Softball
vs. Ohio State
Friday, 3:00 p.m.
Alumni Field
S
lRTS
Women's Tennis
vs. North Carolina
Friday, 1 p.m.
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Tumblers
*tune up for
regional vs.
Spartans
By JOSH KARP
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
Rebound.
That's exactly what the No. 6
Michigan men's gymnastics team is
looking to do when it ends its Big Ten
season at No. 17 Michigan State Sat-
urday night.
After adisappointing fifth place fin-
ish at the Big Ten Championships a
week ago, nothing would be more sat-
isfying than a victory over the Spartans.
"It would be great (to get back on
. the winning track)," Michigan coach
Bob Darden said. "It (would be) areal
good (way) to really get back that
super-competitive spirit."
The Wolverines are a virtual lock
for a spot in the Eastern Regionals,
which will be held at West Point,
N.Y., on April 9 . But with the
regionals only a week away, Darden
will use the Michigan State meet to
decide who will represent the squad.
"We're trying to use this meet to
focus in on a lineup that will move us
into a good competitive position for
regionals," Darden said.
Although last at the conference
meet, MSU had higher scores than the
Wolverines in two events - pommel
horse and parallel bars. Michigan State
holds aNo.5 ranking on parallel bars,
and it owes its success on the event to
the standout performances of junior
Mark Garney (9.7 average, sixth na-
tionally) and freshman Stephen Bello
(9.63, 16th).
But as solid as the Spartans have
been on the bars, the Wolverines have
been better. Michigan is ranked fourth
nationally with a 47.42 average, and
junior Brian Winkler, with his 9.77
average, leads the nation in the event.
* 'We're trying to use
this meet to focus in
on a lineup that will
move us into a good
competitive position.'
- Bob Darden
'M' gymnastics coach
"I'm actually very surprised (with
my performance on parallel bars),"
Winkler said. "I never thought I'd be
ranked this high."
Last season, when the two teams
met, Michigan State defeated the Wol-
verines,277.50-270.75. But with sopho-
more Bob Young leading the way.
Michigan has turned things around.
Young is 18th in the national all-
around rankings (56.38), and has es-
tablished himself as one of the top
gymnasts in the country.
"It's nice when at the end of the
meet you find out that (Bob has) been
one of the premier performers,"
Darden said. "He's a real good anchor
for our team."
At the conference meet, the Wol-
verines didn't have their heads in the
* right place. But in order to be ready
for regionals, Winkler admits the
squad must focus more.
"Wejust need to get our heads back
in the game," Winkler said. " I think
(our poor showing at the Big Tens) is
going to be a good wake-up call for us."
- o 1]~
'M' softball swept by Irish
By BOB ABRAMSON
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
The Michigan softball team fi-
nally got the offensive portion of its
game going yesterday at Notre Dame.
The only problem was that it couldn't
bring anyone across home plate.
Despite pounding out 17 hits in its
first-ever doubleheader against the
Fighting Irish (18-12), the Wolver-
ines (12-14) stranded 19 runners on
base - ten in the first contest and
nine in the second.
With little run production, the
Wolverines were swept, 2-1 and 5-1.
"We are leaving too many run-
ners on base," an irate Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins said. "And we are not
getting the hits down when we need to
get them down."
In the first contest of the day,
Michigan took an early lead in the top
of the third. Cheryl Pearcy led off
with a single, and after a Mary
Campana sacrifice advanced her to
second, Tracy Carr gave Michigan a
1-0 lead with an RBI double.
Kelly Kovach (7-7) held Notre
Dame scoreless until the bottom half
of the seventh, when she was replaced
by Kelly Holmes after giving up a
single and a wild pitch.
Entering with a runner on second
base, Holmes walked Jenna Knudsen
and gave up a single to Amy Reuter to
load up the bases.
Liz Goetz followed up with an
RBI single to tie the game at one
apiece, and Holmes walked in Andy
Keys, giving the Irish a victory.
"We've got to get Kovach to fin-
ish the seventh inning,"said Hutchins,
referring to the second time in over a
week that Kovach has self-destructed.
Kovach gave up three runs in the
bottom of the seventh and a game-
winning homer in last weekend's 5-3
loss to California at the Cellular One/
Capital One Classic.
In the second game of the double-
header, Michigan pitcher Kelly
Holmes (5-6) continued to struggle,
giving up five runs in the third inning.
Keys' double scored Goetz to give
Notre Dame a 1-0 lead, and following
three two-out singles that loaded up
the bases, Knudsen's double stretched
the Irish's margin to 5-0.
Michigan averted a shutout in the
top of the sixth when Kelly Kovach's
pinch-hit single scored Kathleen
Berrigan.
"Holmes is not in a good groove
right now," Hutchins said. "She just
can't find it and she has lost her con-
fidence."
