There aren”t too many players who would rather have a .281 batting average instead of a .400, but the No. 8 Michigan softball team has one of them.
Centerfielder Meghan Doe doesn”t get caught up in the headline stats batting average, homeruns and RBIs. Instead she”s more concerned with the lesser-known, but equally important categories sacrifice bunts, hits and defensive field-percentage.
“I would much rather bat what I”m batting now (.281) than bat .400 as long as I”m moving Kelsey (Kollen),” Doe said. “Especially this year, I just need to move her even if I don”t get on base.”
Kollen, the team”s lead-off hitter, leads the team with 21 runs scored. For Doe who moved up in the batting order from the No. 9 spot last season to second this year it has been her sacrifice hits that have advanced Kollen into scoring position so that extra-base hitters like Monica Schock and Stefanie Volpe can knock her in.
What makes Doe”s slap-hit style to produce ground balls interesting is that it is different from her predecessors”, but it still makes the offense produce the Wolverines are scoring more runs per game than last season”s team. The No. 2 hitter last year, Melissa Taylor, batted .455 with nine extra-base hits. Doe has zero extra-base hits in her career.
“Yeah, the first few weeks to fill Melissa”s shoes were tough,” Doe said. “As the season has gone along, I”ve been more comfortable in (the No. 2 spot). Mentally, I”ve gotten more confident and the coaches are more confident in me.”
Doe said the best way for her to not feel any pressure this season has been just “hitting the ball and putting it on the ground.”
After a broken leg forced her to redshirt as a freshman, Doe finally feels that she”s at 100-percent. It shows with her play in center field as she has eight putouts this season and hasn”t committed an error yet.
Doe and the rest of the Wolverines (14-4) will be counting on their defense and pitching going into the Florida State Seminole Classic tomorrow. They will play Ball State, Winthrop and Missouri-Kansas City in tournament pool play.