Upcoming Oregon series challenges Michigan softball’s recent prowess at the plate

The Michigan softball team has been on a heater as of late. Ever since conference play began two weeks ago, the Wolverines have cruised on the backs of their surging offense to a strong 6-1 conference record. But with a matchup against No. 6 Oregon in Eugene looming this upcoming weekend, it will be an unfamiliar conference foe that puts Michigan to the test. 

The pair of teams have only ever taken the field against each other three times with the Ducks taking two wins, including the most recent meeting in 2019. With a three-game series on the horizon, the Wolverines have a chance to swing the overall record in their favor, but only if their recent winning ways travel with them to the West Coast.

Since opening conference play against Maryland two weeks ago, Michigan has been batting .345 as a team, a mark that puts it in the nation’s top 20 in batting average. Headlined by sophomore center fielder Jenissa Conway, freshman designated player Lauren Putz and sophomore right fielder Ella Stephenson’s consistency in back-to-back-to-back appearances at the plate, the Wolverines hit as good as anybody in March. 

However, this recent success at the plate has come against some subpar pitching staffs. Wisconsin is right in the middle of the Big Ten with a team average 3.42 ERA, while Maryland and Michigan State fall within the bottom five in the conference, the latter being posting a conference-worst 6.02 team ERA. 

The Ducks carry a combined 1.73 ERA, which leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the country. Behind ace right-hander Lindsey Grein, who posts a 0.98 ERA and is expected to start twice against Michigan this weekend, Oregon has posted three shutouts against then-top-10 ranked teams, a feat that is far from easy to accomplish.

Arms of that caliber will challenge the Wolverines’ top hitters more than any other conference opponent this season, and how they fare against the Ducks’ pitchers will be a strong indicator to how they will fare against other top pitching staffs. One such opponent is No. 7 UCLA, another new addition to the Big Ten that is also ranked in the top 10 both overall and as a pitching staff. Michigan will face the Bruins in three weeks time, and if the Wolverines want to make a push for the conference title, it begins with tackling Oregon’s fortified corps.

“We understand that their pitching staff is high level, and we know that they’re going to have success against us,” Michigan coach Bonnie Tholl said Tuesday. “Every single at-bat, every single pitch, is going to be intense, and that’s why we play the game on the field.”

But the Ducks’ strengths are not merely limited to their presence in the circle. Posting the fifth-best batting average in the country at .367, their lineup is extremely capable of capitalizing on success in the circle. Outfielder Kedre Luschar and first baseman Rylee McCoy, both batting over .400, have been a nightmare for opposing pitching staffs all season. And the team-combined 57 home runs are a bad omen for a Wolverines’ pitching staff that gave up six homers in last weekend’s series against the Spartans, a below-average team offensively. 

Michigan is yet to face such a formidable opponent in the circle or at the plate, and for that reason will be in foreign territory in more ways than one this weekend. It may be a test the Wolverines haven’t yet faced, but it’s one that Tholl is excited to take on.

“We know that each batter, each inning, each game is going to be a challenge, and that’s how you want it,” Tholl said. “In the future, you want to be able to lean back on these experiences in postseason play, and know that you’re prepared and battle tested.”

Tied with Oregon for third in the Big Ten, Michigan has made a statement as an early contender for the Big Ten title. This weekend, the Wolverines will have the chance to back their buffed-up numbers against a premier opponent. And at the very least, they’ll learn how much work is left to do before the postseason arrives.

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