The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, May 10, 1978-Page 15 HURONS TODAY, GONE TOMORROW Benedict plays one game at a time By GARY KICINSKI "Playing them one at a time" is an old cliche, but it is one that Michigan baseball coach Moby Benedict adheres to religiously. That's why Benedict refuses to speculate about the remainder of the season, including any talk about win- ning the conference or post-season competition. Though his Wolverines are comfortably camped in first place, three games ahead of Michigan State with six to play, Benedict refuses to Lsports of look further ahead than today's contest against Eastern Michigan. MICHIGAN, with an 11-1 record in the Big Ten, and Michigan State (8-4) have commonl opponents in the next two weeks. Both teams play Northwestern and Iowa this weekend, and face each other in home-and-home single games next weekend. If Michigan were to split its final six games, the Spartans would have to win all six of theirs, including both games the DAILY against the Wolverines. So it would appear that things are in pretty good shape. But don't tell that to the Michigan coach or let his players know. "I don't want to hear about stuff like that," Benedict said. "You guys in the press look ahead too much. I don't want to hear about what will happen if we play .500 ball or .750 ball. All I want to do is play them one at a time. "Right now I'm concerned with Eastern, and only with Eastern," he added. "Then when the time comes, I'll Fidrych practices: arm still hurts DETROIT-Detroit Tiger pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych tested his ailing arm for about seven minutes of half-speed pitching yesterday in advance of the Detroit-California baseball game. Tiger Manager Ralph Houk said the young right-hander had a little ten- derness in his shoulder but nothing like the pain that hit him last week when he threw a few pitches before the game at Seattle. "He appeared somewhat improved and he probably will be throwing some practice pitches again. "But there is no way he will be ready to pitch in a regular game as soon as he is off the 21-day disabled list," said Houk. Fidrych was placed on the disabled list May 1 after a Los Angeles doctor said he was suffering from a recurrence of the tendinitis that plagued him last season. The Tiger manager said that if Fidrych continues to have less pain in his practice pitching, he will be given a chance to pitch in some simulated game conditions and in batting practice, the same routine that was used when he was on the injured list last season. Asked why Fidrych was having so many injury problems, Houk said, "I think he is one of those athletes who is so energetic that at times he throws the ball harder than his body will allow him." Houk also got encouraging words on right-hander Jack Morris who also is troubled with tendinitis and is on the injured list. "Jack threw at full speed in practice yesterday and he will be ready by next week. But he will not be pitching right away," Houk said. "We will have to work him into the pitching rotation." -AP Davis crowned Rookie of the Year PHOENIX, Ariz. - Forward Walter Davis of the Phoenix Suns was named NBA Rookie of the Year yesterday. Davis won the honor over Marques Johnson of the Milwaukee Bucks. Ber- nard King of the New Jersey Nets, Jack Sikma of the Seattle Supersonics and Norm Nixon of the Los Angeles Lakers. "I tried to think about it as little as possible," Davis said of the battle with Johnson for the honor. "Marques is a great player, and there are probably three or four other guys who deserve the award as much as I do." Davis averaged 24.2 points per game, the most by any NBA rookie since Portland's Sidney Wicks averaged 24.5 in 1971-72. He was the only rookie selected for the All-Star Game, in which he scored 10 points in only 15 minutes and led all front court players in assists with six. Davis is the Suns' second rookie of the year in three seasons. Center Alvan Adams won the honor in 1976. Davis said he felt he could play in the NBA during the Suns' first exhibition game. "We played the Lakers, and we won and we did pretty good," he said. "I got the idea that maybe I really belong here now." Davis said that when he was chosen for the All-Star Game he began having serious thoughts about being named rookie of the year. "When I made the All-Star team, I though it would helpa great deal," he said. Through balloting of 66 league media representatives conducted at the end of the season, Davis received 49 votes. Johnson finished second with 10i/4 votes, followed by King with 5i/4, Skima with 1 and Nixon with 1/4. The fractional shares resulted when one voter split his ballot four ways. In addition to his prolific scoring feats, which placed him ninth in the league, Davis set a club record for field goal percentage with a mark of .526, 10th best in the NBA. -AP Homer surprised pitcher Atlanta pitcher Tommy Boggs hit his first major league home run against Houston's Joe Niekro last Friday night and found it hard to believe. "I couldn't believe it because I hadn't even hita ball out in batting prac- tice," he said. "I lost sight of the ball and then I saw it hit the padding. When I realized it was out I almost tripped over first base. -AP : Idon't know whatI hit. I closed my eyes" ..". worry about Northwestern, and then I'll worry about Iowa." NORTHWESTERN and Iowa are far from being pushovers, however, so Benedict has indeed some reason to not write up the season already. "We're thinking positively right now and just playing them one game at a time, and you can quote me on that," Benedict said. Today's doubleheader against the Hurons, who are in first place in the Mid-American Conference, starts at 2 p.m. at Fisher Stadium. Michigan baseball 33 games Hitting AB H HR RBI AvG. Leach..........5600 39 0 17 .390 Capoferi......... 81 27 4 is .333 Chapman .....97 2 5.289 Foassianes .... i.... 9 36 6 25 .2816 Ray ..................... 79 22 6 ii .278 wasilewski ............. 80 20 6 9 .250 Parker........ . 90 20 2 i6 .222 Anderson ... 117 25 i .214 Rerra...........si1 is i 16 .196 Cooperrider ............. 22 3 6 3 .136 McEldowney ............ 23 2 6 1 .087 TOTAL ................ 912 239 15 143 .262 OPPONENTS .......... 886 190 9 88 .214 Pitching IP H ER W-L ERA Thomas..................3 2 E 0- . Clinton ................ 12.1 11 1 1-0 6.73 McGinnis-.......--.47 34 it 6-2 2.11 Howe ...........63.1 52 15 7-2 2.63 Bryant .......13.2 12 4 6-3 2.36 stennett ............... 41.2 36 16 3-2 3.46 Owens ................ 28.1 15 14 3-2 4.45 Perry... 26.1 28 15 2-6 5.13 TOTAL.........237.2 190 76 22-il 2.66 OPPONENTS......234 239 135 11-22 519 Play Billiards at reduced rates to 6 PM Daily UNO at the N11 OPEN 11 AM Robby-2nd chance Frank Robinson, the first black man- ager in the major leagues, was named manager of the minor league's Rochester Red Wings Monday. Robin- son managed the Cleveland Indians from 1975-77 and was a coach for the Baltimore Orioles this year. Sugar Ray wins again NEW YORK (AP) - Sugar Ray Robinson, the man for whom the "pound for pound" cliche was coined, was voted the best boxer who ever lived in balloting of the Boxing Writers of America announced yesterday. p I ARMY SURPLUS Dexter Hiking Boots STYLES: W1 12-4, W998-2 Reg. $56.98 NOW $49.98 Two-Man Nylon Backpackers Tent Reg. $28.98-NOW 19 r 9 Sea Way Two-Man Tent with Fly* *RIPSTOP NYLON Reg. $38.98 NOW$2 210 E. Washington at Fourth-994-3572 VISA OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY 9-6, FRIDAY EVENINGS TIL 8:30