Wolverines: tough road to repeat

The University of Michigan shocked everyone last year when the underdog Wolverines shut out top-ranked Iowa 2-0 in the Big Ten Softball Championships to take home the conference crown. \nBut if the national polls are any indication, the Wolverines enter Big Ten action this week facing yet another uphill climb in their title defense.\nThe most recent national rankings were released Wednesday, and for the first time this year, the Wolverines were absent from the top 25. While six of their nine losses have come against teams in the top 15, Michigan has seen its national standing in constant decline. Ranked 11th in the preseason, the Wolverines dropped off the charts, as Big Ten foes Iowa and Wisconsin passed them.\n"The last thing I want my team to do is worry about the record," coach Carol Hutchins told the Michigan Daily earlier this week. "We played a very difficult schedule and had some very tough losses. This is a team who has had some great cuts that don't turn into hits on the scoreboard because the other team catches them. We've had our share of luck that goes against us but I'm a big believer that over the course of the long haul you get 50 percent of the breaks."\nIowa, on the other hand, saw itself jump another spot in the rankings this week to 12th. \nBoasting last year's Big Ten pitcher of the year Kristi Hanks, freshman of the year Jessica Bashor and coach of the year Gayle Blevins, the Hawkeyes are once again the favorite to take the conference title.\n"Right now, I think you have to look at Iowa and Michigan as the two toughest teams in the country," coach Diane Stephenson said. Having been a part of four of IU's five Big Ten titles as either a player or coach, Stephenson has experience in what it takes to come out on top of the Big Ten.\n"Probably the best competition we face all year will be in the next 20 games," she said. "After Iowa and Michigan, you've still got Penn State, Ohio State and Purdue to deal with. Wisconsin's been ranked all year long, so everyone you face is really a powerhouse."\nWisconsin has jumped out to another solid start this season thanks largely in part to the pitching of Andrea Kirchberg (12-8), who has compiled a 1.09 ERA so far, including 160 strikeouts. Penn State is also expected to be a major factor this year, having finished just behind Iowa and Michigan in last year's Big Ten season.\nThe wild card of the conference is Illinois, which enters its first season of participation in Big Ten softball. Although not much was expected of the Fighting Illini, they have jumped out to a 26-12 start, including a no-hitter against Valparaiso Tuesday.\n "I don't really know much about Illinois because they're new, but that's a good record," senior Melissa Narewski said. "Every time you play in this conference, you're facing a top team."\n Purdue and Ohio State have turned in the best seasons so far behind Iowa, with records 22-8-1 and 21-9 respectively. Minnesota has also turned in a solid season, and carries a nine-game winning streak into conference play. \n The Hoosiers join Northwestern and Michigan State as the only Big Ten teams with a losing record thus far. Nevertheless, the veteran Narewski has been around long enough to know that the Hoosiers' control their own destiny in this conference.\n "I think our best competition is with Wisconsin and Minnesota, so this is a big weekend for us," Narewski said. "We always give Ohio State a run for their money, and we gave Penn State a tough game last year. Michigan State is another couple of games we could put under our belt. We can step up to the level of our competition. We always do"