The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS made March 8, allowing him to join a half-dozen other Wolverines making the trek. The four-time NCAA qualifier fashioned a 14-11 record in his final year of eligi- bility, with five victories over other NCAA qualifiers. He finished 10th at the Big Ten Championships and is ranked No. 15 nationally in the latest coaches' poll. Other Michigan qualifiers for the NCAA Championships are: redshirt junior Conor Youtsey (125), sophomore Alec Pantaleo (149), junior Brian Murphy (157), junior Domenic Abounader (184), fifth-year senior Max Huntley (197) and junior Adam Coon (heavyweight). SIERRA ROMERO STILL SAILING ALONG Michigan senior second baseman Sierra Romero isn't slowing down in her final swing at college softball. Romero came busting out of the gate as the National Player of the Week March 8 by both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and USA Softball. Romero hammered her way to an even .500 batting average the week before, knocking out a pair of doubles, a triple and a home run with 13 RBI in a 6-0 Michigan skein. She also kept building on four Michigan records she already owns: runs (256), home runs (70), RBI (265) and walks (188). "Having success at the plate really helps with my overall confidence, because I know I can get the job done even if it takes me a few at-bats to get going," Romero told MGoBlue.com. "But to be honest I don't know if I'll ever be satisfied with my hitting. My biggest thing and our team's biggest thing is our focus, and we did a really good job with that over our entire spring break trip. "I'm proud of how our team has kept energy in the dugout, kept swinging and kept battling each and every game." OLIVER JASKIE BRINGING IT Michigan sophomore lefty Oliver Jaskie has stepped forward to not only be- come a boon for the Wolverines, but one of the best pitchers in the Big Ten. He earned Big Ten Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week honors March 7. Jaskie shut out No. 10 California, helping him to his second conference award in three weeks. He locked down the Golden Bears en route to a 5-0 victory, throwing five and one-third innings of three-hit ball with six strikeouts. He came out of that game 2-0 — and has since moved to 3-0 while maintain- ing a 0.00 earned-run average. That tied him with nine other pitchers for the lowest ERA (and obviously the lowest possible) in NCAA Division I through March 14. — John Borton