In The Circle

It's been over a week since the news came from Ann Arbor, and we're still reeling from it. On our latest edition of In The Circle, we will hear from new Michigan Head Coach Bonnie Tholl during the show's opening segment from Monday's press conference. Also, Eric Lopez has some developing news about potential new foes joining Michigan in the Big 10 and what it could mean for the Pac-12.

 Eric then chats with former Wolverine and Rawlings Gold Glove winner Kristina Burkhardt about her reaction to Carol Hutchins retirement. She reflects on what it was like playing for Coach Hutch and what kind of Head Coach Bonnie Tholl will be. Burkhardt discusses her journey in softball, from playing in North Carolina to Michigan and learning from her sister Ashley Burkhardt. The last word on this episode fittingly belongs to Coach Hutch herself as she spoke on Monday during her press conference on Monday afternoon.

It took a little longer than usual (thanks, Mother Nature), but alas, we have a new champion in Athletes Unlimited. Today's episode will break down one of the most dramatic weekends in AU history. Eric Lopez has hosting duties, while Victor Anderson recorded this episode while waiting for his flight back to Orlando. No, seriously, Victor did the show at O'Hare International Airport. Nonetheless, he had PLENTY to discuss with his time in Rosemont, and he gives a day-by-day analysis of how we got to Deija Mulipola being crowned champion.

 We also look back at the swan songs for Danielle O'Toole and Amanda Chidester, a Saturday surprise, an accidental photobomb from Vic, and Mother Nature's impact on Sunday. You'll also hear Victor's interviews from Sunday night with Rookie of the Year Shannon Rhodes, GEICO Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Flippen, and Runner-up Alyssa Denham.

 We wrap things up with final thoughts and another legendary coach calling it a career. 

We have reached Championship Week in Season three of Athletes Unlimited, and there's still a lot to play for the week. We will look at all of the storylines in this AU-themed edition of In The Circle. The show starts with Eric Lopez and Victor Anderson recapping the leaderboard heading into the final week and who has the inside track to take home the title. We also discuss the potential of an all-Wildcat Top 4 at the end of Sunday.  

 Afterward, we chat with AU Broadcaster Eric Collins, who shares his perspective on why this season might be the best. He also reflects on his journey into broadcasting, including working for Team USA, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and much more. Eric also shares some advice for young broadcasters breaking into the field. 

 Our show wraps up with some news in Tuscaloosa and our final AU Pro Draft with a unique twist. Plus, we predict who will be crowned the Season three Champion.

 *Disclaimer: Portions of this episode were recorded before the Carol Hutchins retirement news

When breaking news happens, In The Circle will be ready to talk about it (even when one of us is flying into an airport when it happens). Very few things will make us scrap our whole schedule and work on a new show. What happened in Ann Arbor on Wednesday Afternoon was one of those things. When "THE" Adam Schefter tweets about it, then it's a big freaking deal. In this emergency episode, Eric Lopez and Victor Anderson break down the surprising and sudden news of legendary Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins announcing her retirement on Wednesday. The guys look back at her Hall of Fame career and reflect on her emotional post-game press conference after the Orlando Regional in May. 

We will play back a portion of our interview with Coach Hutch when she came on the podcast last February and hear from several Wolverines, from Jordan Taylor to Marissa Young, among others, about playing for Hutch. Finally, we share our memories of one of the game's titans.

Something feels a little different on today's episode of In The Circle. Maybe it's because schools are back in session? Maybe it is because football is starting back up soon? Or maybe SOMEONE doesn't want to show their face after Eric Lopez embarrassed them in this past week's AU Fantasy Draft? Depending on your preference, we have you covered as Jenna Becerra joins the podcast. She reflects on Bleav In Softball reaching their 100th episode. She also talks about what she has learned about hosting 100 episodes and booking guests like Dr. Dot Richardson, Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman, and more. Becerra also discusses her 2021 broadcast season between the Pac-12 Network and Stanford radio, serving as Play-by-Play and Color Analyst.

Victor Anderson FINALLY shows up at the end of the show to reflect on this past week in Athletes Unlimited and what we can expect during Championship Week in Rosemont.

