The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com 
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 — 15 

Michigan’s hot and cold hitting lead to 
2-1 weekend outing against Nebraska

TASMIA JAMIL
Daily Sports Writer

When the Michigan softball 
team’s bats get hot with runners in 
scoring positions, it tends to win. 
On Friday, the Wolverines tallied 
14 hits and 10 runs. But on Satur-
day, Nebraska extinguished the 
momentum by pitching a shutout. 
While Michigan (17-14 overall, 
3-3 Big Ten) rebounded to close 
out the weekend, the up-and-
down hitting performance result-
ed in a 2-1 series outing against the 
Cornhuskers (25-12, 5-3). 
After a dominant 9-0 win over 
Oakland on Wednesday, the team 
didn’t skip a beat opening the first 
game against Nebraska. In the 
first inning, a Cornhusker fielding 
error followed by a double from 
graduate center fielder Lexie Blair 
placed runners on base before 
a sacrificial flyout and a single 
brought the runners home. The 
Wolverines tallied two hits and 
two runs in the frame, setting the 
tone for the rest of the game. 
“Our timing in game one was 
outstanding,” 
Michigan 
coach 
Bonnie Tholl said. “Any fringe 
pitches, we were able to tie them 
up well and get a good piece of the 
ball.” 
With the Wolverines’ bats find-
ing momentum, they continued to 
capitalize on Nebraska defensive 

lapses. Facing a 2-2 pitch count 
and a runner on second, graduate 
right fielder Ellie Mataya slotted 
the ball through the gaps in left 
center field, forcing the Cornhusk-
ers to go out of position and give 
the runner ample time to reach 
home. A subsequent walk and an 
RBI single from junior catcher 
Keke Tholl put Michigan up 4-0.
The Wolverines’ hitting prow-
ess continued as it put pressure 
on the defense, racking up three 
back-to-back RBI hits in the 
third inning before Keke belted 
a home run over the center field 
wall to give Michigan a 10-0 lead. 
Although the Wolverines didn’t 
score for the rest of the game, 
they had a comfortable cushion 
to fall back on while the defense 
restricted Nebraska to only one 
run, securing a 10-1 mercy rule 
win for Michigan in the first game 
of the series. 
But the Wolverines’ offensive 
consistency was short lived, as on 
Saturday, the bats fell silent. 
Opening the game, Michigan 
attempted to drop the ball into 
the outfield but instead landed 
the ball in the gloves of the Corn-
huskers’ fielders every time. On 
the other hand, Nebraska applied 
pressure early, converting on 
pitching errors and bringing its 
runners home for a 2-0 lead. 
“Nebraska had the momentum 
and we didn’t do anything to stop 

it,” Keke said. “But we didn’t 
build any momentum on our 
own on that end. We were still 
putting the bat on the ball but 
things just weren’t falling.” 
The 
Wolverines’ 
offense 
had no answer. Despite forcing 
a walk in three back-to-back 
innings, Michigan couldn’t capi-
talize, stranding runners each 
time. The bats that led to a mer-
cy-rule win the day before were 
nowhere to be found. 
Down 2-0, sophomore left 
fielder Ellie Sieler slotted a sin-
gle — the Wolverines’ only hit of 
the game — before stealing sec-
ond base. But Nebraska quickly 
erased any hope for a comeback. 
A pair of home runs with run-
ners on base combined with a 
pair of RBI singles in the bottom 
of the fifth inning to extend the 
Cornhuskers lead to 8-0, ulti-
mately resulting in a run-rule 
loss for Michigan. 
After tallying 14 hits in the 
first 
game, 
the 
Wolverines 
merely tallied one hit and fell 
back into their old habits, leav-
ing runners on base. As the 
bats went cold, the aggres-
sive offensive tactics and small 
ball strategies that found suc-
cess earlier completely disap-
peared. But with one game left 
in the series, Michigan looked to 
redeem itself on Sunday. 
Following a homerun by 
Nebraska in the second inning, 
the Wolverines returned to their 
Friday form. A double by Blair 
and a fielding error on the play 
allowed Blair to use her speed 
for an inside-the-park homerun, 
putting Michigan on top, 2-1. 
“It was our chance to grab 
the momentum, hang onto it and 
run with it,” Bonnie said. “Even 
when we went down one to zero, 
we stayed within the game plan 
and captured the momentum 
back.”

