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Page 8-Saturday, March 27, 1982--The Michigan Daily
7- .w v " ' 73T
.
*ibWolverine second baseman Jacobst
currently carrying a .452 average
U ~~nB SA R QAH AlH ER BER '
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ty Jn nens~
Jeff Jacobson has always been consistent in his defensive
play on the baseball diamond.
Last year, the Michigan second baseman ended the season
with a .976 fielding average and went 30 straight games
without committing an error.
OFFENSIVELY, however, Jacobson has had his
problems.
His batting average of .231 for the 1981 season, which was
one of the lowest of the team's starters, earned him the ninth
spot in the batting order.
Things definitely appear to be on the upswing for the Glen-
NS JEFF Jacobson, shown view, Ill, native.
iht taking a swing against DURING THEIR spring trip to Texas, where the
[ichigan, has gotten off to a Wolverines emerged with an 8-3 record, Jacobson hit his way
t the plate this year. After 11 to the second-best average for Michigan by batting .452 (Jim
e junior second baseman is Paciorek is first with .528). And his glove work is still on
152, second Among the target, as he now claims a .960 fielding percentage.
s. His fielding has remained The Business School student said he is not surprised with
low, Jacobson is shown com- his recent success. "It kind of carried over from the sum-
doubleplay against New mer;"he explained.
last year's Mideast Regional Jacobson played summer ball for the Danville Roosters of
ne. the Central Illinois League. It was during this time that his
batting started to improve greatly, as he led the collegiate
league in hitting.
"JAKE DID have a good (spring) trip," said head
Michigan baseball coach Bud Middaugh. "But batting
averages are misleading after 12 games."
Both Jacobson and Middaugh know where his troubles as a
baseball player lie.
"Hitting has always been my weakness," admitted the in-
fielder. His hopes for this year are to hit in the mid 300's.
"JACOBSON HAS been working a little more offensively.
We know he's a good defensive player but he had to work
Dail. Photo by PAUL ENGSTROM more at the offensive," said Middaugh. "Everybody has
deficiencies. Jacobson has been working to play better offen-
sively."
The next step the junior hopes to take is into the
professional ranks.
"I'd obviously like to play pro ball-maybe to be drafted
this year," he said. "It's something I've always dreamed of. I
don't think I'm too far off from making it."
UNTIL THAT time Jacobson is concentrating on his school
work. Majoring in finance and marketing, he insists thatO
"school work does come first."
Because of the rigors of the Business School, his commit-
ment to studies will mean missing the second game of a
doubleheader on March 31 against Grand Valley due to an
exam scheduled at the same time.
Middaugh jokingly commented that if Michigan should
lose, "it will all be Jake's fault."
IT WAS MIDDAUGH'S decision to accept the job at
Michigan that enticed Jacobson to enroll here.
"The coach was the main factor. I was supposed to go to
Miami of Ohio where he (Middaugh) used to coach,",said
Jacobson.
"I knew nothing about this school," he continued. "He
made his decision and then I came up here."
JACOBSON HAS no regrets in following the Wolverine
skipper to his new domain. "He's lived up to all my expec-
tations and more.
Jacobson should have no reason to question his decision to
suit up as a Wolverine. In the two years he has been here,
Michigan has won the Big Ten title twice and made the trip to
the College World Series two times.
This year the season looks as promising as the past two.
"WE ARE THE best team in the Big Ten on paper," said
Jacobson, somewhat confidently. "Everyone's picking us to
be the favorites again."
Should Jacobson-be able to continue his hitting streak, it is
quite possible that he will be drafted into the pros. If not he
will have plenty to fall back on.
Besides being currently enrolled in .the Business School,
Jacobson is also an excellent student, as last year he-was a
candidate for the All-Academic team.
HIS FUTURE aspirations are not confined to the baseball
diamond. "I plan at some point in the future to get.an.MBA,"
said Jacobson
Jacobson has proven that hard work does pay off. His
dedication to the game is evident by his ability. Though most
comfortable at second base, he is quite capable of taking on
the position of shortstop, which he was forced to do when
Tony Evans was sidelined last season.
"I'm pretty much versatile," added Jacobson.
SPORTS OF THE DAILY:
Michigan tankers in
16th.
Special to the Daily
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. - The
Michigan men's swim team is in 16th
place after eight events in the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
swimming and diving championships in
Milwaukee. The Wolverine's have ac-
cumulated 13 points in the meet which
began Thursday.,
Wolverine diver Ron Merriott, who is
currently in second place in the three-
meter diving competition, has been the
strongest finisher for the team. The
Rockford, Ill. native, a two-time NCAA
All-American, finsihed fourth Thursday
night in the one-meter competition.
Today Merriott heads into the final-
round of the three-meter bout with
263;75 points.
