2015 Michigan Softball--Team 38 Appreciation Thread
An outstanding and amazing season by Michigan Softball.
This team accomplished so much this season and will leave a wonderful legacy, for every Michigan team that ever follows.
The journey to the WCWS is what I'll miss most.
Haylie Wagner is only one of three Michigan pitchers ever to win 100 games. She stepped up big time on the biggest stage in the game--the World Series.
2015 B1G Champions
2015 B1G Tournament Champions
2015 Regional Champions
2015 Super Regional Champions
And a whole boat of memories.
Thank you ladies. I'll be watching every TV game starting in February, not just in the World Series!!
Go Blue!!
The first TV game you'll get will be in April.
There might be streamed games in March like there was this year when Michigan played at Alabama.
But this is where you come for your Softball fix during the early season. The threads and of course getting the live, in-game updates sent to your phone via twitter.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
I'll put here what I posted for my friends to see on Facebook:
I really want to be bitter and angry about a brutal end to a great season, but I refuse to do it. The 2015 Michigan softball team is the greatest since I started following. They were exciting, they were fun, they set records, they sang and danced and made pizza. I'll never forget this team, and I'm so grateful to have had the privilege to see them in person 5 times and to help cover them for MGoBlog. It was a indescribably privilege to be a part of it.
And, just for MGoBlog:
Guys, thank you - all of you, from the die-hard nuts like MGoSoftball, WD, Wendyk5, justingoblue, and the others who were tuning in all the way back during fall ball to those of you who joined in these past few weeks. Above all, thank you to Brian, Seth, and Ace for letting me use their space to write my articles. As a kid, I always wanted to be in sports media, but my life has gone another way, one I'm very happy with. Getting to live out a little bit of that childhood dream is really special for me, though, and doing it on behalf of such a phenomenal bunch of Michigan women is just more than I could ask for. Thank you.
Two questions:
1) If a batter is standing outside of the batter's box and makes contact with the ball using the bat (either a hit or a foul ball), what is the correct ruling?
I ask because I have watched and paused the highlights from the behind-the-plate camera angle, and I am counting at least 2 (there could be more) "hits" by Florida that were either RBIs or on base that later were runs, by batters with their foot outside of the batter's box, and partially in front of the plate.
2) If a batter is hit by a pitch when their foot is outside of the batter's box, what is the ruling?
Clearly, at least one Florida batter got on base and later scored, after this happened.
Thanks to you (or anyone) who can answer these questions for me.
As I understand it, the batter is not allowed to step on home plate and is not allowed to have a foot fully outside of the batter's box (we actually got a huge call in our favor earlier in the tournament when an opposing batter stepped all the way out & made contact, ending a threat). You can have part of your foot out, but not the whole thing.
Regarding hit-by-pitches, you don't have to get out of the way, but you can't lean in. A couple of Florida's HBPs tonight were definitely legit, at least once or twice they clearly leaned in, and a couple others were borderline. It sounds like this is something the rules people are going to look at, because it's just disgusting watching a team make leaning in part of their strategy (especially a team as good as Florida - they shouldn't need to). 2 of the top 3 HBP-getters in the country play for the Gators, which doesn't feel like a coincidence. I don't like taking the toughness element of taking one for the team out of the game, but we can't have people leaning their way to championships.
I was watching the highlights and paused on at least two batters who had their foot (looks like the entire foot to me) outside of the box when making hits. Those were BIG hits.
Also, what about the first HBP who clearly had her foot out of the batter's box when hit in that same shin? One would think there would be a rule against that.
I agree with the leaning aspect. Did I hear or read that they are considering not allowing elbow pads to minimize this lean into the ball issue?
And by the way, here are the NCAA stats for HBPs, and as you said two Gators are at #2 and #3 in the country:
http://www.ncaa.com/stats/softball/d1/current/individual/414
The one Florida player was literally boasting about their "courage" to take HBPs. NO coincidence that they lead the country.
Disappointing end, but it was a hell of a ride for sure. Conference season and tournament champs, five All-Americans, record setting offense, and fighting to the third game of the championship series in the WCWS.
Departing seniors have a lot to be proud of and next season's team is set up to be even better.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Thank you. Mr. Eyeballs appreciates your comment. I will probably do a blog post (or diary, whatever it's called) look ahead to next season at some point in the next week or two.
From the first pitch to the last pitch..been following sb for 20 plus years This is one of THE BEST ever!!! so proud of them and Michigan! what a year!!!!! and we will be back here next year...GO BLUE!!!
there fixed that for you! :)
expert by any means after playing 4-5 years for my company in summer leagues but sometimes in baseball or softball, things just don't go your way. If UM and FL play 10 series I bet it's pretty damn close to 5 to 5. Couple of bad calls here, couple of bad luck plays here and that's the difference. Hell of a year. I hadn't watched softball before this year but will be tuning in, in the coming years. Thanks to the team for a great year. Much to be proud of!
Florida got the rolls and the perfect placed balls and we didn't. Just one of those days.
