SB's Megan Besta and Abby Ramirez gets Awards
The Big Ten Conference released their weekly awards yesterday. Pitcher Megan Besta was named Conference Pitcher of the Week, while SS Abby Ramirez was named Co-Player of the week. She shared this award with Indiana's pitcher Michelle Huber.
Megan threw 2 Complete-game shutouts at Rutgers over the weekend. She now leads the Big Ten in lowest ERA at 1.45. We had some discussion in the Open Thread questioning who is our #1 pitcher? This should answer that question.
I understand that honoring Seniors is a time-honored tradition for all Michigan Varsity teams. However, I am a firm believer that the play on the field should decide these important questions.
Abby has been on a terror of late. She had a .750 BA over the past 4 games. She reached base in every AB against Rutgers including 2 powerful HRs. All from a player who stands about 5-2 1/2 and weighs about 110 pounds. Coach Hutch will have to re-think her strategy of having Abby slap-hit and possibly lead-off next year. Maybe Abby gets moved into the #3 or #4 slot next year if she keeps up these shenanigans.
We play at MSU tomorrow then host Huber's Indiana Hoosiers this weekend. These next 4 games should be explosive for us. It will be fun to watch.
April 14th, 2015 at 12:34 PM ^
Ramirez posted a final stat line of 8-9 with 2 dingers, 2 doubles, 6 runs scored, 7 RBI, and a 1.000 OBP for the weekend (reached on an error and a HBP in addition to the 8 hits). Also played error-free ball and added a phenomenal diving grab.
April 14th, 2015 at 12:36 PM ^
I've been surprised but also impressed with Betsa's development this season. She still issues a few too many walks, but her ability to get the K & set batters down without allowing base-running opportunities is huge. I definitely feel much more confident in the future with her operating at a high level. With how good our O will be next season, a true post-season ace could be our ticket to the very highest levels of success.
Also, the new polls are out, and we continue to hang on to that #4 spot, which looks like it's ours to lose basically. Florida, Oregon, and LSU continue to get shuffled around in front of us except in the RPI, where Auburn has snuck in there at #3. With a relatively simple schedule ahead, the order of the day is professionalism - show up, take care of business, take it one game at a time, and a super-regional seed is there to be had.
April 14th, 2015 at 12:53 PM ^
You mention that Michigan hangs on to #4 in the polls, but it should be added that Michigan is also #4 in the RPI (I see the RPI mentioned, but not Michigan's rank).
With Michigan #4, it's not too soon to start speculating on a regional matchup:
Right now, I will go with #4 Michigan, #25 Texas A&M, #35 Virginia Tech, #186 Cleveland State (the highest-ranked team in the Horizon League). Everybody is a little scared of Kent State being the #4 seed in Michigan's region, rightfully so, but I think they are too highly rated to be sent here--they will probably be sent to a lower #1 seed, like #13 Kentucky.
Speaking of #13 Kentucky, that seems to be the likely super-regional matchup if the current ratings hold.
agree! if Michigan holds a top 5 spot, kent state will go to someone like Kentucky for more of an upset .... in my light examination of seeding, the NCAA protects the top 4 seeds extremely well
Wow, just saw they are ranked 17th. That's absolutely crazy. They are definitely a top 5 team talent-wise, and have the only player in the country that I would put on the same level as Romo.
A couple of ways, actually. Number one, her primary position could be pitcher but she could have had an excellent weekend at the plate (Sara Gronewegen from Minnesota is an example, she could have a hypothetically poor weekend in the circle and still belt a couple of home runs and win it that way). The second way is that Michelle Huber isn't actually a pitcher. I'm not sure where MGoSB got that from, but she played the whole weekend in right field and batted .750 with two homers and 4 RBI, reaching base 3 times in all three games. She's a utility player according to IU's roster.
The Big Ten website listed Huber as a pitcher. I should have checked the Indiana website.
No problem! I just said I didn't know where that came from. You answered that question. Not your fault!
it.
But, the gist was there.
used "terror". I wrote it correctly as it is a play on words because she is a terror for opposing pitchers even though she is small in size.
Haylie isn't getting a chance to start a series, there is no reason she shouldn't be starting one. Everyone seems to have forgotten what she has done the past 3 years, she is dominant. There is no ACE as everyone keeps saying, Megan has had the opportunity to pitch to some really weak teams, hence the many strikeouts, but the stronger ones Haylie has and has done great. Striking everyone out is great, but not every pitcher is a strikeout pitcher. Hasn't anyone noticed when Haylie does pitch, she is a ground ball pitcher, and there are way too many errors behind her, the defense seems to forget what to do when a simple ball comes to them, example 3 errors by Romero this past weekend. Simple outs and she couldn't handle them. Haylie and Megan are two great pitchers, they pitch differently and get the job done, there is no ACE, stats mean nothing at this point. It's a Team. The defense and offense just need to stay strong.
In the open thread I made the assumption that Abby Ramirez wasn't slap hitting (her usual role) and speculated that Hutch wouldn't move her back to that role after this kind of success.
She was a great stationary power hitter in high school, and the stats she posted at Rutgers are basically never seen from slappers. In her 100+ game career prior to that series, she'd never hit a home run, and in 152 at bats last season, she hit only two doubles. Going 8-9 against Rutgers with two homers and two doubles is such an insane statistical anomaly that I was convinced it meant she was given an opportunity to revert back to her high school style.
But after the game ended, someone who actually watched it responded that Abby was, in fact, still slap hitting like she has been all season. So I really don't know what to make of it, but I sure hope it continues!
problem to have if you are Coach Hutch, wouldnt you say? Abby is fast becoming one of my favs in the box. I have a soft spot for the smaller girls who can hit. It defies logic but it shows you how much effort Abby puts into her hitting.