Post-Fall Practice Q&A with Coach Carol Hutchins
11/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Michigan Softball Post-Fall Practice
Q&A with Head Coach Carol Hutchins
On her overall impressions of the fall ... "My impressions of the fall were that we got a lot better as a team and this is a team that needs to regain an identity after losing a marquee player like Marissa Young. I actually think the kids are excited about that challenge and are working really hard to establish themselves. I think we have a great personality as a team and our work ethic right now is better than ever."
On equipment change for the 2004 season ... "The big change is that we are now playing with a new ball and it is really going to affect the offensive end of the game. My sense after the fall tournaments is that it still comes off the bat as hard and quick, but it does not carry like the one we had been using. A lot of popups that carried over the fence the last couple years are now going to simply be popups, so the first thing we did is adjust our hitting style a little bit because you have to be a better pure hitter with the new ball."
On what type of adjustment they need to make ... "I think the last couple of years you saw us change our swings to evolve with the greater emphasis on the home run. We allowed the kids to air it out and take bigger, longer swings for a little more power and a little less average. Now we need to go back to hitting for average, which will be interesting since we recruited for the home run the last couple years and as a result we have some pretty big swingers. Jennifer Olds is an example of a player that needs to shorten her swing and she has come a long way since last season. The problem is that when you are in the middle of a learning curve you are not doing it the way you used to nor are you where you want to be, but she has really progressed with the both the physical and mental aspects of the game."
On the role pitcher Jennie Ritter will play this season ... "She has come a long way. Her game control was much better this fall and she is learning not to just muscle the ball past every hitter she faces. As easy as that sounds, it's really difficult for a kid who was talented enough to just power her way through people in high school. I was as pleased with her this fall as anybody on the team because she came back improved in all aspects of her game."
On the off-season training ... "Right now we are doing individual workouts, with the pitchers throwing three days a week and the hitters coming in two or three days each week and this is a critical time when kids can really fine tune their games. We bring in three hitters for a 40-minute session and it's a chance for us get a lot of work done as well as the lifting and conditioning part the kids go through. We work really meticulously on the hitters' swings, and for the pitchers this is the time of year they have a chance to really improve."
On Nicole Motycka becoming the ace ... "She has the mentality to want it and she has proven to be a tough pitcher game in and game out for us the last two years. She throws the ball with excellent velocity but needs to improve her spin on the ball and she needs to get consistent with her changeup. The changeup, more than anything, will allow her to become the pitcher we think she is and be that go-to pitcher we need."
On the veteran infield returning ... "I think we have a great infield. I was very pleased with our infield this fall, particularly defensively, and I don't think we made more than one error. Jessica Merchant is as good a shortstop as there is and she is a great leader between the lines. What I really love about Merchant is that even when she struggles offensively -- and in a 60-game season everybody struggles offensively -- she never lets it affect her defense. She stays very steady up the middle for us and sets a great tone defensively. I think Tiffany Haas is just starting to come into her own. Our infield is really well balanced and we have a senior, junior and two sophomores, which is a nice mix. All those kids have the ability to hit for power and average."
On the key to success this season ... "We lost some key people off last year's team, and more than just Marissa Young. Melinda Moulden was an excellent player and seniors like Lisa Mack and Liz Elsner played vital roles. What we need this season is for our returnees that have experience to step up. I told Courtney Betley, who played well for us last season, I need her to hit .350 and I need Monica Schock to hit over .350 from the cleanup spot. In the circle, Motycka has been a heck of a pitcher the last two years, but this year we need another level out of her. That is the key for us to stay at the same level as a program. Honestly, stepping up when you lose an All-American is the only chance we have ever had and our upperclassmen have done a great job of that. Betley, specifically, is ready to take on that challenge and had a great fall, so I am pleased with her progress."
On the leadership ... "Meghan Doe and Angie Churchill are captains this season and I am pleased with that group in terms of leadership because they complement each other well. Churchill has really taken this role seriously and has been what you need out of a senior captain. Meghan is clearly the vocal leader for us and is a spark plug on the field."
On the emergence of Michelle Teschler ... "I am really impressed with Teschler. She played summer ball with a women's team and came back with more confidence and a little air about her. It was an excellent experience for her and she has improved as a hitter because she is seeing the ball much better. Right now, I see her in leftfield and I am really pleased with her game. She has improved a great deal in just the last couple weeks. She and Jennie Ritter were probably my highlights coming out of fall practice."
On a potential No. 3 hitter ... "I think Jessica Merchant has the ability and mentality to handle the load in the three-spot. She has shown flashes the last two years and I really believe it's her time to shine and I think she is capable of that."
On freshman pitcher Lorilyn Wilson ... "She is a good addition to this program and an excellent athlete from the circle. Her strength is that she moves the ball very well and has good spin on the ball. She is doing a better job of changing speeds. When we first put her in the circle in the fall she was a whole different pitcher and she had really good command of her pitches for a freshman. Right now, she does not use her legs enough so her velocity is not close to where it can be down the road, but her ball has fabulous break and she throws a fastball that drops off the table."
On the role freshman Tiffany Worthy will play ... "She gives us good depth at catcher and is a tough kid. We recruited her because we feel she can be our catcher down the road. I'd like to get her some innings as the designated hitter, but she missed most of the fall, so we'll have to wait and see what role she plays out of the gate. As far as the catcher position, Lauren Holland is somebody who has also improved a lot."
Contact: Rich Marion (734) 763-4423
