The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/279958
derstand there is a mental aspect to it, and Ben has done an excellent job on the mental side of it." Hill was the Wolverines' rookie sensation a year ago, posting a 7-3 record and a 3.51 ERA in 14 appear- ances (all starts). After five starts this year, the left-hander was 1-2 with a 4.40 ERA. He had allowed 26 hits while whiffing 22 in 30 2 ⁄3 innings. "I am a lot more confident on the mound now," Hill said. "Coach Ba- kich always talks about big body lan- guage on the mound, and it is really important for all of our pitchers to come out and know they are going to pound the zone and know they're go- ing to have their best day, every day, whether or not they have their stuff. If they can't find their curveball or throwing a fastball all over the place, it's important to come out and act like we have everything going for us." Bakich said last year, Hill's im- provement as a freshman was all mental, learning to control his breath- ing and not allowing outside influ- ences to affect his performance. Now, he is working on the physical side. "He has added 15 pounds of mus- cle and he's throwing his off-speed pitches more consistently for strikes now," Bakich said. "The evolution of him has been good. He is growing mentally and physically. He shows up every weekend." Szkutnik has established himself as the Friday night starter, posting an 0-3 mark and a 3.24 ERA. In 25 in- nings, the southpaw had allowed 28 hits while striking out 19. "Trent has all the stuff," Bakich said. "He has a 90-mile-an-hour fast- ball. He has a slider, a curveball and a change-up. For Trent, he is in the pro- cess of putting it all together mentally where he can slow the game down so he can be in control of himself and his performance. "Earlier in his career, he was more of a thrower, where he would go out there with a primal mindset and just throw it past someone. He has really honed his skills, and now he is more of a pitcher." In three starts and six appearances, McAnallen — yet another lefty — was 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA. He had al- lowed 21 hits and fanned 23 in 21 innings. "He likes to hunt, fish and work on muscle cars," Bakich said. "And that is how he pitches. He pitches like a guy who likes to hunt, fish and work on muscle cars. He doesn't give in. He will throw inside with his fastball. He is a competitor. What he might lack in not throwing 95 or having a devastating breaking ball, he makes up for with his intangibles." As of March 16, the Wolverines ranked second in the conference in team ERA (3.43) and sixth in the league in opponents' batting average (.249). "We are always pleased, but we're never satisfied," Bakich said. "Our program is about continuous im- provement. That is the focus of what we talk about. We are trending up- ward, and we know our record will take care of itself by the time the end of the season rolls around. Really, it's about getting these guys better every day and believing in the process." ❏