Welcome back folks to the second edition of Softball Roundup. Last week's piece was well received so I'm excited to keep the ball rolling. Unfortunately, I would like to be able to discuss better softball than what we have to this week, because this past weekend was not fun. Begrudgingly though, let's get into the game recaps:

Last Weekend: Snap Back to Reality (10-3)

The Michigan Softball hype train ground to a screeching halt after things did uh, not go as planned. In last week's edition of this column your author wrote:

"This is a weekend where Michigan would reasonably like to go 4-0, but at worst, 3-1 would be acceptable ... if Michigan Softball wants to prove itself as a national contender as they head into SoCal next weekend, a 4-0 weekend in Columbia should be the expectation"

Unfortunately, that did not happen, to put it lightly. Michigan finished 1-3 on the weekend, losing the final three in a row including the last in stunning- and stinging- fashion.

Game 1: Michigan 1, Liberty 0

Michigan's lone win on the weekend came in game 1, a victory over Liberty that more or less foreshadowed the problems the Wolverines would deal with the entire weekend. While Alex Storako stayed terrific, allowing just 4 hits and 2 walks over 5.2 scoreless innings with 13 K's, the Michigan offense sputtered. They put up 5 hits in 6 innings at the plate, mustering just a Lou Allan RBI single to score Juju Jimenez. Meghan Beaubien came in to close things out for her seconds save of the season and Michigan got a narrow, but ominous win.

Game 2: Iowa State 5, Michigan 1

The final score here misrepresents what kind of game this was. In reality, it was, for a long while, a near-mirror image of game 1 on the weekend, with pitching dominance but hitting futility writing the narrative. Meghan Beaubien allowed a first inning solo HR but settled into being her normal self, while Michigan failed to put up much against ISU starter Elle Spelhaug, tying the game in the fifth thanks to a Juju Jimenez RBI single.

The game entered the 7th still tied at 1 when things got weird. Michigan allowed an infield single that included a throwing error on Lou Allan to move the runner to second with nobody out. Since the Cyclones were about to play small ball, Hutch went to the pen and got out the strikeout machine, Alex Storako. Storako allowed the sac bunt and then got the huge strikeout she needed. Much to the dismay of Wolverine fans however, with a runner on third and two down in the inning, the dam began to break and things went haywire.

The next four hitters changed the game, with Storako allowing a walk, single, walk, double and suddenly four runs were in and Alex was bounced from the game, the first major damage against her this season. Freshman Chandler Dennis came in for her Michigan debut and struck out the last batter to end the inning. Michigan actually loaded the bases in the bottom of the 7th with *nobody out* but went K, FC, ground out to end the game.

Game 3: South Carolina 3, Michigan 0

This game was uneventful in a very bad way. Michigan's offense remained hapless, posting two hits over 7 innings and a big fat goose egg in the "runs" column. Meanwhile the homer problem bit Storako again, allowing a two run shot in the second, but otherwise she was fine. We got to see more of  Dennis, who came in to mop up the fifth, in which the Gamecocks added a third run, and she handled the sixth rather shakily, but got it done. Not much else to see her, just abysmal offensively.

Game 4: Liberty 6, Michigan 5

The Wolverines came into Sunday morning desperate to salvage a 2-2 split on the weekend and for a large stretch of the game, it seemed like they would. They got the offense going early with a pair of RBI hits from Allan and Skvarce, and then a three run HR from Hannah Carson in the third to go up 5-1. Chandler Dennis got the start and was again shaky but repeatedly pulled the Todd Jones Special (a reference only Tigers fans will get), working out of jams inning and after inning until the hook came in the fifth.

With two on and one out in the bottom of the fifth Hutch went to Storako who got the big K but for the second time on the weekend with two outs, she couldn't get the necessary final out. Amber Bishop swatted a three-run homer and suddenly it was a game again, 5-4. When Storako ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth, Beaubien came in but she also failed to get it done, allowing a game tying RBI single with two outs in the sixth and after Michigan's offense failed to strike back in the top of the 7th, she allowed a walk off HR to guess who? Amber Bishop.

