The Wolverine

June-July 2015

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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S ome well-publicized Michigan athletic programs are fighting for renewed success, battling to get back to what they were and more. Their stumbles — for a single season, or for many — have been well chronicled, as always. In the meantime, other crews of Wol- verines are getting it done, and have for a very long time. One in particular mashes op- ponents like it's beating an over-ripe pumpkin with a softball bat. Carol Hutchins' dia- mond gems are always good. She wouldn't have claimed victory No. 1,400 — more wins than any coach in any sport, ever, at Michigan — without a quarter century of high-level softball. This 2015 team looks better than good. It's 51-6, the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and flat-out loaded heading into the regional it hosts at Alumni Field May 15-17. The Wolverines captured their eighth straight regular-season Big Ten title, beating out a strong Minnesota squad by a single game. The title marked the 18th for Michigan under Hutchins, and the Wolverines were just warming up. They put an excla- mation point on Big Ten dominance over Mother's Day week- end, administering the mother lode of misery to any upset hope- fuls. They outscored foes 31-2 in the Big Ten Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, eas- ily making it a sweep of the regular season and tournament titles — their first such since 2005. It's tournament time, and the Wolverines are heating up like bare feet on Phoenix asphalt in July. "We're excited," offered junior slugger Sierra Romero. "This is everything we've worked for. I'm proud of our team, and I wouldn't expect anything less." Romero and Michigan's pitching give the Wolverines all kinds of reason for expectation. She bombed a new NCAA-record 10th career grand slam in the Wolverines' 16-1 pounding of Penn State in the tournament opener, while sophomore pitcher Megan Betsa fired a one-hitter. WOLVERINE WATCH   JOHN BORTON Champions Abound Across Campus Junior shortstop Sierra Romero and the Wolverines swept the Big Ten regular- season and tourna- ment softball titles this year, and they will look to make a run in the NCAA tourney. PHOTO BY BY MIKE JANES/COURTESY MICHI- GAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

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