Dominant pitching leads Michigan into Big Ten play
Ian Kay
Daily Sports WriterMarch 22nd, 2009
Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins wants her team to play “one-pitch" softball.
The idea is that no matter the score, situation or opponent, each player on the field must execute to the best of her ability on every single pitch.
But sometimes, it’s hard not to look at the big picture. Now entering the heart of their schedule, the eighth-ranked Wolverines have a 20-9 record, including two losses to rival Northwestern this weekend.
Anchored by a pair of aces in junior Nikki Nemitz and sophomore Jordan Taylor, Michigan has shown signs of greatness this year. But to reach that potential, the team will need more consistent contributions from an offense that has swung from dominant to anemic, often on a game-to-game basis.
These are the most important things to follow as the Wolverines push for toward another deep run in the postseason:
ACES UP
At the Judi Garman Classic on Mar. 12-15, Michigan faced five ranked teams in four days. Hutchins called it the most daunting stretch of the toughest schedule she’s faced in 25 years as Michigan’s head coach. But for Nemitz, it was just another weekend at the office.
The junior pitched in four games — all wins — and allowed just two runs. Over 17.1 innings, she struck out 24 batters and allowed just 15 baserunners.
At the Classic, Nemitz was clearly Michigan’s best pitcher. But for the season? That’s debatable.
“We have two No. 1 pitchers,” Hutchins said. “We’re the only team that I know of that can really say that.”
Most college softball teams have a clear top starter and one or more second-tier pitchers. In Nemitz and Taylor, Hutchins has two hurlers who she feels comfortable with in any situation. The two generally alternate starts, but neither has trouble pitching in the relief role.
For opponents, this presents a unique problem.
“You know that as a pitcher, you don’t have to carry the team,” Nemitz said. “If you’re having an off day, there’s an All-American coming behind you to pick you up. It’s like, ‘All right, you figured out this one, now try to beat this All-American.’ ”
On Feb. 13 at the Louisville Tournament, Louisville figured Nemitz out in the bottom of the sixth inning.
With Michigan clinging to a 3-2 lead, Hutchins called Taylor in from the bullpen. The sophomore slammed the door, stranding the runner on base before striking out the side in the seventh to secure the Wolverines’ win.
It’s that type of reliability in the circle that has been Michigan’s greatest strength over the past two seasons.
After leading Michigan to the nation's best team ERA (0.88) last year, the duo has pitched at a 1.03 clip this year. Taylor has thrown two no-hitters and Nemitz has already won the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award twice.
“We count on them to keep us in every game,” Hutchins said. “They’ve done that thus far. Their job is to keep us in the game until our offense can win it."
But that's been precisely the problem at times this year.
SLUMPS AND SURPRISES
Against No. 3 Washington at Judi Garman Classic, Taylor did her job, giving up just one run.
But it wasn't enough. The Huskies’ Danielle Lawry held the Wolverines scoreless in a dazzling 13-strikeout performance.
Although Lawry is one of the top pitchers in the country, the lack of offense wasn’t an isolated incident.
Michigan averages 4.4 runs per game but has scored two runs or fewer seven times. Only part of this can be attributed to the difficult schedule. Several members of the starting lineup have suffered through extended hitting slumps.
Sophomore Dorian Shaw, who had 17 RBI at this time last year, has just nine thus far. Junior Molly Bausher’s on-base percentage is hovering around .300. But no hitter has been more disappointing than senior shortstop Teddi Ewing.
A team captain and Michigan’s lone senior starter, Ewing seemed poised for a huge season after hitting .347 last year. But she began the season with just one hit in Michigan’s first seven games and has struggled to break out of the funk since.
Ewing is a vocal leader on the field and plays stellar defense at a key position, but her .115 batting average is the worst on the team by more than 100 points.
“It’s probably a case of her just trying too hard and trying too hard to do all of the things a senior captain has to do,” Hutchins said. “We’ve asked her to step back and play her game.”
Hutchins has limited Ewing’s at-bats in recent games by pinch-hitting for her in key situations, but the senior’s confidence hasn’t waned.
“I go up there every time saying ‘This is it, I’m going to get a hit, I’m going to have a good at-bat,’ ” Ewing said. “I don’t ever go up there doubting that I can do it.”
In a lineup that features three freshmen, Ewing’s struggles could be crippling — if one of those freshmen wasn’t Amanda Chidester.
After committing to Michigan during her sophomore year of high school, Chidester was a fixture at Wolverine softball camps and in the stands during home games.
Now that she’s actually on the field, the Allen Park native has wasted no time making her presence felt. A versatile player who has seen time at five defensive positions and designated player, she leads the team in six offensive categories, including batting average (.384) and RBI (17).
Most important, her hits have come at the most crucial times. Seven times already this season, she has knocked in Michigan’s winning run.
“She looks at everything that comes at her as an opportunity that she seems to relish, as opposed to the burden of an expectation or a challenge,” Hutchins said. “She looks at it as an opportunity and you can see it in her eyes. She’s always excited to come up with runners on base or the bases loaded.”
For an offense that hasn't completely found its footing yet this year, Chidester's emergence could be enormous.
LOOKING FORWARD
The Big Ten looks to be a three-team race this year, with Michigan squaring off against Ohio State and perennial power Northwestern for conference superiority. With this year's elimination of the Big Ten tournament at the end of the regular season, each series becomes even more important.
But Michigan should be ready.
The Wolverines are battle-tested from 13 games against ranked opponents already, including No. 2 Florida (4-0 loss) and defending national champion Arizona (4-0 win). Michigan's pitching staff is dominant, and the lineup has the potential to be explosive. There isn’t a team in the country that should intimidate Michigan.
“Hopefully that’s what that tough schedule does for you,” Hutchins said. “It prepares you for the rest of the season. I feel like we’re very ready and very well-prepared.”
But that was enough of a big-picture outlook for the coach. From here on out, it’s all about one-pitch softball.
“We’ve learned why we played so well (at the Judi Garman Classic) — we were very one-pitch oriented, very moment-oriented," Hutchins said. "We played staying in our moment. We didn’t get ahead of ourselves.”
Printed from www.michigandaily.com on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:20:51 -0400