Sports

SOFTBALL

Michigan upsets No. 2 Maryland in historic win

ALINA LEVINE
Daily Sports Writer

As the buzzer sounded, the 
Michigan men’s lacrosse team 
erupted off the sideline, storming 
the field to celebrate their historic 
performance against No. 2 Mary-
land. 
On Saturday, the Wolverines 
(5-4 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) faced the 
Terrapins (6-3, 1-1) and pulled off 
an upset, 16-11. This historic win 
was monumental for the team, 
marking 
their 
first-ever 
win 
against Maryland in program his-
tory — and their first Big Ten win 
against a top-five ranked team 
ever. 
“It feels amazing,” senior attack-
er Josh Zawada said. “I think it was 
a massive step for our program, 
and we kind of got over that edge 
of finishing those games. I know 
we played the number one team 
in the first game of the year and 
ended up losing by four goals, but 
we were always in that game and 
just couldn’t finish it out. So, I 
think this was a massive step for us 
because they were the number two 
team, and we finally closed it out 
and played a full 60 minutes.”

That full 60 minutes began in 
the first quarter with the Wolver-
ines starting strong. While the Ter-
rapins scored first, junior attacker 
Michael Boehm quickly answered, 
tying the game at one apiece. 
Maryland scored one more time 
in the first period before 
Michigan went on a 5-0 
run, finishing the frame 
with a 6-2 advantage.
However, going into the 
second quarter, the Ter-
rapins showed signs of a 
comeback — they were the 
second-ranked team in 
the country, after all. 
When 
Maryland’s 
offense 
looped 
behind 
the goal and around to 
the other side to shoot, 
the Wolverines’ defenders 
were slow to follow, leav-
ing them open to score. 
Quickly taking advantage, 
the Terrapins began to 
close the gap by capital-
izing on those unguarded 
moments. Heading into 
halftime, Maryland was 
only trailing by one point.
But one point was the 
closest that the Terrapins 
got to Michigan for the 

remainder of the game. Through 
the toughness of their defenders, 
versatility within their offense and 
ability to function as a team, the 
Wolverines only widened the gap.
And that gap only grew as Mich-
igan had a powerful start to the 

third quarter. Weaving around the 
defense, senior midfielder Jacob 
Jackson caught a feed from Boehm 
and hurled the ball into the back of 
the net. Less than a minute later, 
fifth-year midfielder Peter Thomp-
son netted another goal for Michi-

gan before Jackson scored again 30 
seconds later. 
These three rapid goals in the 
first 90 seconds of the quarter pro-
pelled Michigan to an early 10-6 
lead. Maryland noticeably tight-
ened its defense, making it harder 
for the Wolverines to find 
shooting angles; nonethe-
less, Michigan was unde-
terred. As the final quarter 
of the game approached, 
it led 11-8. And, of those 
first 11 goals, 6 came from 
seniors on the team. 
“We sat down with all 
the seniors on Monday 
and went through what 
was going on and how we 
struggled through games,” 
Zawada said. “I think it 
just starts with us and 
attention to detail from 
our seniors. It kind of goes 
through the entire team 
once the seniors are doing 
everything right. So, if 
we have that attention to 
detail that flows through 
the entire team, we’ll have 
success.”
Entering the final 15 
minutes of the game, the 
Wolverines knew it would 
MARIA DECKMANN/Daily

be close. The Michigan bench 
and the Terrapin fans alike were 
buzzing with excitement as the 
prospect of a win for either team 
was likely. However, Maryland 
fans soon became worried as their 
defense deteriorated, leaving the 
Wolverines wide open. Unguarded 
and armed with a powerful shot, 
Michigan’s offense netted five 
more goals to the Terrapins’ three, 
sealing the deal. 
Energized by the win, Michigan 
is feeding off its newfound confi-
dence and momentum.
“I think it’s all confidence now,” 
Zawada said. “We’ve seen that 
once we play a full 60 minutes of 
our lacrosse and have a good week 
of practice, we can compete with 
any team in the country. We’re 
going to use this game to kind of 
build up confidence for us and 
lead it game by game into these 
next couple of games and get those 
wins.”
Michigan’s win against Mary-
land was historic for both the team 
and the program. As the Wolver-
ines continue on to the remainder 
of their Big Ten games, they will 
need to continue playing the brand 
of lacrosse that led them to victory 
on Saturday. 

