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. '1i~ ) s ~; membership in a frat. or sorority DORM NIGHI Admission Free with a meal card TONIGHTat SECOND CHANCE' Appearing hru Sunday: r "MUSIC AND MEAL DEA SDineat the restaurant after 4:00 P.M. and receive FREE admission to Nightclub that eve- fning. SUN.-THURS. 516 E. Liberty994-5350 , ,, .......,. . ,, Sunday: Monday: I PITCHER NIGHT TEQUIL A NIGHT1 .N Price Shattering Sale W< sValue Now Only . $3 74 1y+4.s MEMOREX RecodingTape Reproduction so true it can shatter glass. ULRICH"S 549 E. UNIVERSITY Books 8 Supplies 662-3201 Art & Engineering 662-4403 ~ ,s' ' vti ' ' - r t "Y' :-" - Lam . * '. if,,.! '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. C I F s r. - s 'V 0; P h a SCORES NBA Boston 105, Cleveland 99 New Jersey Nets 105, Chicago 99 NHL DETROIT 4, Atlanta i Chicago 6, Washington 4 DISCO Lessons at nQNf" > . . .