dust. Starting with assists, the Wolverines achieved a season- high 25, with Dilk dishing out eight and sophomore forward Naz Hillmon and Nolan each contributing five. All that while tackling a focus area of cutting down on turnovers — having just seven. “That’s outstanding, that’s obviously a season high for us for sure, and I thought we did a tremendous job of taking care of the ball,” Barnes Arico said. “That’s something we’ve been trying to get better at through the course of the year, and I thought it all started obviously with our point guard Dilk. She led the charge, she was tremendous tonight, she did a great job for us.” Dilk and Hillmon, exhibiting their tag team at its most dangerous, also contributed 22 and 21 points, respectively, despite being given discounted minutes in the blowout victory. “When you have a teammate like Hillmon who draws so much attention to her, and she’s able to score out of that or pass out of that,” Dilk said. “I don’t know how many assists she had, but she’s been averaging a lot because she can pass. And we have guards like us that can cut off that, so that’s what we did tonight, and we found it to be very successful.” A blowout that happened because Michigan was able to close the game out. Unlike the previous three games, the Wolverines wrapped an iron- clad grip on the victory, shutting down any chance for Minnesota to find a way back in the game. Michigan’s role players set the perfect harmony for its stars’ melody. It started well and it finished even better. Brooks’s perimeter ‘D’ a highlight A few weeks back, as Juwan Howard fielded questions from the media following a loss at Iowa, he wanted to make one thing clear — Eli Brooks was not in a slump. “He’s been working extremely hard throughout the season,” Howard said. “At times, I know he’s been getting a lot of media attention and a lot of negative press. Unfortunately, at times some of it has been disrespectful I would say and it’s been unfair.” The junior guard had been a consistent scorer for the Wolverines through the first two months of the season, but scored just 15 points on 7-of-23 shooting over three games to begin January. But whatever plagued Brooks against Michigan State, Purdue and Minnesota from an offensive perspective was turned on its head against the Hawkeyes, as Brooks exploded for a career-high 25 points and shot 5-for-11 from deep. But, as much as Howard commended Brooks for his offensive production that night, he made even more of a point of lauding Brooks’ defense. “The beauty of it, which doesn’t show up on the box score, is Eli’s been one of our best defenders,” Howard said. “Usually if you have a guy who doesn’t make shots, they forget about playing defense on the other end because they get so frustrated because the shots not going in. “Eli’s been the competitor that we’ve asked him to be. He’s shown he’s dependable. So, I’m very happy with Eli. He’s one of our leaders.” Howard’s endorsement that night in Iowa City has rung true in the 22 days since, but was no more evident than when Michigan faced the Spartans on Saturday at Crisler Center. In the teams’ previous meeting in early January, Michigan State’s All-American point guard Cassius Winston dominated the Wolverines with 32 points and nine assists en route to an 18-point thrashing of Michigan. Saturday, though, things were different for both Winston and the Spartans. Brooks was a major reason why. Michigan coach Juwan Howard switched the defensive assignments ahead of Saturday’s rematch, handing the task of guarding Winston to Brooks — arguably the Wolverines’ best perimeter defender — instead of senior guard Zavier Simpson. “Honestly, I think (Zavier) did a great job of handling it because that’s the little matchup battle,” Livers said. “But Cassius guards Eli, so it was like, ‘Eli, why don’t you turn around and guard Cassius?’ Make it simple. And Eli, man, he’s a pest. He’s a really good defender.” In addition to 11 points and nine boards of his own, Brooks held Winston to just 20 points on 18 shots. In stymying Michigan State’s maestro, the Wolverines disrupted the Spartans’ offense as a whole — holding them to an offensive rating of 94.4, down from 114.5 in their previous matchup, per KenPom. “I know in the last game Cassius was very comfortable,” Howard said. “I went back and watched film of our last game. I just wanted to give him a different look. I knew Eli — defensively, he’s a very disciplined player, very technical. He’s not gonna make many mistakes. “I thought he did a really good job staying front of Cassius, making every catch tough for him, as well as challenging every shot without fouling.” Like Howard, Brooks’ teammates weren’t surprised by his play against Winston, noting how he prides himself on the little things defensively. “A lot of people overlook Eli,” Livers said. “I honestly hate when he guards me in practice. You can’t come off any ball screens, you