The Michigan Daily - Thursday, April 16, 1992- Page 9 'Neon Peion' lights up Braves CINCINNATI (AP) - The Atlanta Falcons' brash cornerback s become the National League's ding hitter. Deion Sanders took a .441 average. and league-high 15 hits and four triples into the Atlanta Braves' game Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. In his first at-bat, Sanders lined his first homer over the right-field wall. He went 2-for-4 in the Braves' 3-1 loss, adding an eighth-inning triple. Going deep was the only thing he adn't accomplished in his sizzling start. He's hit for average, stretched doubles into triples, stolen bases and dazzled everyone. "The guy's exciting to watch, is- n't he?" Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "I wish Deion Sanders would go back to playing football," said Reds pitcher Tim Belcher, who gave up a *gle, double and two triples to him Monday night. "He's turned himself into a pretty good hitter for a part- time baseball player. He ought to consider it full-time, before a 6-foot- 5, 290-pound lineman breaks his legs." After going 2-for-4 Tuesday night in a 5-4 loss to the Reds, Sanders said he wants to spend the hole season with the Braves. No ore flying back and forth between football practice and baseball games late in the season. Sanders has one year left on his contract with the Falcons, which took precedence over baseball last year. "I'm comfortable with the Braves," he told The Atlanta Jour- nal-Constitution. "I'm a full-time all player. This is what is best rDeion." "I don't walk to talk about foot- ball, period," he said. Thinking about just one sport is agreeable to his batting average. Sanders hit just .191 in 54 games for the Braves last year, going 21-for- 110 with one double, two triples and four homers. Sanders is 17 for 38 with three *ubles, five triples and eight runs scored. "He's hitting everything right now, no matter what they throw," Cox said. "I think I'm more focused and dedicated as a player," Sanders said Wednesday. "I'm totally focused. That's something I've learned to do. I'm just into the game, ready to play. can't wait to play the next day." "I don't go out there to show anybody up," Sanders said. "I play hard and with a lot of intensity. I get excited. When I hit a triple and I throw my hand up, it's not because I'm trying to make them look bad." His sensational start was pre- cisely what the defending NL cham- pions needed. Leadoff man Otis Nixon is serving the rest of his 60- . me suspension for a drug relapse and can't return until April 26. "Everything always works out," Cox said. 'M' netters lose to Irish, 5-2 Brakus and Wager only victors in Wolverines' loss by Todd Schoenhaus Daily Sports Writer Before yesterday's match, Michigan men's tennis coach Brian Eisner said that Notre Dame is a "veteran team, solid throughout the entire lineup." The Fighting Irish proved Eisner right, showing why they are deserving of their No. 9 na- tional ranking. Notre Dame took four of the six singles matches before clinching the 5-2 victory at second doubles. However, the Wolverines (4-4 Big Ten, 4-13 overall) did score a pair of impressive victories. Wolverine Dan Brakus won a tight three-setter from No. 65 Andy Zurcher, 6-7, 6-2, 7-6. Brakus avenged a close loss to Zurcher last November in the qualifier for the Rolex National Indoor Tournament, one leg of the College Grand Slam. "Danny got focused towards the end," assistant coach Tim Madden said. "He came up with some great volleys. He plays the best when he's at the net." Frosh Adam Wager posted the other Wolverine victory. At fifth singles he defeated Ron Rosas, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Wager jumped out to a four game lead to start the final set. "I was aggressive in the third set and really controlled play," Wager said. "He seemed tired so I took it to him. But then I got tired and strug- gled the rest of the way." Wager's teammates tried unsuc- cessfully to follow suit. First singles pitted two of the nation's premier players, No. 16 David Kass and third-ranked David DiLucia. Kass was ahead 5-4 in the first, but DiLucia stormed back to take nine straight games, winning 7-5, 6-0. Notre Dame triumphed in both third and fourth singles by the score of 6-4, 6-2. Mitch Rubenstein lost to Chuck Coleman while Terry London fell to No. 94 Will Forsythe. At sixth singles, Scooter Place filled in for the injured John Lingon (knee ten- dinitis). Tommy North dominated the match, dropping Place in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. "North came out and played real well," Madden said. "Scooter got frustrated and couldn't get back in the match." Place also lost at second doubles when he teamed up with Greg Artz to challenge Zurcher and Forsythe. The Irish tandem triumphed, 7-5, 6- 0, to clinch the victory. Both first and third doubles matches were stopped in the middle because Notre Dame had already won the best-of- nine competition. "I was very pleased with the way we competed," Eisner said. "All the guys had real good attitudes and were particularly focused for this match." Michigan was especially eager to play this match. Not only is the Big Ten Tournament quickly approach- ing, but Notre Dame has crushed the Wolverines in the