Strong offense leads Michigan 
baseball to series victory over Illinois

COLE MARTIN
Daily Sports Writer

Entering its weekend series 
against Illinois, the Michigan 
baseball team found itself in a lit-
mus test of sorts.
During the Wolverines’ eight-
game homestand in which they 
won six games, Michigan turned 
its season’s trajectory on its head 
with a sweep of its first Big Ten 
opponent, Penn State. But the 
question was: Could Michigan 
replicate its newfound success on 
the road?
The answer was a resounding 
yes. The Wolverines passed their 
first true test in conference play 
with flying colors.
Michigan (15-12 overall, 5-1 Big 
Ten) took its first two games over 
Illinois (12-12, 2-4), 12-9 and 10-5, 
respectively, before falling on 
Sunday, 11-1. With the exception 
of Sunday’s blowout, the Wolver-
ines’ weekend was defined by its 
red-hot bats.
In 
Friday’s 
series 
opener, 
Michigan’s offense fed off of yet 
another impressive performance 
from junior left-hander Connor 
O’Halloran. In his sixth win of 
the season, O’Halloran pitched 
six innings, allowing only one 
earned run while striking out 
eight batters. The contest marked 
O’Halloran’s fifth game of the 
season with seven or more strike-
outs.
“What he’s doing is a huge 
bonus for us,” Michigan coach 
Tracy Smith said. “… He’s given 
us a chance to win every time. … 
(The team) loves playing behind 
him because they know he’s going 
to be aggressive and competing in 
the zone.”
Aside from O’Halloran’s effi-
cient performance, the Wolver-
ines’ batters told the story. After 
O’Halloran exited the game, 
Michigan’s 
relievers 
proved 

unable to contain the Fighting 
Illini offense. Illinois scored a 
total of seven runs in just three 
innings 
without 
O’Halloran’s 
presence on the mound. Clearly, 
the pitching needed run support.
Enter freshman outfielder Jon-
athan Kim.
In five at bats, Kim totalled 
five hits, including a home run. 
He also notched four RBIs, good 
for one third of the Wolverines’ 
run total. Kim not only led the 
Wolverines to victory, though. He 
also created momentum for them 
to carry further into the week-
end.
“It was nice to have him sit-
ting down there at the bottom of 
the order,” Smith said. “… (He did 
a) good job driving some guys in, 
and I was really pleased with the 
way that he continues to get bet-
ter each day and look more com-
fortable (at the plate).”
And on Saturday, the narrative 
from Friday’s victory repeated 
itself, except this time it wasn’t 
just Kim who got hot.
In the eighth inning, Michigan 
clung to a narrow 4-3 lead after 
another Kim RBI. Then, the rest 
of its offense found its footing.
First, graduate shortstop Cody 
Jefferis scored on a wild pitch 

to increase the lead to two. 
Designated hitter Tito Flores 
followed that up, knocking in 
another run with a single. And 
then freshman third baseman 
Mitch Voit put the cherry on 
top of yet another strong offen-
sive outing, hitting a grand slam 
to yank the game out of reach 
for the Illini. Even after giving 
up two more runs in the ninth 
inning, the Wolverines still won 
by a five-run margin.
“Thank god we had the big 
leads,” Smith said. “I looked 
earlier today. The last three 
innings of each game combined 
in the last two games (Illinois) 
scored almost 10 runs.”
Evidently, those big leads 
ultimately came from Michi-
gan’s offense as — even with 
defensive struggles in relief 
— it escaped Champaign with 
another series victory in Big 
Ten play.
And although the Wolver-
ines lost the series finale Sun-
day, their increased offensive 
presence this weekend proved 
crucial. If Michigan can remain 
consistent in that facet of its 
game, the Wolverines should 
continue to find success in Big 
Ten play.

BASEBALL

SportsMonday: Michigan baseball is right on track

Last Tuesday, Tracy Smith — 
then 24 games into his career as 
the head coach of the Michigan 
baseball team — slouched against 
a podium engraved with a ‘Block 
M’ and smiled. Smith’s Wolverines 
had just won their fourth game in 
a row, mounting an epic comeback 
to topple Central Michigan via a 
walk-off home run. 
Six weeks into the college sea-
son, Michigan is playing its best 
baseball of the year, even with 
an 11-1 clunker in Sunday’s series 
finale against Illinois. The Wol-
verines had won nine of 11 games 
before 
Sunday’s 
loss, 
which 
snapped a five-game winning 
streak to open Big Ten play. 
Sunday doubled as the halfway 
point of Michigan’s 2023 season. 
With 26 games to go, the Wol-
verines sit at 15-12. And thanks to 
their 5-1 mark in Big Ten play, they 

