Softball
While our attention has been focused lately on the hockey team's crazy run, the start of spring football practice, and our dominant lacrosse team, one of Michigan's perennially dominant teams has been quietly amassing a pretty impressive resume.
With a sweep of Indiana in today's double-header, softball improved to 28-5 on the season, and 19-1 in the last 20 games. The team hasn't lost back-to-back games all year, and has beaten some of the best in the country, and is rolling their way through the opening portion of the Big Ten schedule.
Unfortunately, only a few softball games get broadcast during the regular season, but that doesn't keep lax or baseball from getting love. Seems to me a team that's won 2 straight regular-season Big Ten Titles for the Maize & Blue deserves a little respect in these parts. Our ladies are just getting started!
I'll second that sentiment. Softball has been Michigan's best team sport for the past 4-5 years.
I try to follow as much as I can, but it sure would be awesome to see some softball love on MGoBlog.
is pretty ridiculous. Admittedly, she's aided by a lot of games and a lot of years, but Coach Hutchins has >1,000 wins, enough that she is the winningest Michigan coach ever. She's won the Big 10 about half the seasons she's coached and has the only softball national championship east of the Mississippi and I believe Michigan's most recent (varsity) national championship. Most impressively? She does all this as a State grad.
I'm also pretty sure that the attendance for home games averages above 1,000, which to me seems pretty impressive for softball. Winning cures all? Winning cures all.
That attendance estimate is right. Softball has a huge and dedicated following. Alumni Field is quite often sold out. They haven't had many home games this season, but they've averaged about 1150-1200.
Hutchins is absolutely awesome, and as good a representative of Michigan tradition as a Bo Schembechler or a Red Berenson. She's lead us to a National Championship in a sport where teams in colder climates aren't supposed to be competitive, brought in a whole pile of Big Ten Titles, and coaches a real toughness that would do Bo proud. I recommend listening to some of the post-game interviews with her, she really knows what's what!
Among the coaches at Michigan, she and Red are definitely the two I will be saddest to see go when their times come. Both absolutely fantastic coaches, people, Michigan wo/men, and have been here longer than I've been alive. And I do love her interviews as well.
I'm also not ashamed to say that I really do try to make it softball games when I can. When a team is winning that much, it doesn't really matter what sport it is, I feel obligated to support it, especially when I'm supporting the bigger sports that, right now, aren't doing as much.
The atmosphere is surprisingly good, especially when you consider there are pretty much no students and I would recommend catching a game if you can. It's free for students, it can't cost much for non-students and the team pretty much never loses.
they got rid of the Big Ten softball tournament, it's just the regular season championship. At least, that's what they did last year, they may have changed it back.
That actually sounds right. I'm not sure at all.
I caught Michigan playing in the NCAA tournament several years ago (the year before they won it all) and couldn't believe how exciting it was to watch. Anyway, I always look for highlights on mgoblue. Check out their recent blowout of Wisconsin (15 zip). Doesn't it seem like the Big Ten Network could cover (or replay) some of those lesser followed team or club games instead of replaying previously televised events/programs? Isn't that one of the reasons it exists?
Softball has 9 games on the BTN (2 are BTN.com, 7 TV channel) this season. I think they added a few extra to the streaming list since this previous release:
Big Ten Network Baseball/Softball Schedule Released
Update: I've heard two more are to be added to the BTN.com but they don't show up there yet.
I'm amazed at how balanced this team is: two ace pitchers; solid team defense; and an order that is just blitzing opponents.
I'm not only expecting a Big Ten title from them, but a pretty good run at the National Championship as well.
To the OP: Excellent recapitulation, sir.
because my sister ended up going to high school with her when my mom moved out to the sticks.
I saw her one time studying in a coffee shop in Dexter, went up to her and told her she rocked.
They won the National Championship a few months later.
I've heard Nikki Nemitz drinks coffee at the Espresso Royale on South U and East U. Could you get on that?
on that?
I mean, she's pretty cute, but I'm probably too old for her.
... What?
I mean, she's pretty cute, but I'm probably too old for her.
... What?Softball is currently ranked 2/3 nationally depending on the polls you're looking at.
Washington is 1/1. Arizona is 3/2.
Arizona hosts Washington in a 3-game set this weekend. We could very well be looking at a potential #1 ranking at the end of the weekend!
it's possible, but if Arizona knocks off Washington, they are more likely to take the #1 spot. We're more likely to grab that spot if someone else in the Pac Ten knocks of one or both of those teams. Unless it's UCLA, maybe.
That said, who cares. As long as we're in the top 5 going into the postseason, we're fine.
I knew very little about the softball team until the National Championship run. If I knew they were on the BTN I would DVR for sure. Do we know in advance of any games on the network?
From my link above:
- April 17 Northwestern at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 6 PM Big Ten Network
- April 18 Northwestern at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 3 PM Big Ten Network
- April 28 Michigan at Ohio State (DH) Columbus, Ohio 4:30 PM Big Ten Network
- May 14 Michigan at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 7 PM Big Ten Network
- May 15 Michigan at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 5 PM Big Ten Network
My sis played on the team in the late 90's and was Co-Captain her senior year.
Carol Hutchins is an incredable coach and fun to be around. After the Spring game I am headed over to watch them play Northwestern.
Go Blue!