Thursday usually means two things; one day closer to Friday and a new edition of In The Circle. Today's show is full of announcements, storylines, and much more. We begin the show recapping Week 3 of Athletes Unlimited and have our weekly draft. Eric took the W last week and finds himself leading 2-1 in the best of five series. Can Victor pull out a victory and set-up a winner-take-all Week 5 next week?   Plus. Eric Lopez catches up with a longtime friend of the podcast Scott Hall who recently shared his intentions to pursue broadcasting full-time. He shares with us his broadcasting career at Marshall which saw him broadcast 1,008 games during his time with the Thundering Herd. Scott reflects on a few of his favorite memories while being with the program and what the future holds.   We end the show with the huge announcement Victor has teased everyone with on social media the past week. It's so huge, Eric thinks one of the biggest matches in wrestling today moved because of it (not really).

Just when you thought we would have a quiet weekend in softball....there's really no such a thing. We have plenty to discuss on this episode of In The Circle. The guys are joined by Justin McLeod from Extra Inning Softball who broke the news of Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro set to be named the next head coach at Memphis. They break down what it means for both programs and where Coach Murphy goes to fill out his staff.   Eric and Victor take a look at the NJCAA's new deal with ESPN starting this year along with the significance of softball within the deal. How will this impact NJCAA's coverage overall? Where does Division 2 and Division 3 go from here? We also breakdown the Big Ten's new deals with CBS & NBC plus why seeing Big Ten Softball will get a lot harder in a couple of years.   We wrap up the episode by looking back at the inaugural Golden Mic Awards which were announced last month on Extra Inning Softball as well as the state of softball broadcasting as we press forward into the 2023 season and beyond.

It's all Athletes Unlimited on this edition of In The Circle. Victor is back after resting up his voice on Monday's show and he has plenty to talk about with Week 3 getting going. He chats about the rise of Haylie McCleney in Week 2 and the consistent play of Dejah Mulipola & Sahvanna Jaquish.   Eric comes on the show for a chat with friend of the podcast and AU Athlete Gwen Svekis. She chats with E-Lo about the growth of Athletes Unlimited which includes the debut of AUX in San Diego in June. She also reflects on being with Team USA, her former college coach Mike White making it to the WCWS Championship Series and much more. There might even be some Dolphin talk in the interview as well.   We hold our Week 3 Draft where Eric edged out Victor to even up the series at one win each. Will Eric pick Rachel Garcia #1 for the third straight week? Does Gwen find herself on one of the rosters this week? Our episode ends with some news regarding Meg Aronowitz and Beth Mowins  

There's plenty of movement in the Coaching Carousel, and we'll break it all down in this new episode of In The Circle. While Victor Anderson recovers from his week-long trip to his summer residence in Viera, Eric Lopez welcomes Extra Inning Softball National Editor Justin McLeod. They discuss the blockbuster announcement of Jo Evans being named the new Head Coach of UC-Santa Barbara. They discuss the impact of Coach Evans coming to the program and what it means for the Big West.

 Afterward, Eric talks with someone who will be at a new program in 2023. New Yale Head Coach Laura Ricciardone talks about her vision for the program and her journey from playing at Harvard to coaching at Boston and USF. The show wraps up with Eric and Justin recapping Southern Miss naming Natalie Poole as their new head coach, and other coaching tidbits.

As we continue this month, we keep chatting with new head coaches on In The Circle. Today's episode has Victor Anderson joining us from Viera, FL, as he is broadcasting the final week of the WPF Exhibition Season. Before we hear from him, we'll hear from new Toledo Head Coach Jessica Bracamonte on her new job. Bracamonte also discusses her playing career at Michigan State, returning to the MAC after spending time in the league as an assistant coach at Central Michigan, and what she learned at Duke under coach Marissa Young.

 Eric Lopez then chats with Victor about more coaching news, including two massive hires out of the Southland Conference plus UCF reloading their staff with former national champions. We finally wrap up the show with our Week 2 Athletes Unlimited Draft. Victor used a strong showing from Savannah Jaquish and Mia Davidson to take home the crown in Week 1. Who will he select first this week, and how will Eric respond?