Game 1 SiLo's drive to the track
Today: UM had the 5 hardest hit balls of the day, and only 1 of them went for a hit
5th inning: SiLo's line out to right was close, and Christner's fly out was great contact, just missing (on the bat) a long grand slam, not to
3rd inning: Romo missed a 2-run double by about an inch (I rewatched it, and it was really, really close to going over the bag)
Florida, not so much. They took advantage of what they had. I don't really remember any of their outs being hard hits. (Or their hits being hit that hard either:)
That's not to diminish UF's win. Great pitching, great defense, good base running. And UM gave away 1 or 2 runs on a bad decision in the field. UF earned it. I'm just agreeing that we were on the short end of good breaks.
I'll make a post (since there's a HUGE list of them) of all the individual record and team records that were set this season.
Abby Ramirez, Haylie Wagner, Kelsey Susalla, Sierra Romero and Kelly Christner were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Great Talent! Entertaining! Great Heart!
National Runners-up is a great accomplishment.
up like it was a football game or basketball game. We even had timeouts and gateway errors! Fun ride.
Thank you Michigan softball for a wonderful season.
(Insert last scene from Bad News Bears Here - embed fail)
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
We talked a little about it on "Wolverine anderings" tonight, but yeah, this has been an excellent run by Michigan softball in a long series of excellent runs really, and this team should be nothing but proud of all it has achieved. For so long, the the present and future has been bright for this team and it is a nice problem to have indeed.
It was a fun ride and a fun season. Great job ladies. Nothing but love and respect.
Go Blue and Go Pizza.
Great job and see you back at the WCWS next year!
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Awesome season.
Michigan played in the last possible game of the entire season. Only two teams get to do that. Do you think Alabama would have liked to do that? Do you think LSU would have liked to do that? UCLA? Oregon?
Awesome run. Go have some pizza.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
It will tomorrow.
I am so PROUD for what this team did and it truly is great to be a Michigan Wolverine!
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
The Sara Driesenga redshirt situation is very, very interesting.
I'm not ready to close the book on her career just yet until I hear official word.
If she comes back, though.........whoa.
We're maybe looking at a pitching staff that is 4-deep next year. If you add that to, uh, mostly everyone returning....2016 might be a better season than this one....
The battery is definitely the big ? for next year. I fully believe that Megan Betsa will be back & better than ever, and she'll be a great leader. The days of one pitcher doing it all, though, seem to be behind us - it's a staff sport nowadays. If Driesenga is back, that's huge for us. Otherwise we're looking for big contributions from Blanco or Crockett (incoming freshman) to help us out. If one of them develops quickly, it'll be great fun.
The other side of the equation is losing 4-year catcher Lauren Sweet. While she had a great year at the plate, I'm not *too* worried about replacing her production offensively. Incremental improvements from Blanco, Falk, Vargas, and Swearingen (I have her tabbed as a potential break-out star) should cover up that issue in the middle of the order. Her defensive contributions, though, are easy to overlook. She gunned down plenty of runners this year, and she's known to have a real talent for communicating with pitchers, keeping them steady, backing up pitches that get away, etc. Who will the new catcher be who fills that role defensively?
If we can answer those 2 questions successfully, matching or exceeding Team 38's achievements is a real possibility. For more of my thoughts, tune in to my 2016 Season Preview (upcoming in 8 months or so!).
Falk did step up when Sweet was hurt when Michigan began their home/B1G schedule in March/April and she didn't pretty well for a Freshman IIRC.
I actually did find some footage of Tera pitching today from the Bowling Green game and it was.....weird. Only because I'm so used to her at 1B from this season.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Any info on what the percentages are for it to happen?
She only appeared in 7 games this season as she was out for the season with a rib injury (heard that on WTKA).
It's pretty much a lock if she does pursue one. The only thing is that she was honored on senior day along with Haylie and Becca Garfinkel so that might mean she's moving on.
I really don't know. I've asked one of the student managers that I talk to on twitter and he said it's pretty much up to the NCAA at this point.
She would be a great asset for next season. I hope it happens.
season - better than all but one other team in the country - but I feel empty as all hell right now.
I had a sense from early on this season that it was going to be us and them in the final final. Didn't know how it would turn out. Wish it had turned out better. I just want a championship in a sport I really care about and it feels like it's been forever.
No need to be hesitant putting your emotions for this great team out there. Losing this one hurt bad, there's no two ways about it. For me I think it's because a) this team was so insanely lovable and b) our little MGoBlog softball community, which has been strong for awhile, seemed to really come of age this year, especially in the playoffs.
By the time all was said and done, I cared as deeply for this team as I have for any team, any sport I've ever followed. Also, any Michigan fan can totally relate to your final sentence. It's been brutal.
and the feeling we didn't play nearly our best game in the one that decided it all, still some looks back at things we could have done differently in Game 1, things that could have gone differently - most of all this feeling that with the Championship on the line, we were facing a team we were certainly good enough to beat - I really thought they might do it. It's pretty bitter and I'm going to be up for a while silently grousing over this one.