Around sports

Men’s tennis
IU falters against No. 25 Michigan  

The IU men’s tennis team showed up at the Varsity Courts on Friday with a special opportunity on its hands.

A win against No. 3 seed Michigan would not have only put the Hoosiers in the Big Ten semifinals for the second consecutive year, it would have all but guaranteed them a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

But the Wolverines snatched that opportunity away from the Hoosiers as quickly as it was presented to them.

No. 25 Michigan captured the doubles point and rolled in singles competition as it ousted the No. 44 Hoosiers with a 4-0 victory.

The Wolverines won the first set in each of the six singles matches. Michigan’s Chris Cha ended the match when he defeated the Hoosiers’ Will Kendall 6-4, 6-3 at No. 6 singles.

Freshman Isade Juneau, who was trailing 2-1 in the third set when the match ended, was the only IU player to win a set on the day.

“What would have helped us today is if we would have had that one guy step up and say, ‘I’m gonna be the guy, that man-on-man and just watch me,’” IU coach Randy Bloemendaal said.

The loss likely ends the Hoosiers’ season and the career of junior Lachlan Ferguson.  
Ferguson did not have the opportunity to finish either of his matches on Friday, but will leave Bloomington as one of the best men’s tennis players in school history. He is one of only 10 Hoosiers to be selected to two All-Big Ten teams.

“Lachlan has really instilled a special work ethic in this program,” Bloemendaal said. “He really prepares in a way that a professional tennis player would prepare. I think that’s going to be a big part of his legacy.”

— Justin Albers

Softball
Hoosiers drop a pair to Badgers

The IU softball team  (11-34, 3-12) continues to search for answers against Big Ten, as its losing streak extended to seven games during the weekend.

The Hoosiers lost twice to the Wisconsin this weekend, first by 4-1 on Saturday and then 8-0 on Sunday in just five innings.

IU only has four games left this season: a two-game series with Purdue on the road and Penn State at home.

Although, senior pitcher Monica Wright (3-12) pitched all six innings with eight strikeouts in the first game, the Hoosiers were only able to push one run across the plate. The Hoosiers had similar offensive struggles in the second game, falling in five innings due to the run rule.

“I thought this weekend we struggled to get the hits we needed with runners on base, and when we did, there were some tough calls on the base paths,” IU coach Michelle Gardner said.

The Hoosiers face the Boilermakers at 4 p.m. next Saturday, and Gardner hopes to use the hitting troubles as a learning experience.

“That is all part of the game, and we still have two weekends left to end the season on a high note,” Gardner said.

— Aaron Siegal-Eisman


Men’s golf
IU places 6th at Big Tens

The IU men’s golf team wrapped up a consistent spring season Sunday with a sixth-place finish at the 2010 Big Ten Championships in Maple Plain, Minn.

Even though the Hoosiers’ finish is the highest since March, they have all but assured themselves of an NCAA Tournament bid for the third consecutive season.

The Hoosiers fought the elements in Minnesota all weekend and closed the tournament with a 306 and 300 in the final two rounds, respectively.

“The winds during Saturday’s third round gusted 30 mph, and we got the worst of the weather all three days,” IU coach Mike Mayer said.

All-Big Ten senior Alex Martin led the Hoosiers all weekend. On Friday, Martin shot a pair of 71’s to open up the 2010 Big Ten Tournament, and his four-round total of 289 put him sixth individually.

“Alex is not always the flashiest of player, but he plays to his strengths very well,” Mayer said. “He did not let the elements get to him, and he played solid all week.”

Sophomore David Erdy was next for IU in 20th place after shooting a 295 for the week.

Freshman Brant Peaper closed his impressive freshman spring season in 41st place with a 305 total.

Playing in the lineup for the second consecutive tournament, freshman Corey Ziedonis wrapped up the Big Ten Championships in 46th place.

To many of the golfing pundits out there, the Hoosiers have done enough to secure one of the 84 spots in the NCAA Regionals, which begin May 20.

IU is currently ranked No. 60 on Golfstat, and the magic number for at-large teams is right around 70.

The Hoosiers will officially learn on May 10 what is next for the team when the NCAA hands out the bids to the six different NCAA Regionals.

Mayer said the team will hit the books hard this week during finals and then break down each player’s game once the school year is over.

“We really need to get the players on the course and put them into some situations that will test their abilities to perform under pressure,” Mayer said. “I think we are really close, and we just need to tighten up as a unit.”

— Kevin Bowen

Women’s tennis
Hoosiers drop Big Ten quarterfinal match against Iowa

Despite reshuffled lineups, the IU women’s tennis team was unable to produce a different result in its second match of the season with Iowa, falling 4-1 to the host Hawkeyes in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.

The Hoosiers fell in the No. 1 doubles match 8-5  to drop the doubles point and put themselves in an early 1-0 hole. The No. 2 doubles match was left unfinished with IU leading 7-6.

The Hoosiers fared little better in singles.

Due to a shortage of courts, only four singles matches could be played at a time. The No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 matches were the first to begin. Senior captain Lindsey Stuckey, in possibly the final match of her career, dropped a 6-3, 6-3 decision at No. 4
singles, instead of her usual No. 5 slot, to double the team’s deficit.

Freshman Leslie Hureau gave the Hoosiers a glimmer of hope with a straight-set win at No. 2 singles. However, junior Katya Zapadalova dropped the match’s lone three set contest, putting the team on the brink of defeat.

Their fate was sealed when junior Myriam Sopel, playing at No. 6 singles instead of her customary No. 4 spot due to injury, fell 6-1, 7-6. The last two matches had begun at that point, but were discontinued.

IU’s season might be over. The NCAA tournament field will be announced soon, and the Hoosiers find themselves right on the cusp of qualification. Last year, four Big Ten teams made the field of 64. The Hoosiers finished fifth in the conference this year.

— Max McCombs