June 01, 2017 (vol. 127, iss. 75) • Page Image 10
…’s pressure. And it’s been like that all season long.” If one saw those quotes without attribution, they might immediately assign them to Michigan. But neither statement was uttered by a Wolverine…
… games. It’s not only that the second-seeded Wolverines suffered two straight upset losses. Superior teams are sometimes defeated. That’s the nature of sports, and especially postseason play. But…
… Michigan was eliminated in a fashion few could have predicted. The Wolverines never forgot their collapse at the end of last season which knocked them out of NCAA Tournament contention. In the…
… believed it would have a potent offense and a deep pitching staff. Both of those assumptions turned out to be true, as the Wolverines scored more and allowed fewer runs than anyone else in the Big Ten…
… most dedicated observer can say that the Wolverines’ success in the face of adversity has come solely because they are tougher or more motivated than their opponents. But for 55 games, Michigan…
…’s results under pressure backed up this idea of resiliency. Coming into the Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines had won six games in the ninth inning or later, as opposed to just two such games a year…
… team used to dominating in clutch scenarios — the same ones it faced against Northwestern and Indiana. Wednesday’s Big Ten Tournament opener was the exact type of game the Wolverines pride…
… is postseason baseball. An ugly win is still a win. And it looked like the Wolverines were going to get one, with Lamb taking the mound in the ninth inning. But to the surprise of everyone…
… record two quick outs, but three straight base hits delivered Indiana the lead. The Wolverines staged their own two-out rally to send the game to extras in the ninth inning. But it was clear they…
… postseason play into account. Maybe we overlooked the fact that Michigan, despite a 16-8 Big Ten record, was just 2-4 against the conference’s top six teams. Maybe fatigue had caught up to the Wolverines…