The loss, Michigan's third in a
row, does not bode well with Hutchins,
considering the Big Ten season is just
24 hours away.
"As of right now, we're not play-
ing poorly," she said. "We need to get
the team fired up. We are playing not
to lose. It's not a good syndrome."
With Ohio State coming into town
for a pair of doubleheaders,and with
Holmes struggling, Hutchins says she
may go with Tracy Carr.
Carr, a sophomore, pitched three
and one-third innings in the second
game, giving up three hits and no
runs.
"Tracy's pitching well,"Hutchins
said. "We believe in her and we have
got to find a way to win.
"A new season starts on Friday
and everyone needs to dig deep and
re-focus."
y _ 4
, i
r .
Michigan 001 000 0-1 9 1
ND 000 000 2-2 9 0
WP - Battersby, LP - Holmes; DP - ND; LOB - NO 10, UM 10; 28 - Goetz (ND).
Carr (UM); SB - Marten (ND), Silver (UM); CS - Goetz (ND). Knudson (ND), Lang
(UM); SH - Campana (UM), Martino (UM); WP - Battersby, Holmes; E - Carr (UM).
Michigan 000 001 0-1 8 2
ND 005 000 X-5 9 2
WP - Kobata, LP - Holmes; LOB - ND 5, UM 9; 2B5- Cline (ND), Keys (ND),
Knudson (ND); WP - Kobata; E - Connoyer (ND), Pinter (ND), Campana (UM),
Smith (UM).
t... >.:
MARY KOUKHAB/Daily
Shortstop Mary Campana went 1-for-7 at the plate against Notre Dame.
Here the remIIng schdule
for the Michigan softball teamrr:
The season begins in Cincinnati for Blue crew
Few seniors for the men, none for the women: youth will key Michigan's first regatta
April
1
2
6
8
9
12
13
15
16
19
29
30
May
4
6
7
10
13
14
20-22
26-30
Ohio State (DH)3 p.m.
Ohio State (DH)1 p.m.
Toledo (DH) 3 p.m,
N'western (DH) 3 p.m.
N'western (DH) 1 p.m.
at Mich.St. (DH)3 p.m.
E. Mich. (DH) 3 p.m.
at Penn St. (DH)3 p.m.
at Penn St. (DH)1 p.m.
at Ce.Mich.(DH) 3 p.m.
Iowa (DH) 3 p.m.
Iowa (DH) 1 p.m..
By HEATHER WINDT
DAILY SPORTS WRITER
This weekend the Michigan men and women's
crew teams will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, for their
first dual meets of the season with high hopes for a
victorious regatta and a successful season.
Even with no returning seniors, women's coach
Mark Rothstein is optimistic about his team's
progress.
"With the loss of four seniors out of last year's
varsity crew we knew we would have a tough time
in rebuilding a fast crew," Rothstein said. "Early
indications are that we are doing just that though."
Returning varsity senior Pam Carroll also fore-
sees a bright season for the Wolverines.
"We are considerably faster than last year,"
Carroll said. "I'm excited for this weekend, be-
cause Cincinnati has a good crew and is our best
competition in the Midwest."
The varsity women have not limited their focus
to Saturday morning's competition. They are al-
ready looking to take home medals at the National
Championships in May.
On the other hand, the men's team is concen-
trating solely on the Bearcats and hopes to have a
strong showing for both of its varsity eights despite
the loss of several key seniors from last year's
team.
"In order for both boats to win we have to stay
relaxed and execute the sprint we have been work-
ing on," said senior Ed Gehres. "If we can do that
we shouldn't have any problems this weekend.
"Cincinnati is a really erratic team, though. We
have to be ready for anything."
Following last fall's 30-6 record, men's coach
Gregg Hartstuff said he thinks this year's team is
prepared to continue its winning ways. Addition-
ally, he said he believes the Wolverines to be the
fastest boats in Michigan crew history.
"The stronger members of the last year varsity
squad will combine with a strong group of first-
year members," Hartstuff said. "I am happy with
leadership shown by this year's seniors as they
have played an important role in helping poise this
team for success."
Along with the varsity, the novice crews will
each be sending two boats of men and women.
"There is a lot of depth, excitement and enthu-
siasm in this years' team," women's novice coach
Amy Gregg said. "Everyone is real excited to race
even though we are not to sure what to expect."
W. Mich. (DH)
at Minn. (DH)
at Minn. (DH)
Mich. St. (DH)
at Indiana (DH)
at Indiana (OH)
NCAA Regional
NCAA Champ.
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
3 p.m.
1p.m.
TBA
TBA
JOE PESCI - CHRISTIAN SLATER
Home games at Alumni Field.-
in bold
*E N No1:1
Hook
. ..... r n ..........