The message was simple at the Michigan softball team’s practice on Wednesday and the woman delivering it wasn’t mincing words.

Lay down the bunt or take a seat.

Wolverines head coach Carol “Hutch” Hutchins had no patience for any player not putting the ball in play during the last drill of the day on Wednesday and those who didn’t execute got an earful.

Why all the fuss over sacrifice bunts for a team with the second highest run production in the nation, sixth best batting average and power up and down the lineup?

Because Hutchins knows the time of year when her team was averaging more than seven runs per game are gone.

“We had a lot of games this year where we just swung and that’s all we needed to do. We know better at this time of year. You better be able to bunt, you better be able to hit and run, you better be able to do all the fundamentals of the game,” Hutchins said. “At this time of year, the best pitchers are still alive and you have to have the ability to manufacture runs if you need to.”

No. 7 Michigan (48-10) will host No. 21 Louisiana Lafayette (46-13) at Alumni field on Friday (2 p.m., ESPNU, ESPN3) and Saturday (noon and if necessary 3.p.m., ESPN) in a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional.

It's Michigan's eighth Super Regional appearance of the past nine years and the emphasis will be setting the table just as much as clearing it for the Wolverines in order to beat the Ragin’ Cajuns and advance to the College World Series.

It helps to have a leadoff hitter in Lyndsay Doyle hitting .522 in 12 career playoff games.

“That’s why she’s batting the leadoff spot,” Hutchins said with a grin. “We need her to be on base, that’s her job, it’s why we put her there and she embraces just doing her job.”

When Doyle would get on base during he regular season, it was often just a matter of time before one of Michigan's power hitters - be it Sierra Romero, Ashley Lane or Caitlin Blanchard - brought her home. This time of year, those same players will be doing everything they can to move Doyle when she gets on. This time of year, that could mean the leading home run hitters Romero and Lane laying down sacrifice bunt rather than swinging for the fences.

“I just feel like setting the table is very important for our success,” Doyle said. “It’s definitely fun for me when I get on base to have them move me around it just means that I can help the team win and help them fire up.”

These two teams aren’t strangers to one another as Michigan beat Louisiana Lafayette 3-1 back in February. Hutchins sees the early season matchup as completely irrelevant at this time of year.

“You can look at it either way, I choose to look at it as there’s no advantage to anybody you play because anybody in the top 16 right now is playing good softball,” Hutchins said. “It doesn’t matter if we beat them in February or they beat us.

“I asked our kids today ‘Are we a better team today than we were in February?’ and they said yes and we are. And I can tell you every team in the country that’s still playing is better than they were in February, so that means so is ULL.”

Playing her best softball of the year is pitcher Sara Driesenga, who gave up just one run combined in leading Michigan to a regional championship last weekend.

But Driesenga isn’t just a fire baller. She struck out a total of 19 batters in last weekend’s three-game regional, just under her 6.3 strikeouts per game average. Batters put the ball in play against Driesenga, but Michigan’s defense has been able to hold strong.

“I think the goal, and what we’ve been doing well lately, is just making plays behind Sara, so she can trust us when she’s out there,” said senior third baseman Amy Knapp. “I think it gives her a lot of confidence that any pitch she throws or any ball that’s hit, we’re going to field it and that trust is really important.”

So if Louisiana Lafayette counters Michigan’s run manufacturing with some small ball of its own, the Wolverines will be no stranger to the emphasis on sound fielding.

“Last weekend we made some big plays. That’s why we’re still practicing. And if they put the ball in play we’re going to have to make some plays,” Hutchins said.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.