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Baseball
at Michigan St.
Tomorrow, 1 p.m.
East Lansing
SPORTS
Softball
vs. Western Michigan
Today, 3 p.m.
Varsity Diamond
The Michigan Daily
Me/ike Gill
Tuesday, April 24, 1990
Page 10
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Softballers look to
extend hot streak
.:
r" <
Assorted thoughts
for. te erm's end
Items on my mind before finals...
Greg McMurtry surely won't be placing Leroy Hoard or any other of his
junior classmates from around the country on his Christmas card list.
McMurtry found draft day not to his liking Sunday when he sat and waited
until finally receiving the phone call hours later than expected. It wasn't
until the third round when McMurtry was drafted, after being projected as a
late-first rounder or sure second round pick.
* What happened? Did clubs worry McMurtry still had secret ambitions of
baseball looming in his mind? Was he unimpressive in tryouts? Who
knows.
But one thing is certain. Since this is the first year juniors could come
out for the NFL without begging on hands and knees - and they did so in
flocks - McMurtry's stock fell victim to a strong draft. With such stars as
Illinois' Jeff George, USC's Junior Seau, and Houston's Andre Ware
declaring their desire to spurn their education for the big bucks, McMurtry
was forced into a waiting game which will cost him heavily when signing a
new contract. As McMurtry waited, he watched his signing bonus and
contract-worth slip... and slip... and slip away.
Sean Higgins had to be disappointed he wasn't selected in the first
round, too. Oh wait. I'm supposed to save that comment for a couple
months. Do they have a draft for the Italian league?
Speaking of Higgins, how could a person be so bold as to decide to
go pro after hearing expert after expert say it would be a drastic mistake?
Could it be possible that Higgins made a decision long before hearing such
negative comments, and slacked off in his studies, leaving him with little
choice?
Being ineligible for the first half of the basketball season would be very
embarrassing and also put a damper on the chance of being a high pick in
next year's draft. It's just a hypothesis, but it doesn't seem all that far
fetched.
In Weekend Magazine's Best of Ann Arbor issue last Friday, readers
voted the Michigan football team the best athletic team on campus and the
hockey team the worst. The football team's recognition is expected - a
high profile team which went to the Rose Bowl - especially when
considering the other successful teams on campus, including men's and
women's swimming, do not attract the 105,000 faithful that migrate to
Michigan Stadium on a fall Saturday afternoon.
What is surprising is the hockey team's dubious distinction. After its
most successful season in years and coming within inches of an NCAA
tournament bid, it is obvious more than the won-lost record went into the
vote. The volleyball program's 1-17 Big Ten record fits the bill as the worst
athletic team-on campus.
What this proves is how much one player or one incident can hurt the
reputation of an entire team. The Todd Copeland affair, which dragged on
by David Schechter
Daily Sports Writer
Coming off a four-game sweep
against Northwestern last weekend,
the Michigan softball team is riding
a winning current of momentum and
hopes to leave Western Michigan in
their undertow today in Kalamazoo.
Traditionally, the Wolverines
have done well against the Broncos.
In the last twenty games played
between the two schools, Michigan
has won thirteen times. Last year,
Michigan split the Western Michi-
gan series by winning the first
game, 5-2, and losing the second
game, 2-1.
Today's doubleheader is not only
a chance for Michigan to widen that
margin, but an opportunity for the
team to gain added confidence before
playing current Big Ten powerhouse
Iowa.
Catcher Julie Cooper would like
to see her hitting improve to insure
a victory over Western. "I'm not in a
slump but I'm not hitting out of my
mind either." But she is satisfied
with her defensive game, "I've been
catching a good game, no one stole
on me last weekend, so I guess I'm
happy with the way I'm playing,"
she said.
In recent weeks, Michigan has
played strong defense through most
of the game, but has a habit of
sliding during one inning. Michigan
opponents have done much of their
scoring inside that one inning. "It
happens to us quite a bit; we have to
keep up the intensity throughout the
game," Cooper said.
Another shortcoming is runners
left on base. "We left a lot of run-
ners on base last weekend and that's
one thing I'd like to see us improve
on," captain Jenny Allard said.
"We'd like to win by hitting a lot
more, a lot of offensive power is
what we need," Allard said.
While Western is not a strong
team, the Wolverines have never
been ones to write off an opponent.
"Anybody can win on any given day,
though traditionally they're not a
strong team, and they're not a team
that dominates the game," Cooper
said.
The weekend sweep against
Northwestern was coach Carol Hut-
chins' first four-game sweep of any
opponent since she became coach in
1985. However, if the team is to
keep up its hopes of winning a Big
Ten title, it basically must win all
remaining conference games. Iowa,
Michigan State and Indiana are the
last three Big Ten games remaining.
Softball team captain Jenny AllardI
Northwestern last Saturday.
KENNETH SMOLLER/Daily
pitches in the second game against
and on, proved that one black mark, which draws the ire of an entire
campus, can quickly erase all the positive work 20 other individuals put into
rebuilding a program back to a respectability.
Andre Ware seems a likable character and is perfectly fit for the
Lions' Silver Stretch offense. Yet, you have to feel sorry for Rodney Peete,
a very affable guy who everyone pronounced as the Lions quarterback of the
future. Then again, what would the Lions be without a quarterback
controversy?
The Tigers aren't going to win the the AL East this year, but this
summer at the ballpark may prove to be much more exciting than last
season. At times, the Tigers look like their old self, able to play steady
consistent baseball for a game. Then they turn around, make all kinds of
mistakes, and walk half the neighborhood.
Wiver inest Con n10NLraf
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On an optimistic side: In 1987, the Tigers started
When do playoff tickets go on sale?
out 11-19.
I
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