Studious Softball team plays on through summer

By Arun Gopal

Daily Sports Writer

In a few weeks, the majority of the students at this university will be gone.

Some will be off to internships in far-flung locales; others will be at home relaxing. Regardless of where they go, the common denominator with all of these students is that they will not be here.

But there is one group of young ladies for whom the school year doesn't really stop. As far as the Michigan softball team is concerned, the only thing that changes is that, for most players, classes end - there will be no more 9 a.m. lectures to worry about. Instead, those early classes will be replaced with equally early practices.

"Some of our players are taking classes, so we're structuring our practice schedule around their class schedules," Michigan assistant coach Bonnie Tholl said. "We'll still just be having one practice a day."

The life of a student-athlete is not easy. During the school year, players must efficiently divide their time between softball and classes. Hours spent at Alumni Field have to be balanced with hours spent at the Undergraduate Library.

Once the summer hits, this problem vanishes. Players can completely devote their energy to the team and its drive for a championship. But, when faced with a sudden glut of free time, it can sometimes be difficult for players to maintain their focus.

"For the freshmen, it's been a trying year, more intense than anything they've done before," Tholl said."At this point, for them, it'll be nice to have a break.

"For the rest of the players, it's specific for each individual. Some players like the free time, others really like having a lot of things going on."

The final month of the regular season will go a long way towards determining Michigan's fate in the postseason. Currently ranked No. 12, the Wolverines - who boast wins over national powers UCLA, Arizona State and Louisiana State - are a legitimate contender for the national title. If Michigan has any designs on moving from contender status up to favorite, though, one thing has to pick up - its offensive production.

The Wolverines are coming off of a doubleheader against Central Michigan on Wednesday where they mustered just one run in two games. Fortunately for Michigan, that one run was enough to win the nightcap, 1-0.

But this win came on the heels of an embarrassing 3-0 shutout loss in the opener. In addition to only collecting six hits, Michigan left nine runners on base and, surprisingly, given the Wolverines' defensive prowess, committed four errors.

"We knew that Central wouldn't be a walkover," freshman outfielder Melinda Moulden said. "We just all needed to step it up."

"Right now for us, it's just a lack of timely hitting," Tholl said. "Once a couple hitters get some RBIs, it'll be like a snowball effect - we can go from zero runs or one run to five or six runs."

It should be noted that Michigan's offense wasn't totally devoid of stars. Amidst the ruins of yesterday's first game emerged senior third baseman Pam Kosanke, who continued her strong performance at the plate this year with two hits. Meanwhile, designated hitter Stephanie Volpe was the star of the nightcap, going a flawless 3-for-3.

But, aside from those two, there wasn't much to cheer about. The rest of the team was a combined 7-for-44 in the two games.

"Volpe has done an excellent job driving in runs," Tholl said. "We've looked to her and Kosanke as two of our brightest hitters. We expect them to be catalysts for the rest of our offense. But everyone has to take their own turn at being the sparkplug."

Another bright spot was pitcher/first baseman Marissa Young, who continued her season-long brilliance with another overpowering pitching performance in the doubleheader's second game.

Young retired the first 14 batters she faced before giving up a hit. The freshman finished her complete-game, two-hit shutout with a career-high 12 strikeouts.

"She came in here good, and she's been awesome for us," Moulden said. "I really feel like she can keep it up for the rest of the season."

"Young's been an impact player," Tholl added. "She has an excellent game sense. You can really tell from watching her that she is a student of the game."

Considering how much Michigan has struggled to score runs, Young has been an invaluable asset. Over the final month-and-a-half of the season, she, or one of her teammates, will have to step up and become a dependable hitter in the clutch for the Wolverines. If that doesn't happen, Michigan's players just might get to join their schoolmates in an extended summer vacation.

Summer session

The No. 12 Michigan softball team is in third place but only one game out of first. Stop by Alumni Stadium this summer to find out if the Wolverines catch Penn State and Iowa.

Today Ohio State (DH) 2 p.m.

Tomorrow Penn State 2 p.m.

Apr. 16 Penn State 1 p.m.

Apr. 21 Iowa (DH) 2 p.m.

Apr. 22 Northwestern 1 p.m.

Apr. 23 Northwestern 12 p.m.

Apr. 27 Indiana St. (DH) 2 p.m.

May 2 E. Michigan (DH) 2 p.m.

May 3 Ohio (DH) 2 p.m.

May 6 Michigan State 1 p.m.

May 7 Michigan State 1 p.m.

May 11-13 Big Ten Tournament* TBA

May. 18-21 NCAA Regional** TBA May 25-29 Women's College World Series***

* - at season champion

** - campus sites TBA

*** - Oklahoma City, Okla.

DANNY KALICK/Daily

Junior centerfielder Chrissy Garza and the rest of the third--place Wolverines will look to slide past Ohio State and Penn State this weekend.