SB Open Thread @ Rutgers 11:30am

Submitted by MGoSoftball on

The SB Team take on Rutgers in the finale today.  The game has been moved forward to 11:30am.  The ladies have been on an offensive terror lately so today should be no different. Today's game is on BTN Plus: http://www.btn2go.com/game/michigan-at-rutgers-on-04122015

We stand alone atop the Big Ten Standings at 9-2, 2) NW is 8-2, 3) Minny is 8-3, 4) Nebraska is 9-4 and 5) Rutgers is 7-4.

It is difficult to believe but Rutgers was TIED with us heading into this weekend's games.  We both were 7-2.  This illistrates that the Big Ten is not a very powerful conference overall. There are 2 maybe 3 good teams and the rest of the conference is along for the ride.

Yesterday Minny defeated NW again and they play today in their finale.

 

ಠ_ಠ

April 12th, 2015 at 12:30 PM ^

Abby Ramirez hit her second homer in as many games (after 0 in 100+ career games in a slap hitting role) to put Michigan up 3-0 in the second.

I'm assuming she's no longer a slapper.

ಠ_ಠ

April 12th, 2015 at 12:42 PM ^

With Abby's history in high school and her performance this weekend, I would be shocked if she's asked to stay in that slapper role, at least in the near future. She's doubled her season RBI total in two games. Unless she goes ice cold, another power threat in the lineup is just absurd.

Edit: As I was responding, she 'smoked one into left for a single,' according to twitter. Was she standing up?

MGoSoftball

April 12th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^

A similar situation happened with my daughter.  She always played IF and batted in the 3rd slot.  She was the best player around and was the Miss Softball for the area.  I never dreamed of turning her into a slapper.  I needed her power and speed in the 3 hole.

When she started her college career, the coach moved her to lead-off, switched her to the left side of the plate and she was a power-slapper.  It took all through her first year of fall ball to get adjusted to it but once she did, she excelled.

She would occasionally pop one out but typically she would bounce them off the walls and leg out a triple.  I think she was a better player in college than in HS and summer ball.

 

ಠ_ಠ

April 12th, 2015 at 12:58 PM ^

Sounds like your daughter was a great slap hitter. It's awesome when those transitions work out really well.

I think the difference in this case, though, is that Abby Ramirez was an excellent, record-setting power hitter in high school, and an average slap hitter in college. She is a tiny human, which may have led to concerns over whether that power could transfer over, particularly in her first college season. Now she gets the chance to stand up and hit like she used to (I can't watch, so I'm assuming she has been stationary), and she has the most productive two games of her career. I think you have to keep riding this for a while.

MGoSoftball

April 12th, 2015 at 1:03 PM ^

Maybe Coach Hutch was prejudging her by her small frame.  She is listed at 5-4 and she is barely 5-2 1/2.  Sometimes coaches get it wrong and maybe Abby will bat 2nd or 3rd next year.

We really need a speedy slapper though.  We have been blessed in recent years with Lyndsay Doyle, Colie Sappingfield and Bree Evans.  

MGoSoftball

April 12th, 2015 at 12:50 PM ^

every team lays an egg.  So far this year we had 4 3-game series.  The first was home vs Kent State where we won the 3rd game 4-0.  The second was at OSU where we won 20-0, the third was home vs Iowa and we lost 6-4, and the fourth series was last weekend at Minny where we won 9-1 in mercy-rule fashion.

The series against Kent St was very cold if you remember so I do not count that as a "bad game" eventhough we won.  The 3rd game against Iowa was horrible, that is for sure.  However, I cannot draw the conclusion that we play poorly in the last of a 3 game series.

ShadowStorm33

April 12th, 2015 at 12:54 PM ^

Yeah, it doesn't seem as much that it's game 3's, just this team laying a few very surprising eggs. Honestly surprised they've stayed at #4; it seems like those bad losses would have killed any chance to host a super regional...

MGoSoftball

April 12th, 2015 at 1:06 PM ^

coaching HS aged softball for 15 years.  I cannot explain it but sometimes they play to their competition.  I always hated to play the worst 2 or 3 teams because it seemed like we would take a $hit.

We would always play well against the top 2 or 3 teams and it make you want to pull your hair out.

MICHIGAN SOFTB…

April 12th, 2015 at 1:40 PM ^

She is not going to ge the #1, yes striking out everyone is great, but then as you notice when a simple ball is hit, several errors are made, as with Romero with 3 this weekend, simple plays and she couldn't make them. There are strike out pitchers and there are ground out pitchers, both Wagner and Betsa compliment each other nicely.

MGoSoftball

April 12th, 2015 at 2:38 PM ^

pitchers are not asked to field ground balls unless it is hit directly at them.  Most coaches tell them to NEVER LEAVE THE CIRCLE to field a ball (grounder or pop fly).  

I agree that Romo has made a few errors but that is not Megan's fault.  Its the pitchers job to get the batter to swing at pitcher so they cannot drive the ball.  

Wolverine Devotee

April 12th, 2015 at 2:07 PM ^

Great win. Abby Ramirez better B1G Player of the Week.

Michigan outscored Rutgers 39-3 this weekend. 

Michigan_Caltech

April 12th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^

I thought Driesenga was supposed to be back from injury a while ago. Any chance that coach Hutch is intentionally holding her out in order to apply for a medical redshirt? That way we'd have two aces next year: Betsa and Driesenga.

MGoSoftball

April 12th, 2015 at 5:50 PM ^

this is the case.  Coach Hutch rarely uses redshirts but will every 5 years or so for a medical. 

Sara should be back in time for the World Series.  I think Coach would rather have her available for the WS instead of a medical RS.  But this is a case where Coach has probably discussed this with Sara and her parents.

Michigan_Caltech

April 12th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^

I thought Driesenga was supposed to be back from injury a while ago. Any chance that coach Hutch is intentionally holding her out in order to apply for a medical redshirt? That way we'd have two aces next year: Betsa and Driesenga.