'M' softball continues tourney circuit

By Arun Gopal

Daily Sports Writer

With an 18-6 record and a No. 13 national ranking, the Michigan softball team has built up a nice head of steam during the nonconference portion of its schedule. Wins over ranked powers such as UCLA and Arizona State have cemented the Wolverines as a legitimate national contender this season.

Michigan will look to continue its momentum this weekend when it takes part in the Boilermaker Invitational in West Lafayette. The Wolverines will face Toledo and Notre Dame tomorrow before squaring off against Bradley and Kent on Sunday.

As the three-time defending champion of this event, Michigan has some lofty standards to live up to. The Wolverines lost just once in 12 games en route to those three titles, so this year's squad will have the target squarely on its back.

After starting the season a pedestrian - by Michigan's standards - 7-5, the Wolverines have caught fire in their last two tournaments.

Michigan won five out of six games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic over Spring Break - including victories against then-No. 5 Louisiana State and No. 4 Arizona State - and followed that up with a dominating performance in the Tallahassee Democrat-Florida State Invitational this past weekend.

The Wolverines outscored their opponents in Florida by a combined 33-4 margin en route to an unblemished 6-0 record and the tournament championship. In the final - a 9-0, five-inning waxing of Kansas - freshman Marissa Young pitched a one-hitter with six strikeouts and was named tourney MVP.

"We definitely have improved," Hutchins said. "Our pitching has been consistent, but we're hitting only .271. That's not good enough to win in the Big Ten. We have to continue to improve."

Aside from the obvious motivation to win that Michigan has for every tournament, there is some added incentive.

In their second game tomorrow, the Wolverines will take on Notre Dame. Last season, the fifth-seeded Fighting Irish shocked top-seed Michigan, 1-0, in the NCAA Region 6 Championship at Alumni Field. The loss shattered the Wolverines' dreams of a national title and left them with a sour taste in their mouths heading into the offseason.

"It's nothing that I would speak of," Hutchins said. "What I tell my kids is that anybody we're playing is in our way. But I think that the girls would have some extra motivation for this game."

Michigan is 43-2 in regular-season conference play over the last two seasons. With such an impressive reputation to live up to, it is important that the Wolverines be in top form once conference play begins April 4.