Other Wolverine finishers include:
Bruce Gemmell, who finished 17th in
the 400-yard individual medley: Fer-
nando Canales, who finished 13th in the
200-meter freestyle: and the 800-meter
freestyle relay team of Christian Van-
dersluis,! Gemmell Canales and'
Thomas Dudley, which finished 23rd.
in both the official coaches balloting
and in media balloting conducted by the
South Bend, Ind., Tribune.
In the 1982 season, McPhee had 28
goals and 52 assists for a total of 80
points in 38 games. He scored 11 power
plays,, five game-winning goals, a hat
trick and three short-handed goals.
Bowling Green Coach Jerry York=
said, "George is a complete player. He
combines offense and defense to be an
outstanding two-way player. He is a
great forechecker, plays the body well,
handles the puck extremely well and
knows what to do around the net."
McPhee will be honored at the Hobey
Baker memorial award dinner next
Wedensday at the Decathlon Club.
Hauks 100, Pacers 87
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)- Dan Roun-
dfield scored 17 of his game-high 25
points in the first half and grabbed 15
rebounds, leading the Atlanta Hawks to
a 100-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers
in the National Basketball Association
last night.
John Drew, who scored eight of
Atlanta's first 10 points, sparked the
Hawks to an early 10-2 advantage, and
Indiana never drew closer than seven
points.
BILLY KNIGHT led Indiana with 22
points, helped by a pair of three-point
goals. Jolhnny Davis added 20 for the,
Pacers.
The Hawks, who opened a 3/2-game
lead over Indiana in their battle for the
Eastern Division's last playoff berth
with the victory, jumped to a 57-37 half-
time advantage. -
Indiana, which shot only 30 percent in
the first half, fell behind by as many as
24 points, 75-51, with 3:04 left in the
third quarter, and managed to cut its
deficit to nine late in the game. Drew
contributed 17 points to Atlanta's fifth
victory in its last six games and the 10th
in 13.
Pirates 4, Royals 4
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) - John
Wathan's triple brought home the tying
run for Kansas City in the ninth inning,
as the Pittsburgh Pirates and the
Royals battled to a 4-4 tie in an
exhibition baseball game called after 12
innings yesterday.
The game was called by mutual con-
sent due to a lack of available pitchers.
THE PIRATES took a 2-0 lead in the
first inning on Dave Parker's first
home run of spring training. Omar
Moreno, who walked and stole second,
also scored on the home ruh.
The Pirates, 12-6-1, doubled their lead
to 4-0 in the third inning.
Johnny Ray singled and Jimmy
Smith' doubled him to third. Pitcher
Rick Rhoden ,singled Ray home and
Moreno singeed Smith home.
KANSAS CITY, 7-9-2, narrowed the
margin to 4-1 in the sixth inning on a
solo home run by Amos Otis. The
Royals added two more runs in eighth
inning.
Wathan singled, stole second and
scored on a single by George Brett.
Later in the inning, James Quirk
singled to drive in Brett.
In the ninth inning, Kansas City tied
the score when Buddy Biancalana
singled and Wathan tripled, driving
Biancalana home.
Phillies 8, White Sox 7
CLEARWATELR, Fla. (AP)-
George Vukovich raced home on a one-
out chopper in the, bottom of the ninth
iniing to give the Philadelphia Phillies
an 8-7 exhibition victory over the
Chicago White Sox yesterday.
Vukovich reached base with an in-
field single and advanced to third on
Bob Dernier's fourth hit of the game.
Julio Franco then hit a high bouncer
and Vukovich beat third baseman Jose
Castro's throw home.
CARLTON FISK, with a single and
sacrifice fly, had staked Chicago to a 3-
0 lead in the third inning.
The Phillies came back with three
runs in the third and four more in the
fifth. Gary Matthews' three-run homer
was the big blow of the fifth inning.
Matthews now is hitting .435 this
spring and has knocked in 16 runs in 16
games:
Philadelphia left-handed reliever Tug
McGraw made his first pitching ap-
pearance of the spring. McGraw, who
underwent surgery on his left elbow in
the off season, pitched one inning and
allowed only a walk.
Phillies All-Star first baseman Pete 4
Rose, who has been recovering from a
back muscle problem, is expected to
play in his first spring game Saturday
against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
SCORES
NBA
Boston 125. Detroit 104
M(>rriott
...currently in second
IG 's McPIhee awarded
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) -
George McPhee, a senior wing at
Bowling Green University, was named
the 1982 winner of the Hobey Baker
Award, the Decathlon Athletic Club an-
nounced yesterday. The award is given
for leadership and excellence in college
hockey.
McPhee, a native of Gwelph, Ontario,
is the highest hockey scorer in the Ohio
school's history. He also holds the Cen-
tral Collegiate Hockey Association
record for career points and is a co-
captain of the Falcons.
HE WAS A first-team All-CCHA pick
How many Foreign
SMedicalSchools
have requested N.Y.
State approval for
Clerkship Training
Am Programs?
.Is
Rou ndfield
... 25 points, 15 rebounds
G~REKWEEK