Michigan to travel to

Seattle for NCAA regional

Beaubien’s perfect game highlights

doubleheader sweep

The D-1 Softball Committee

revealed on Sunday that the
Michigan softball team will travel
to Seattle in the NCAA regional.

The
Seattle
regional
is
a

double-elimination
bracket

consisting of the home team in
No. 16 Washington, Michigan,
Western
Athletic
Conference

champion Seattle, and Big Sky

Conference champion Portland
State. Michigan will face Seattle
to open its regional battle on
Friday night.

Although
Washington
was

ranked 16th by the committee,
securing
the
final
regional

host site of the tournament, its
resume suggests that they are a
far-stronger team than that. The
Huskies were ranked No. 5 in the
nation entering the final weekend
of the season. They went 41-11,
and will pose a serious challenge
for the Wolverines.

Due to Seattle being the 16th

and final regional host in the
tournament,
Michigan
will

most likely be forced to travel to
Norman, Okla. to face the No.1
Oklahoma softball team, should
it survive the difficult Seattle
regional.

The selection comes after a

strong season for the Wolverines.
They partook in a conference-only
schedule in the Big Ten, posting a
36-6 record, and winning its 22nd
conference title. The Wolverines’
resume is highlighted by key
series wins against Northwestern
and No. 23 Minnesota, the two
other teams representing the Big
Ten in the NCAA tournament.

Michigan enters the NCAA

tournament hot, winning 15 of its
last 16 games. Matching up with
Washington on its home field,
however, will most likely be the
team’s most difficult test of the
season.

In a meeting with reporters

following the selection, Michigan
coach Carol Hutchins voiced her
displeasure in the committee’s
decision to send the Wolverines
to Seattle, in a regional housing
a top five team in the nation, as

opposed to hosting the regional
at Alumni field after her team
produced a successful season in
the Big Ten.

“(The committee) absolutely

did not do a very good job,”
Hutchins said. “They disrespected
our entire conference … I’m not
very pleased with (them) at all.”

Last season’s NCAA softball

tournament was canceled due
to
the
COVID-19
pandemic.

In the last installment of the
tournament in 2019, Michigan
hosted a regional in Ann Arbor,
where they fell to James Madison
University.

Michigan has reached the

NCAA
tournament
in
every

season since 1995. In that span,
it has advanced to the super
regionals 18 times, and continued
to the College World Series
12 times. It won the national
championship in 2005.

The Wolverines have failed

to advance to a super regional in
their past three attempts, marking
the longest such stretch since
their NCAA tournament streak
began in 1995. They will look to
end their dry spell this weekend,
with
regionals
beginning
on

Friday.

Rutgers pinch hitter Megan Herka

walked to the plate ready to play
spoiler.

No. 18 Michigan had denied the

Scarlet Knights a spot on base all
game. Now, marking the potential
last batter of the day, it was Herka’s
job to ruin senior left-hander Meghan
Beaubien’s perfect slate.

It looked like Herka was going to

do just that, as she took three straight
balls to start her plate appearance.
The game wasn’t on the line, but a
career milestone was. Facing a tough
count, Beaubien kept her composure.

“If I threw another ball, I was

gonna walk her anyway,” Beaubien
said. “So I’m just staying loose and
telling myself that if I stay loose and I
throw this pitch, then it’s going to be a
good one and trusting that they’re not
going to hit it.”

Feeding Herka a strike and forcing

a foul tip, Beaubien worked Herka
back into the corner the Scarlet
Knights had been stuck in all game.
The final pitch careened toward
junior catcher Hannah Carson and
nestled itself in the well-worn leather
of her glove.

Ball game.
Perfect game.
As Beaubien leapt into the air to

celebrate an achievement that most
pitchers can only dream of, Michigan

celebrated an 11-0 win that could only
be described as dominant in every
measurable way.

A key part of that was the

Wolverines’ defense. Out of 15
batters, 13 were put out by the field.
As much as the perfect game is an
accomplishment for Beaubien, it also
speaks to Michigan’s ability to back
up its pitchers.

“I give a lot of credit to the defense

today,” Beaubien said. “I didn’t have
a lot of strikeouts, but the defense is
making some great plays so I think
that was a really big team effort and
proud of my outfielders and I think
everyone did a great job.”

Part of that team effort came from

freshman catcher Keke Tholl, who
made a spectacular catch on a foul ball
in the fourth inning. First baseman
Gabrielle Callaway tipped the ball in
the air toward the first base line. Tholl
popped out of her stance and chased
it, diving forward to make the play.

The outcome suggests Rutgers’

at-bats were lackluster all game, but
hitters were able to put the ball in
play, sometimes deep. Every time that
happened, though, they couldn’t find
the gap and the Wolverines made an
out.

No matter what the fielders could

do to help her, the perfect game
came down to superb pitching from
Beaubien.
The
Scarlet
Knights

couldn’t get comfortable at the plate,
and the edge that she had gained in
Friday’s win meant she was attacking

everyone that stepped in the batter’s
box. Rutgers was forced to deal with
poor pitches that left them empty
handed.

Often, those led to quick, easy outs.

Beaubien’s two strikeouts over the
five innings is an uncharacteristically
low count considering she averages
around 9.88 strikeouts per seven
innings. She didn’t need to get many,
though, because the Scarlet Knights
did the work for her.

In fact, the biggest challenge for

Beaubien to overcome may have
been keeping focused on the game
itself rather than the upcoming
milestone. That meant returning to
the methodology that has guided the
Wolverines all season.

“I was just trying to focus on one

pitch at a time,” Beaubien said. “I
didn’t want to get too excited about
that possibility. The second you get
too excited and start thinking about
that, that’s when you’re most likely
gonna give it up.”

Beaubien’s perfect outing was

a fitting way to end what could be
the last home start of her career. As
the NCAA Tournament looms and
Michigan focuses on winning its
upcoming regional, this game proved
that Beaubien’s not done yet.

“I tell you, there’s some things I

want from Megan Beaubien that are
bigger than that,” Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins said. “I want her to
play on the biggest stage. And I want
her to help take us there.”

PAUL NASR

Daily Sports Writer

CONNOR EAREGOOD

Daily Sports Writer

JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily

Meghan Beaubien threw the first perfect game of her career against Rutgers.

JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily

Michigan will travel to Seattle for the NCAA regionals.

Thursday, May 20, 2021

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS 13