[AFTER THE JUMP: Thoughts, B1G, and a trip to California]

A few thoughts about the weekend

Time to panic? Or not time to panic? This weekend was hard to stomach but it isn't time to panic yet. Because Michigan did so well the first two weekends, they're still in a fine position nationally. But it does make the next two weekends, where they will face even tougher competition than last weekend, far more important (*gulp*). However, it's important to remember that Michigan was 6-7 at this juncture last year and they still managed to host a regional, so #Team43 is still running well ahead of that pace. That said, last year's season turned when the team had a great Judi Garman Tournament, so again, this weekend is important (*gulp*).

Who are you and what have you done with Lexie Blair? If you want to know a huge reason for the team's offensive struggles this season, Lexie Blair's dismal offense has been perhaps the most prominent. She's currently hitting just .175/.298/.225 with 2 XBH in 13 games on the young season. And this isn't to bag on Lexie, it's just simply to recognize how important she is to the Michigan lineup and how badly they need to get her going.

For those unfamiliar, Blair was the first Michigan freshman in at least two decades to hit .400 as a freshman last year (the online Michigan Softball record book only goes back to 1998). She was so insanely good at the plate last year and for a Michigan team in the process of replacing 5/9 of its lineup from last year, they simply can't afford to lose a key stalwart like Blair. Of greater concern, her incredible plate discipline has vanished. She struck out just 8 times in 192 at-bats last season. She's struck out 8 times in 40 (!) this year. I am not a softball coach, so I don't have the answer, but Michigan badly needs its best hitter to play like it.

The home runs are still a problem. If you noticed a theme in those game recaps, a) good because you should have and b) it was likely the fact that nearly every major hit Michigan gave up on the weekend was a homer. That was the case in Tampa as well, and to a lesser extent, North Carolina. Storako in particular was very homer-prone last season and while it's something I hoped she could reduce in the offseason, it is still very much a problem. This shouldn't absolve Beaubien either, who surrendered a pair of longballs on the weekend. Whatever is causing this, it is a major issue.

A Quick Look Around the B1G (and country)

How B1G teams Michigan will see are faring:

• Minnesota: 8-6. Went 3-2 on the weekend, dropping games to Texas State and Baylor but also beating the former and sweeping Tulsa. It's been a bumpy season so far in Minneapolis
• Northwestern: 5-9. Their appearance in the Mary Nutter Classic went... poorly. The 'Cats lost to Oregon, Florida, Auburn, and Washington, beating just LBSU. The good news for NU is that all their losses are to very good teams; the bad news is that they're 1-9 against very good teams.
• Wisconsin: 8-6. It was an odd weekend for the Badgers: they lost to San Diego State, who was 25-26 last year playing in the Mountain West, but narrowly lost to Washington and UCLA (they lost on walk offs to both) and then beat Oklahoma. It's not a hot take to say that Wisconsin is playing better than Northwestern right now.
• Ohio State: 6-7. I stated preseason that this was a rebuilding year for the Buckeyes and so far, yeah. They got swept up in the B1G/ACC tourney against Notre Dame and NC State and also lost to UC Santa Barbara, who were 10-42 (!) last year.
• Purdue: 12-3. Purdue mostly ain't played nobody but they did beat UNC, although they have also lost to Monmouth and Nicholls State. Not great, but also probably not awful.
• Michigan State: 3-10. Now *this* is awful. They've lost to Fordham, Southern Illinois, UMass-Lowell on the season. Can Michigan beat them by more than 15 runs this year?
• Maryland: 5-8. The Terps are pretty bad. They lost to Lamar and have managed to lose to Texas by a score of 17-0 and to Clemson by a score of 21-2. Fun fact about that second game? They allowed two grand slams *in one inning*. Not to the same hitter, at least.

Quick national note: Michigan's Florida win looks pretty nice right now. The Gators went to the Mary Nutter Classic and beat Northwestern, Arizona, Arizona State, losing just to #1 UCLA in a walk off defeat in 8 innings. While I don't think that Florida is as good as they were in the past, Tim Walton's program rolls along and looks like a good bet to be a top 10 team again, so that crushing victory in Tampa keeps looking better and better.