recent past. They blanked Michigan 9-0 in 1990 and swept the six singles matches last year. "Even in losing, this was a very positive thing for us," Eisner said. "We pulled out two victories, had some other chances, and played without two of our starters. It is ex- tremely tough to beat any of their singles players - we did everything possible to be successful." The Wolverines won't have much time to rest. They host Mich- igan State tomorrow and Penn State on Saturday, the last two dual matches of the season before the Big Tens, May 1-3. "Michigan State's program has turned around this year with a new coach," Eisner said. "The Spartan s are usually in the conference base- ment but this year they are danger- ous and competitive. And with Penn State just joining the Big Ten, they are sort of an unknown. I've heard that they are an excellent team though." For the Wolverines, this weekend is far from meaningless. A team's record in the conference determines its seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The schools that finish in the last four spots have to play a preliminary match to qualify for the main eight team draw. But if Michigan wins both matches, this should be of no concern. It will end the season at 6-4 in conference play, most likely solid- ifying a four, five, or six seed. "Aside from influencing our placement, it will affect our confi- dence," Eisner said. "It is important that we play well and feel prepared heading into the tournament. I would like to think that if we play as we're capable, we should be victorious." i p- WHAT'S HAPPENING KNISTOR GILLE T T Terry London serves for Michigan at fourth singles against Notre Dame yesterday. The Wolverines lost the match 5-2. Marinovich denie LOS ANGELES (AP) - Through his agent, Todd; Marinovich just says no. Because of policy, the NFL1 just says nothing. And the Los Angeles Raiders aren't talking, either. That's where things stood Wednesday concerning an ESPN report a day earlier that Marinovich flunked an+ NFL drug test after the Raiders lost to Kansas City in last year's AFC wild-card game. Citing sources within the NFL, ESPN reported that the league-conducted test that came back positive was taken after the Chiefs beat the Raiders, 10-6, on Dec. 28. The sports network did not say what substance was involved. "I spoke with ESPN and then I spoke with both Todd and the Raiders," Tom Condon, Marinovich's agent and a former NFL player, said from his Kansas City office on Wednesday. "The Raiders, of course, their knowledge is limited to what their team doctor gets from the NFL physician. "Todd told me he hasn't tested positive for anything and that he hadn't been to any rehabilitation program. The NFL can't comment one way or another, and they won't. I've spoken with the league office." Under the NFL drug policy, the first time a player tests positive for a banned substance, the matter is kept confidential. "He would be a first-time offender," Condon said. "Of course, there's a distinction between the recre- ational drug and the performance-enhancing drugs. Marijuana, cocaine and alcohol would be recreational drugs and first-time offenses." A second positive test results in a mandatory 30-day suspension and a third positive test is followed by a minimum one-year suspension. "It's just a difficult situation all around," Condon said. "Todd's working out every day with the Raiders. "He feels great, ready to go. He's been continuing to s failing drug test go to counseling to make sure he controls the problems he had when he entered the league. "I just think it's one of those things where there's a report that's taken on a life of it's own. He was having such a good off-season. He was obviously quite upset (with the ESPN report). He wishes they would leave it alone." When asked where the report might have originated, Condon said, "There's no point in me really speculat- ing." Perhaps coincidentally, ESPN made its report just as Marinovich, 22, is about to complete a drug diversion program stemming from his arrest Jan. 20, 1991 on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession in nearby Newport Beach. Earlier that month, Marinovich was suspended indef- initely from the Southern Cal football team for missing a meeting and failing to register for classes. He later passed up his final two years of college eli- gibility for the NFL draft and was taken last April by the Raiders as the 24th selection of the first round. Harbor Court Municipal Judge Susanne Shaw said last April that drug possession charges would be dis- missed against Marinovich if he successfully completed a drug diversion program. Shaw appeared satisfied with Marinovich's progress during review of a status report last Oct. 24, a clerk said. Another hearing is scheduled for April 23. "Todd would be tested randomly because he's a reasonable cause guy as defined by the league drug pol- icy," Condon said. "He had the well-publicized prob- lems at USC. He's the quarterback for the Silver and Black, he's in a major market, certainly the most glitzy market. "When you've had the kind of history, some of that's going to come with the territory. It's unfortunate, but that comes with the territory." 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