Thursday, March 12, 2020 was what Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins described as “the worst day of every coach’s career.” The day COVID-19 brought the entire world of sports to a sudden stop.
That was 87 days ago. By now, the softball season would be over, the champions would have been crowned in Oklahoma City and someone would have carelessly asked Hutchins if she had any plans to retire after her 37th season as the head coach of Michigan softball.
University releases budget projections.
In response to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s statement Tuesday about the safety of sports returning and the idea that teams need a ‘bubble’ to play safely, athletic director Warde Manuel was clear:
On Monday, the University announced football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams can return for voluntary workouts. Before the athletes can participate, however, they will first have to go through the athletic department’s 14-day pre-report assessment, followed by a six-day resocialization period.
The process will include symptom surveys, both a COVID-19 test and an antibody test, periods for shelter-in-place and more.
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By Max Marcovitch on March 19, 2018
Three players from the 2019 Michigan volleyball roster were invited to the USA College National Team tryouts. In the fall, they accounted for a combined 56.8 percent of the Wolverines’ kills, 48.4 percent of their blocks and 44.6 percent of their serving aces.
Another key fact about them: All three are underclassmen.
The No. 18 Michigan softball team leapt out to a hot 10-0 start before cooling down and arriving at a 15-8 record. Entering their first series in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines will look to reacquire their early season success, starting with Ball State on Saturday.
A relatively inexperienced roster has led to shuffling at every position and a lineup that has not fully settled in. For Michigan to make a run similar to the 33-3 one it had after returning home in 2019, it will have to rely on all levels of its roster.
This weekend, the No. 16 Michigan softball team had two chances to assert itself and prove its fortitude. The first was against No. 1 UCLA (22-1). The second pitted the team against No. 22 UCF (18-5). In both matchups, the Wolverines fell short.
The losses came at 2-0 and 3-2, respectively — each the result of Michigan’s (15-8) continued problem generating runs when it counts.