The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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Kelsey Susalla (.380, 14 home runs, 61 RBI), sophomore infielder Abby Ramirez (.371, 53 runs scored), and junior outfielder Sierra Lawrence (.346, 14 home runs, 60 RBI) all contributed to the mash-fest that resulted in the school-record run production. In the end, neither the numbers nor the near miss at the end will stand out the most to those who experienced this special season. "It's hard," Romero admitted of the championship-game loss to Florida. "I'm not going to lie. It wasn't the best feeling. We worked very hard the entire year. We never took a day off. We fought. "It's sad, but at the same time, it's very hard for me to be upset. I'm so proud of the team and what we accomplished. We came up short, but there were only two teams playing in June, and we were one of them." "It's hard for everybody, but for me personally, the next few days after that were extremely tough," Wagner said. "Of course I was upset that we lost, and we didn't win a national championship, but I was more upset that my career at Michigan was over. "I would go back in a heartbeat and redo those four years." A welcome-home celebration by supporters at Alumni Field helped refocus Wagner and the rest of the Wolverines. Hutchins acknowledged entering the dugout in Oklahoma City and appreciating the opportunity to coach for a national title. "That being said, winning it or not would not have made me feel any different about this team," she said. "This team gave us their heart and their soul. They made Michigan really proud. We controlled everything we could, and we got beat by a better team. "People have come along and said, 'I'm sorry,' and I say, 'You don't need to pick me up. I'm the coach of a great team, and that's all a coach can ask for.'" ❏ Michigan's Other Top Female Teams The Wolverines' diamond gems owned ESPN throughout the spring, but they weren't the only female Michigan athletes demanding attention throughout the year. U-M featured a number of squads that made a mark in the Big Ten and beyond. Here's a look at the best of the rest from the 2014-15 campaigns. 1. Women's Gymnastics — Bev Plocki is used to leading crews of Wolverines into the NCAA's "Super Six," the final showdown in national competition for the elite half-dozen squads in the country. U-M fell just shy of that distinction this season, but still accomplished plenty. The Big Ten Coach of the Year guided the Wolverines to a regular-season title, the Big Ten Championship, a runner-up regional finish and a spot in the NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Plocki's gymnasts finished fourth in the first semifinal, missing by one place the Super Six.