The Wolverine

June-July 2017

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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JUNE/JULY 2017 THE WOLVERINE 67   OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE "I thought last year we had a for- mula to get to the championship game, and then once we were in the championship game I felt that it was anybody's game," Leonardi said. "I felt this year, we saw what we did last year, and we were able to rec- reate similar tendencies. Obviously, we wanted the No. 1 seed heading into the tournament, but we had a very, very formidable opponent in Princeton. "Last year we faced Princeton in the semis, and we faced Indiana in the finals. This year we faced Har- vard in the semis and then Princeton in the finals. I feel like there were some similarities, but I thought it was a lot tougher this year." Following the CWPA Champion- ship, Leonardi was named Coach of the Tournament. Skaggs, who leads the team in goals through the CWPA Tournament with 60, was named the Tournament MVP. Skaggs was also joined by freshman Maddy Steere on the all-tournament first team, while Ritner and the Johnson sisters made the second team. The mix of veterans and youth honored after the tournament bodes well for the Wolverines. "We're definitely excited that our seniors are playing their best water polo in their final year, but it also shows that we're doing our job in terms of recruiting," Leonardi said. "We're trying to bring in talented players to be able to not only coexist with elite veterans, but as the torch is passed on, these younger athletes can also contribute at a high level." With the championship victory, Michigan earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, with their first-round game taking place May 12. The Wolverines are seeded No. 6 in the tournament and will be taking on No. 3 seed USC. "Our last game against Princeton definitely prepped us for facing teams in the NCAA Tournament," Leonardi said. "Our entire season, our body of work has been prepped for not only winning the conference but also seeing the best teams in the country." Last season, Michigan won its first- ever NCAA opening-round game by defeating Arizona State 5-4 on a goal from Skaggs with four seconds re- maining. It may be a tougher task for the Wolverines this time around, but this season's schedule has Michigan ready to repeat that feat. "Like every year, we definitely want to position ourselves to win a conference championship and then qualify for NCAAs," Leonardi said. "Once we're at NCAAs, we want to win a first-round matchup. "Since only eight teams make the actual field, you win your first-round matchup, you're in the Final Four." BASEBALL (35‑11 OVERALL, 11‑7 BIG TEN) U‑M was ranked No. 18 in the May 1 USA Today Coaches Poll … Sophomore infielder Jimmy Kerr was named Big Ten Player of the Week May 1 … Kerr racked up seven hits in three games and led Michigan in on‑base percent‑ age over that stretch with a .750 mark … Through May 8, senior set‑up man Mac Lozer has pitched 16 1 /3 innings and allowed just two singles and no runs, with 25 strikeouts against three walks … Redshirt junior closer Jack‑ son Lamb, meanwhile, hasn't allowed an earned run in 22 innings and is 2‑0 with nine saves — three shy of the sin‑ gle‑season school record … Michigan dropped two of three games against Indiana while allowing 18 runs over the course of the series April 21‑23 … The Wolverines bounced back with a 2‑1 series win at Rutgers April 28‑30 … U‑M also won the series versus Ohio State May 5‑7, winning the first two games before dropping the finale … The Wolverines have won seven out of 10 multiple‑game series this year, in‑ cluding four of six in conference play … The Big Ten Tournament will take place May 24‑28 in Bloomington, Ind. … The NCAA Tournament begins with the Re‑ gionals June 2‑4, followed by the Super Regionals June 9‑11 and the College World Series June 17‑28 in Omaha, Neb. MEN'S GOLF Junior Kyle Mueller was named to the All‑Big Ten squad for the third time in his career, and was tabbed as a first‑ team selection for the second straight year … Mueller is also a finalist for the Jack Nicklaus Award, which is given to the National Player of the Year … Michigan took part in the Big Ten Tour‑ nament April 28‑30, finishing with a team score of 878 to place ninth … The Wolverines' highest‑placing individual at the event was sophomore Nick Carl‑ son, who tied for 16th with a score of 214 … U‑M nabbed a third straight NCAA Regional bid and will be in ac‑ tion May 15‑17 in Sammamish, Wash. … That represents Michigan's 40th post‑ season appearance in 99 seasons … The Wolverines are seeded 10th; the Junior Kyle Mueller was a second‑team All‑Big Ten pick as a freshman and has earned first‑ team laurels the last two years. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

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