are perched atop the conference 
standings, tied with Indiana. 
Tuesday, Smith cycled through 
a number of different words when 
attempting to describe his task at 
Michigan. It’s not quite a restora-
tion: Under Erik Bakich, the Wol-
verines became a formidable Big 
Ten contender with an uncanny 
knack for postseason magic. It’s 
not quite a revival, either: Michi-
gan won the Big Ten Tournament 
last year, making its third straight 
NCAA Regional. But it’s also not 
strictly maintenance: Things were 
good at Michigan, but not good 
enough to keep the status quo. 
A few underwhelming regular 
seasons left everyone hungry for 
more. 
All of that leaves Smith in an 
intriguing position. 
“You know, I’m not building 
culture,” Smith said Tuesday, his 
voice firm. “I’m just kind of adding 
on to that culture. That’s the one 
thing I said when I got here: The 
culture is outstanding. Erik and 

what he did with his staff and the 
kids in that locker room, the stuff 
was already established. Now, are 
we going to add little things along 
the way? Absolutely.” 
At his introductory press con-
ference in August, Smith spoke of 
a desire to achieve “sustainable 
success.” Tacitly, he knew that 
achieving that goal would take 
time — especially considering his 
situation. 
Smith didn’t exactly inherit a 
mess, but he did inherit a program 
in flux. In the offseason, Michigan 
lost four of its best hitters: Clark 
Elliott, Joe Stewart, Matt Frey 
and Riley Bertram. It lost its closer 
(Willie Weiss) and one of its rota-
tion stalwarts (Cameron Weston). 
In response, few outside the 
program believed in the Wolver-
ines. The Big Ten coaches’ pre-
season poll, which projects the 
top-six teams in the conference, 
did not include Michigan. D1base-
ball.com pegged the Wolverines 
as the eighth-best team in the 

13-team Big Ten.
Yet, at the halfway point of 
the season, Michigan is outper-
forming the expectations. That’s 
not to say that this team will rip 
off a magical run to Omaha or 
even make an NCAA Regional. 
But there is something to be said 
for the way that the Wolverines 
are navigating the first season 
in Bakich’s wake, emerging as a 
formidable, enjoyable team as the 
heart of Big Ten play beckons. 
“It’s just a testament to a lot 
of the work we put in and how 
close we are as a team,” graduate 
infielder Jack Van Remortel said 
Tuesday. “And just the belief in 
any situation that we’re gonna be 
able to get it done.” 
Added Smith: “I’m still learning 
the Michigan way, but this place is 
special. We just want to continue 
to do our part to build on what has 
already been established prior to 
us coming here.” 
Each Michigan athletic pro-
gram is measured against a lofty 

standard; baseball is no excep-
tion. Bakich departed with a 
.602 winning percentage, the 
second-highest among Michigan 
baseball coaches since 1960. He 
led the Wolverines to five NCAA 
Tournament regionals, reviving a 
program that sunk to the depths 
of the Big Ten at the end of Rich 
Maloney’s tenure in 2012. 
There are constant remind-
ers of Michigan’s past success. 
Gigantic, colorful murals are 
splashed across the brick walls of 
Ray Fisher Stadium, commemo-
rating the best teams in program 
history. Down the right field line 
sits a large mural with the slogan: 
“Onward to Omaha,” an ode to the 
home of the College World Series. 
“We always look at it as, we’re 
standing on the shoulders of those 
that came before us,” Van Remor-
tel said. “So, I think, every year 
we’re trying to add a little bit of 
the culture to the program. Just 
living by that, obviously (Smith) 
has come in and done a great job. 

That’s kind of how we look at 
things here.” 
Slowly and surely, you can see 
the signs of a foundation. Junior 
right-hander Connor O’Halloran 
is a bona fide ace. Two-way phe-
nom Mitch Voit and outfielder 
Jonathan Kim have dazzled as 
freshmen. Sophomore designated 
hitter Joe Longo is a force in the 
middle of the order, and senior 
Jimmy Obertop may soon return 
from injury to join him. 
With the pieces in place, this 
Michigan team believes that it’s 
capable of achieving even more. 
Led by Smith — cerebral and 
grounded — there’s plenty of rea-
son to believe them. 
“What 
you 
did 
yesterday 
doesn’t mean anything moving 
forward, particularly in this con-
ference,” Smith said Sunday. “But 
again, we’re pleased with where 
we are at this point, and we got a 
lot of room to improve.” 
In other words, they’re right on 
schedule. 

BASEBALL

ANNA FUDER/Daily
EMILY ALBERTS/Daily

MEN’S LACROSSE

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

JARED GREENSPAN
Daily Sports Writer

