The Michigan Daily-Thursday, March 23, 1978-Page 11
SEASON OPENER JUST AROUND THE CORNER:
Hockey tourney set
*1
Spring swing has Blue nine ready
By BILLY SAHN
Think back about two weeks ago
when a number of us Wolverines in-
vaded the sun and surf of Florida to
catch some rays and just have some
good times. Yet, some from our pack
caught more than just tans, they caught
baseballs.
Playing at Tigertown in Lakeland,
Michigan's varsity baseball team com-
piled a 6 and 5 spring record during the
recent March break.
Spring Baseball Results
MICHIGAN OPPONENT
9 Iowa State ................. 2
2 Western Michigan........11
7 Iowa State ................. 3
I Missouri ................. 3
6 Missouri ................... 4
3 South Florida ............. 1
1 Florida Southern ........... 8
8 Temple .................... 9
7 Florida Southern ........... 8
8 Missouri.... ........... 5
7 Western Michigan........3
Michigan's coach of 16 years, Moby
Benedict, felt that the trip was a good
one. "We did as well as we expected.
Basically, it gives up a chance to get in
George Foussianes led the team with 12
RBI's accompanied by a .310 batting
average.
Michigan's nine, besides their hitting,
'Batting is a peak and lull process. One day you'll go
.4 for 4, and the next, 0 for 4. But pitching and
throwing are constant. That's where the consistency
comes in.'
- Moby Benedict
not impress Benedict. They are for fan
consumption as far as he's concerned.
"Baseball is not an individual sport,"
said the former Wolverin shortstop.
"It's a team sport striving for success.
Batting averages don't count."
WHAT, THEN, DOES count to
Michigan's coach? The team as a
whole-defense, throwing, base-
running. In other words, fundamentals.
"Batting is a peak and lull process.
One day you'll go 4 for 4, and the next, 0
for 4. But pitching and throwing are
constant. That's where consistency
comes in," according to Bene'dict.
Michigan opens its season on April 4
with a game against Western Michigan.
At present, the Wolverines are confined
to a bunch of nets in the corner of the
Track and Tennis Building, but weather
permitting, they'll be digging their
spikes into the turf at Fisher Stadium
as soon as possible.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - It
might have been the championship
pairing, but Wisconsin and Boston
University open the 31st NCAA
hockey tournament tonight in a
semifinal round instead.
The Terriers held the top national
ranking most of the season but had
to beat Providence College 5-3 in a
special playoff last Sunday to make
the tournament at the Providence
Civic Center.
Boston University was crusing un-
til being upset 5-1 by Providence in,
the Eastern Conference semifinals,
setting up the playoff . with
Providence.
In tomorrow night's semifinal,
Bowling Green plays Boston
College, the surprise winner of the
Eastern College Athletic'Conference
playoffs. The NCAA championship
game will be played Saturday night
after an afternoon consolation.
Bowling Green, 30-7, is making its
first appearance in the NCAA
semifinals. The Falcons are in only
their ninth year of varsity hockey
and defeated WCHA tourney runner-
up Colorado College for the NCAA
bid.
I
* * *
Kansas St. canned
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Kan-
sas State University has been placed
on probation in football by the Big
Eight conference because it ex-
ceeded the 30-scholarship limit by 13
last year, Kansas State President.
Duane Wacker said yesterday.
"In early December, when we
became aware of the violation, we
recognized we should limit Oe num-
ber of 1978 football recruits to 17,"
Wacker said.
"In late December, he discussed
with the Big Eight Conference our
discovery and our self-imposed
limitation," the statement said. "We
told them we would cooperate fully
in an investigation.
shape and see what the players can do
in competition."
DESPITE A TEAM batting percen-
tage of .254, there were notable in-
dividual performances. Among those
was outfielder Rick Leach who turned
in the best batting stats with a .395 per-
centage and 8 RBI's. Catcher Jim
Capoferi had the next best percentage,
.360, including two doubles, a triple, and
a homerun.
Sophomore Victor Ray batted the
third best percentage. .346, while DH
also mustered up some good pitching.
Southpaw Steve Howe, a second-team
All Big Ten choice last year, pitched an
impressive 20 innings, striking out 25
while compiling an ERA of 1.80. His
record was 2-0.
ANOTHER LEFTHANDER, senior
Craig McGinnis, worked 18 innings and
struck out 16. His ERA was 3.50 and his
record was 2-1.
Yet, statistics like the ones above, do
I
I
McCOURT PACES 4-1 WIN:
Wings water Flames
GREEK NIGH'
Admission Free with proof of
By BOB MILLER
Special to The Daily
DETROIT-Ever play one of those
word association games? Try this one.
What do hats and Flames and "The
Hustle" and an octupus have in com-
mon?
. Give up? The answer is that they all
were factors in Detroit's 4-1 victory
over Atlanta at the Olympia last night,
putting the Wings in a second place tie
with L.A. in the Norris Division.
The win was sparked by Dale Mc-
Court's three goals, his second hat trick
of the year in two home games against
the Flames.
McCourt's goals, his 27th, 28th and
29th of the year tied him for the team
lead and had the fans dancing in the
aisles.
Two of the goals. came with only one
Atlanta defenseman trying to fend off
the Red Wings' stellar rookie and Paul
Woods, but to no avail. In fact, Woods
picked up assists on each play to com-
pliment his fifteenth goal of the year an
earn, him the game's second star.
Woods gave Detroit a 1-0 lead when he
powered down the ice on a short-handed
two-on-one break. he blazed the slap
shot past Flames' goalie Dan Bouchard
at 13:34 for the only scoring of the first
period.
Detroit goalie Jimmy Rutherford, the
third star of the game, was outstanding
defensively and also tried his hand on
offense. Rutherford picked up an assist
on Woods' goal and later notched his
second assist on McCourt's third goal.
The Flames, one of the league's best
road teams, weren't so hot with the ex-
ception of Willie Plett. Plett picked up
an assist on Atlanta's only goal in ad-
dition to his two major penalties for
fighting.
The victory for the Red Wings almost
assured an appearance by the octupus,
the first since the 1969-70 season, sym-
bolic of Detroit's presence in the.
Stanley Cup playoffs.
The octupus made a couple of
premature performances, once in 1973,
and again earlier this year, but it was
by no means official.
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Sunday: Monday:
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'Bird'
wins
fourth
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - Veteran
Rusty Staub and rookie "Sweet Lou"
Whitaker combined to drive in five runs
as the Detroit Tigers blanked the
Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 in an exhibition
baseball game last night.
The victory boosted the Tigers'
Grapefruit League record to 11-3, best
in the major leagues.
MARK FIDRYCH gave up just three
singles in six innings to raise his spring
record to 4-0. The Blue Jays managed
just six hits.
Earlier the Tigers placed veteran
pitchers Roric Harrison and Rich
Folkers on waivers yesterday for the
purpose of giving them their uncondi-
tional release.
Harrison, who has a 30-34 major
league record, played for Detroit's
Evansville, Ind. farm club last year.
FOLKERS, a 31-year-old lefthander,
was obtained last December from
Milwaukee. He only pitched 21/3 innings
in spring training this year.
The cuts leave the Tigers with 16 pit-
chers in camp.
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SCORES
NBA
Boston 105, Cleveland 99
New Jersey Nets 105, Chicago 99
NHL
DETROIT 4, Atlanta i
Chicago 6, Washington 4
DISCO
Lessons at
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