Baseball vs. Eastern Michigan Saturday, 1 p.m. Ray Fisher Stadium SPORTS Basketball vs. North Carolina Thursday, 10 p.m. Rupp Arena The Michigan Daily Wednesday, March 22, 1989 Page 9 Rained out Blue will play home opener today M' gymnasts place third BY JAY MOSES Not even Mother Nature can keep the boys of summer out of action for long. The Michigan baseball team returned from its spring trip to Florida Spnday to find the field at Ray Fisher Stadium in a soggy, freeze-and-thaw condition. As a result, the Wolverines (6-4) had to postpone their home opener, which was scheduled for yesterday. The doubleheader against Grand Valley State University was re- scheduled for today, and, barring any more acts of nature, the 1989 Mich- igan home baseball season will get under way. The spring trip was a ten-day, ten-game affair, which gave the Wolverines their first chance to get outside for the year. Head coach Bud Middaugh said that although there were some good performances on the Florida trip, it is difficult to gauge the team's progress at this point in the season. "There were a lot of positives and negatives (on the trip)," Middaugh said. "We saw a lot of new faces, people in new positions and different roles. There are a lot of questions that need answers. It's just too early to tell." AS FOR WHETHER the team lived up to Middaugh's expectations on the trip, well, that would have been difficult for any team. "The coach expects to win every game," Middaugh said, "but it doesn't work out that way." As for Grand Valley State, Middaugh said he doesn't know much about the club since Big Ten baseball coaches are not allowed to scout other clubs. "We like to worry more about our own people," Middaugh said. Middaugh indicated that he would probably give four or five pitchers a chance to see action against Grand Valley State, with Ross Powell a Middaugh likely starter. Grand Valley State (5-4), of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association, boasts several All- GLIAC returners this year. Pitchers Tim Schuppe, Ed Finch, and GLIAC MVP Mark Potter lead the Lakers' pitching staff. Coach Andy Chopp's squad consists of a mix of new players and veterans, led by All- GLIAC shortstop Pat Saam. BY JEFF SHERAN The Michigan men's gymnastics team, beleaguered by injuries and a makeshift lineup, traveled to Chicago this past weekend for a meet with Illinois-Chicago, Wis- consin, and Wisconsin-Osh Kosh. The Wolverines placed third with a score of 267.35, which equals their season high. Wisconsin captured the meet with a score of 270.45. Michigan, still feeling the loss of their injured top gymnast Jim Round, did receive powerful scores from its eight competitors. Tony Angelotti and Louie Ball tied for first in the floor exercise, each with a 9.45 score, while Ruben Ceballos turned out a third place score of 9.4 on the rings. "Supersub" Matt Harrison's 9.35 on the vault gave him second place, followed by John Mains, who notched a 9.3 for third place. Mains, who normally competes in the all- around slot, did not perform the floor exercise due to a sore ankle. "We got some great scores from our guys," said Michigan coach Bob Darden. "Even better when you consider that of our 30 counting scores (5 of 6 on each event), 23 were recorded by freshmen." THE PROBLEM with the Wolverines' scoring, as Darden ex- plained, was that they averaged two "misses" per event. "When we miss- ed, we missed big, and we can't afford to do that in our counting scores," the coach said. Darden's chief goal all season has been consistency, and as of yet, he hasn't been satisfied. "We've done well at varying times, but we haven't combined those efforts." At the onset of the season, Darden sought a 90% hit rate for his gymnasts. Right now, 77 percent of the counting scores have been hits. Injuries have partially contributed to the problem. Round's absence and Mains' nagging ankle, as well as injuries to Glenn Hill, Ball, and Troy Fabregas, have made Darden's goals even more difficult to attain. "The injuries hurt us," Darden said. "We probably would have made the nationals with Round, but every athletic team has injuries. Every team can cry over spilled milk." Harrison Michigan is currently ranked fifteenth in the nation, and only the top ten teams are able to compete in the national tournament. The team travels to Wisconsin Friday for the Big Ten Championships. n views the sporting view s the sporting views tiews epor in 'ewe " t f rting view "S'Porti119 view ."the spportn ts - th sportjmng 1,1 soorjjna es- the sport, )a views - the sBYti PTRZLE BY PETER ZELLEN Sometimes you have to just step back and look at sports from a distance. Such is the case with Detroit- Southwestern basketball coach Perry Watson. Last Saturday, Watson took his team to the Class A Championship at Crisler Arena, a game he lost to Cooley 85-73. This was the seventh time in eight years that Watson has led Southwestern to the finals. People would think that it's quite an accomplishment, wouldn't they? But it so happens that Southwestern has lost all seven of those championship games. During the press conference, that's what the reporters we're asking about, all those losses. * That's what people seem to care about in sports these days, 'just win baby.' Fortunately, Perry Watson does step back once in a while because he's concerned about more than just the victory. A TEARY-EYED Watson walked into the press room proudly, making no excuses. "On our end, we'd like to think that it takes a great team to beat us." Then came the questions: "What does it feel like to lose again?"and "How do the kids feel about this one?" Watson fielded them with poignant and intelligent answers. "I don't see why people think it's so difficult Coach stresses more than wins to handle." he said. "Naturally, we want to win, but we are involved in much more important things than showing them how to win basketball games." In his 11 seasons at Southwestern, Watson has compiled a 249-33 won-loss record. That alone is an exceptional feat, but he has accomplished much more. When he talked of things more important than winning he stressed education. Watson stated that all of his players graduate and that 90 percent of them are in college or have graduated. "We've got nine players in Division I, four in Division II, two in Division III and three in junior college," said Watson. High schools should not be places where you teach athletes only of winning games. These kids have to be prepared to face the world and that is what these institutions have to provide. Perry Watson has the right idea. "I coach kids from Detroit who have strikes against them already," he explained. "We want them to know that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things in life." Watson feels that his team will win that title one day but it never has to happen, "We'll be back and we'll win this championship yet," he said. "But that isn't what basketball is all about at Southwestern High School." Bravo coach, bravo. Vols coach joins unemployed KNOXVILLE, TN (AP)- Don DeVoe resigned yesterday after 11 years as head coach of the University of Tennessee basketball team, saying the move was "an effort to stop the persistent rumors surrounding my status." Devoe gave the reason for his departure in a letter to Athletic Director Doug Dickey who called a news conference for yesterday afternoon following news reports that DeVoe was about to be fired. Dickey declined to say whether the coach would have been ousted had he not quit. DeVoe led Tennessee to a 19-11 record and an NCAA tournament berth this season, his first NCAA bid in six years. His overall record at Tennessee was 204-137. Dickey said no particular incident precipitated the "negotiated resignation." "We have continued to discuss our situation together and I think all of the circumstances that surround our program have brought both Don and I to the position where I think we are in the best interest of both of us concerned," he said. The Nashville Tennessean and the The Knoxville News-Sentinel both quoted unidentified sources in Tuesday's editions as saying Dickey planned to fire DeVoe. DeVoe has two years remaining on his $72,345 contract. He also receives income from a radio and television package, proceeds from a summer camp and a contract with Converse shoe company. "I don't need to defend myself or the job I've done," he said earlier. "This basketball program has been pretty solid through the years." The Vols lose five senior starters off a team that went 19-11 this season. Devoe's 11-year record at Tennessee is 204-137. 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