can’t drive. He doesn’t give up any angles. He told me his dad taught him that at a young age, so that’s why he’s so excellent at it now.” While Brooks is undoubtedly a capable scorer, his offensive numbers have ebbed and flowed at times this season. What hasn’t fluctuated is his effort defensively. With Livers, Michigan’s leading scorer, back from injury, Simpson scoring double- digits in seven of his last nine games and the emergence of sophomore forward Brandon Johns Jr., Brooks doesn’t need to be a go-to guy offensively. But on defense, performances like Saturday’s are always welcomed. CONNOR BRENNAN Daily Sports Writer KENT SCHWARTZ Daily Sports Writer ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily Junior guard Eli Brooks has stood out for his defense in recent weeks. ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily Sophomore guard Amy Dilk had 22 points and eight assists in Michigan’s 77-52 win over Minnesota on Monday. Omaha stakes It was closer to a live batting practice session than a scrimmage, let alone a playoff game. Omaha, Neb. was hundreds of miles and many months in the rearview mirror. But watching junior right- hander Blake Beers and the large portion of the No. 8 Michigan baseball team that participated, it was easy to wonder whether this event had more importance than what met the eye. Perhaps it did. Former starters Tommy Henry and Karl Kauffman teamed up for 254.2 innings last year. Gone too are heart-of-the-order mainstays Jordan Brewer and Jimmy Kerr and their combined 123 RBI. Junior center fielder Jesse Franklin and his 51 walks will not be available for at least two weeks as he continues recovering from a skiing-related injury. Short-term or long-term, these are roles that need filling, and Sunday’s intrasquad scrimmage gave many Wolverines a chance to make a case for themselves. A few took notable advantage of the opportunity. Beers, the first pitcher of the afternoon, stared in at each hitter with indiscriminate intensity. He often brushed the rubber off with his foot, although there was no dirt to get rid of on synthetic ramp that served as a mound. The gesture drove home just how seriously he took the experience. “There’s plenty of stuff there,” Michigan coach Eric Bakich said. “For him, it’s just doing it against another jersey, and he certainly has the look of a much more confident kid and the ability to do that this year.” On Sunday, Beers did it against batters wearing his own jersey. He occasionally struggled with control — issuing back-to- back walks at one point — but allowed few hard-hit balls over several innings of work. “He’s certainly a guy we could look at as a potential starter, a potential long reliever, a potential high-leverage reliever, a potential closer,” Bakich said. Beers’ long, downhill stride and traditional arm slot — along with a relative lack of pinpoint accuracy — do not make him a likely candidate to be a situational, one-out reliever. Without a niche role, Beers will be one of a dozen pitchers looking for innings in Michigan’s deep bullpen. His focus and drive, then, should hardly come as a surprise. Next up was sophomore left- hander Jack White. His fastballs exploded in the catcher’s mitt, speeding up bats against his secondary pitches. “(Pitching coach Chris) Fetter’s been working with me a lot on my curveball,” White said. “Just being able to throw that for strikes. He’s been a huge help developing that pitch.” White also found swing-and- miss success with his offspeed pitches. When junior outfielder Jordan Nwogu drew a walk — one of the few to reach base against White — he promptly stole second and third base. Working out of the stretch, White ended the inning by making senior Dominic Clementi flail at a breaking ball in the dirt. The tennis-match quiet was interrupted; the Wolverines behind the backstop were momentarily beside themselves in disbelief of the filthiness they’d just witnessed. “What he did today — he’s got a good fastball, we’ve even seen it in the low 90s, with a good breaking ball,” Bakich said. “All the makings are there of a guy that has a chance to get some outs for us in relief.” At and behind the plate, freshman Jimmy Obertop exhibited a variety of skills with the game-mode deadpan of Beers. His swing keeps the barrel in the strike zone for a long time, in part due to quick hands getting the handle out in front. Offensively, he provides a viable alternative to junior catcher Joe Donovan. “Jimmy can hit,” Bakich said. “He hits the ball as hard as Nwogu and Franklin. His exit velos and what he’s capable of — he’s a serious power threat.” In two at-bats, Obertop demonstrated his potential to become a three true outcomes hitter — a batter who ends a significant portion of his plate appearances with either a walk, a strikeout or a homer; the kind of offensive threat that analytics has proven to be very productive. While he went down on strikes against