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Michigan Wolverine Softball: Now It Really Gets Fun

By Eroc Wolverine

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Michigan Softball Posted at 4:15am — -5/28/2015

Michigan Wolverine Softball: Now It Really Gets Fun

Michigan Returns To The WCWS

As many readers have stated lately, it certainly is fun to watch the Michigan Women’s softball team. All eight survivors that advanced from the super-regionals were gleeful in their post game celebrations. Each team seems to have its own little unique in-game and post-game routines. For Michigan, creating the pizza is now somewhat famous. It is good to have a theme that sticks and has meaning. The theme of a team I was once a part of quite a few years ago was “ Are you gonna call your Ma from Omaha?”

So, the girls will take the pizza making art into the first round of the WCWS next week against a very tough Alabama team. Alabama used a late grand salami shot to overcome Oklahoma for the third time in four years. Oklahoma is a very strong team, and the opinion here is that Alabama may be a top four team.

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Florida is the odds on favorite to win the tournament, maybe to the tune of Florida against the field. The primary reason for the above conclusion is the outstanding pitching. Oregon can hit a team with crooked numbers quick. Clearly, the Duckies are the top team on the left coast. Then, the discussion probably comes down to Michigan or Alabama as the next best bet to cause some damage. The UM/Bama game could easily be the highlight of the first round; the winner gains a foothold and the loser is placed backs against the wall.

Michigan has some positives going forward. First, the offense is difficult to stop for anything less than three or four runs. Michigan has seen very good pitching in the Big Ten Tournament and regional play. Still, most of the time UM has scored enough runs to end the game with the mercy rule.

Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines /

Michigan Wolverines

Second, Michigan has two skilled pitchers, one, senior Haylie Wagner, has seen the lights and danced on the big stage. Some teams ride one pitcher, but against better completion, and after three weeks of overtime work, throwing a pitcher game after game is problematic in the World Series. Coach Hutchins has no problem pulling the plug early if things are not going as to plan and going to plan 1b.

Third, Michigan’s hitters are moving the ball well and minimizing strikeouts. The old expression is- “If you swing the bat, you are dangerous.” Michigan’s young hitters down in the lineup have contributed in tournament play very well to this point. The objective now will to prevent the deer in the headlight effect.

Fourth, Michigan has a player, Sierra Romero, that can carry an offense and produce two or more runs a game singlehandedly against about anyone, anywhere, anytime. Not everyone has such a luxury. This luxury becomes even more productive as Romero is sandwiched between leadoff hitter Sierra Lawrence (a hitter who has excellent command of the strike zone and hits the ball hard more often than not) and the supreme fundamental left-hand hitter Kelly Christner.

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    • Fifth, Michigan has other hitters who are capable at having two or three hit games. This places a stress on the defense and pitching. An opposing team cannot depend on turning over two or three easy outs at the bottom of the lineup. The result is Lawrence and Romero get to the plate more often with a nice chance to do some real damage.

    Alabama plays to win, what a shock. The Tide players are not quite as loosy-goosy as the Blue. There is no real advantage to either approach; just a choice. Michigan needs to work on pressure defensive situations this week, such as, bunt defenses, getting to fly balls in the outfield, producing with two strikes, having all players execute the bunt game, and fielding the ball before throwing in the infield. Pressure can crack a team in any situation, let alone one this significant.

    The game between Michigan and Bama looks like a toss-up. But tournaments provide unexpected results.

    The girls have already won; they are playing for all the marbles, only eight teams can say that. Personally, I hope this fun to watch group continues to make, bake and eat pizza. And more than anything else play hard and enjoy the moment.

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    Written by GBMWolverine Staff — Doc4Blu

    Go Blue — Wear Maize!


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