This Weekend: California Dreaming

Well, here we go: the Judi Garman Classic has arrived. Michigan will face two of the nation's three best teams, as well as some other legit teams. Make it or break it time. Here's a rundown of the teams:

Loyola Marymount: 8-7, 75th RPI last year

The Lions are the easiest team Michigan will face this weekend and so it's imperative to get off to a strong start to the weekend. They haven't really faced anyone terribly good and are playing just barely above .500 against the teams that they have. LMU has four very good hitters who have combined for 11 HR's, while the team is hitting above .300, but again competition hasn't been great. They lost their two top starters from last year and so pitching has been a work in progress, with the team ERA being over 6 (!). This is a good opportunity for the bats to awaken and get the offense kick started again before the harder teams.

#3 Texas: 15-2, 11th RPI last year

Speaking of harder teams, Texas. The Longhorns have been one of the stories of college softball so far this year, eviscerating lowly competition, although they have lost two of their last four, one to Duke and one to ULL. What we do know is for real about Texas is ace Miranda Elish, who continued her dominance after transferring to Texas from Oregon last season.

The other stats for this Longhorn squad are very gaudy and again, are inflated by a weak schedule but this is a team that made the Super Regionals a year ago, has one of the best coaches in college softball in Mike White, and is loaded with talent. I'm not sure if they're the third best team in the country, but they're damn good and will be a real test for the Wolverines.

#25 Texas Tech: 10-5, 19th RPI last year

Michigan and Texas Tech have had two common opponents this year: USF and South Carolina. Michigan beat the former and lost to the latter, while the Red Raiders did the opposite. Texas Tech seems to be a cut below the Washingtons this year, but are definitely in that next tier of teams, a tier that the Wolverines may actually be in (TBD).

The Red Raiders lost to James Madison and Washington in Clearwater, in addition to USF, and then dropped games to Houston and Syracuse this past weekend. But they also beat South Carolina and Georgia, and are absolutely good enough to knock off Michigan. They're strong in the circle, with Erin Edmoundson and her 1.06 ERA being the most likely to start against the Wolverines, and while the offensive numbers don't look great, they have some power in their bats and so the pitching/power opposition profile could rear its head again this weekend if Michigan isn't careful.

#2 Washington: 15-1, 3rd RPI last year

The Huskies are pretty much the gold standard of college softball, alongside UCLA and Florida. They made it to the WCWS last year and look balanced, deep, and dominant. They've played a good amount of top tier teams already and have won most all of those games, losing just to Alabama, but beating FSU, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Northwestern, and Oklahoma.

They return ace Gabbie Plain, as well as excellent hitter and holder of the best name in college softball, SilentRain Espinoza. The lineup looks balanced, deep, and powerful, with almost every hitter on the team hitting over .300, while it's actually been the pitching that has lagged this year. Still, Michigan cannot expect to roll in and get hits against this Husky team, especially with how poorly the offense played last weekend. It will be a battle, and Michigan is clearly the underdog heading in.

Colorado State: 8-6, 34th RPI last year

The Rams are not a great team, but they are also not at all a bad team. They finished inside the RPI top 35 and got an autobid into the tourney via the Mountain West conference, losing in the regional to Auburn. This year they've lost to every good team they've played, including Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Utah, while also dropping games to Cal Poly and Cal Baptist.

On paper, this should be a simple win for Michigan, but there are reasons to be weary. The Rams haven't lost by that much to the good teams they have lost to, and their pitching has been quite good. Jessica Jareki and Danielle Serna both sport sub-2.00 ERA's and while yes, the Rams offense has been bad (.257 team average, 3 HR), it's not hard to see them getting locked into a pitcher's duel with Michigan after what transpired last weekend.

Upshot: This is one of those weekends where we find out what this Michigan team is all about. Last season turned in this very tournament when Michigan knocked off both Washington and UCLA. To have a similar effect on this year, Michigan probably has to beat either Washington or Texas. Thus, 4-1 is probably the realistic "best case scenario" for the weekend, and that would be huge, no question. Beating either of those teams would be the sort of resume-defining win that Michigan could add next to the already big Florida win. At the very least, the Wolverines need to take care of business against Colorado State and Loyola, and then hope to at least beat Texas Tech. 2-3 would be a rather unsavory weekend, while 3-2 is a fair medium expectation. Either way, the Judi Garman will be pivotal. Your author will be at this tournament broadcasting the games and will return with this column in a week with some first-person scouting. Until then, so long and let's hope for the best.