White, his second trip to the plate saw him line a pitch up the middle, a no-doubt extra base hit if not for the cramped dimensions of the field house. He demonstrated savviness, if not speed, on the basepaths: After staying put during two straight balls in the dirt, he successfully stole a base by running on delivery. By luring the defense into complacency after resisting the temptation of taking a chance on one of two potential passed balls, Obertop maximized his chance of success. His bat will force him into lineups, but his defensive versatility makes the decision to start him easier. “Good catcher, can play first base, could play the outfield if we needed him to, or DH,” Bakich said. “I expect he’ll be in there, somewhere.” That last line is one that Beers, White and Obertop would all like to have applied to their names. Thanks to their scrimmage performances, that dream may have inched a little closer to reality. In intrasquad scrimmage, Michigan shows talent to fill holes created by draft departures from last year’s CWS roster JACK WHITTEN Daily Sports Writer Beach balls. That’s how former Michigan outfielder Jordan Brewer excitedly described the pitches coming toward him when he launched a grand slam over the left field wall as the Wolverines trounced Manhattan College, 23-2, last March. His description speaks to a mentality that drove Brewer toward consistent dominance at the plate last season as Michigan utilized its offensive power to make a World Series run. But Brewer won’t be back in Ann Arbor this year. As the 2020 season begins with higher expectations than ever before, the team has lost many key hitters, particularly on the front end of last year’s lineup. Brewer, in the three-hole last year, went on to be drafted by the Houston Astros in the third round of last June’s MLB draft. Jimmy Kerr, whose eight postseason home runs were crucial in the Wolverines’ run to Omaha, was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 33rd round. And junior outfielder Jesse Franklin, who batted second and posted a .477 slugging percentage with 13 home runs and 55 RBI, will miss at least the first two weeks of the season due to a collarbone injury sustained while skiing. But Michigan’s lineup isn’t without options. Their leadoff hitter, junior outfielder Jordan Nwogu, appears prepared to stay in that position in the lineup. “I like the tone it sets, having that strapping dude walking up to the plate to lead off the game with a double or a homer,” Michigan coach Erik Bakich said. “He’s done well in that role and he poses a totally dynamic speed- power threat, so I like him up there in the top of the order.” Nwogu, who was named to the Preseason All-America first team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, doesn’t seem too worried about the team’s ability to adapt. “I don’t see my role changing this year,” Nwogu said. “We have a lot of great guys that came in, as well as guys who have been here and stepped up — like Danny Zimmermann and Jimmy Obertop — who are power guys, so I don’t think we’re really going to feel too much of a loss from last year.” Nwogu’s mention of Obertop, a freshman catcher expected to start at designated hitter in Michigan’s College World Series rematch against Vanderbilt on Friday, underscores how much attention he has drawn during the preseason for his hitting ability. “Jimmy can hit, and he hits the ball just as hard as Nwogu and Franklin,” Bakich said “He’s got big juice in his bat and can put in a double or extra base hit at any time, so he really put the charge into the ball which is really impressive for a young kid.” Bakich seemed confident in the team’s offensive dynamism, but noted how hard it is to predict how the offense will settle. “We had so many different guys perform so well at various times throughout the year, but remember offense is (different) than pitching,” Bakich said. Hitting indeed requires a different approach than pitching. A team can do a lot right at the plate and still not have much to show for it. Michigan has long crafted its at-bats to allow scoring quickly, early and often, as well as crafting a versatile lineup that can sustain a range of pitchers. This strategy doesn’t seem destined to change in spite of its personnel losses. In yesterday’s intrasquad scrimmage, the coaching staff’s emphasis on inflicting quick damage was clear. Despite the losses, Bakich isn’t worried about how his team will craft its offensive identity. Last year, there were plenty of questions coming in, too, and he saw how that ended up. “There were a lot of lumps that we took,” Bakich said. “But in doing so, we got better because of it and we got back up every time.” AIDAN WOUTAS Daily Sports Writer ALEC COHEN/Daily Junior outfielder Jordan Nwogu has developed into one of Michigan’s best power hitters out of the leadoff spot. Jimmy can hit, and he hits the ball just as hard as Nwogu and Franklin.