The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, March 13, 1995 - 7

'M' crushes Georgia Tech

Wolverines score 4
By Ravi Gopal
Daily Baseball Writer
Yesterday the Michigan base-
ball team set a 100-year high in
scoring.
At its current rate, it might not be
that long 'til the Wolverines do it
again.
Michigan (5-9) destroyed Geor-
gia Tech (11-6), 27-5, yesterday in
Atlanta. With the victory, the Wol-
verines won the series, taking two out
of three from the Yellow Jackets.
Junior outfielder Scott Weaver did
the most damage yesterday, going 6-
of-7, scoring five runs and knocking
in four. Weaver's offensive explo-
sion raised his batting average 86
points, from .222 to .308.
Despite his impressive numbers,
Weaver was far from the only hero
yesterday, as Michigan mauled Geor-
gia Tech starting pitcher Geoff
Duncan.
Duncan (3-2), who entered the
game leading his team with a 2.25
ERA, lasted just 4-2/3 innings. He
gave up 11 runs, 10 of which were
earned.
Weaver, fellow outfielder Rodney
Goble, second baseman Andy Wade
and outfielder Brian Simmons re-
sembled a murderers' row lineup, as
they went 13-for-22, scoring 16 runs

in victory over Yellow Jackets

and knocking in 15.
The Wolverines' pitching was
strong as well, as freshman
righthander Tyler Steketee (2-1)
hurled eight innings, surrendering five
runs on seven hits.
The last time Michigan scored as
many runs was 1895, when the Wol-
verines destroyed Kenyon (Ohio), 36-
4.
As opposed to yesterday's contest
where it scored early and often, Michi-
gan took its time Saturday before de-
feating the Yellow Jackets, 8-6.
The Wolverines scored seven
runs in the last three innings, tag-
ging Georgia Tech reliever Rich
Thieme for two runs in just a third
of an inning.
Michigan probably was relieved
itself, as Yellow Jacket ace Chris
Wilson was cruising. Wilson fanned
11 batters in seven innings, giving up
three runs.
He entered the game on a hot
streak, having notched two wins in
Georgia Tech's past four games en-
tering the weekend.
But Wilson cooled down, as the
Wolverines were able to torch the
Yellow Jacket bullpen. Goble went 3-
for-5 and Simmons went 1-for-4 with
two RBI.
Again, the Wolverines' pitching

was strong, as righthander Mark
Temple went seven strong innings,
surrendering just five hits and four
funs.
Bullpen fireballer John Arvai (1-
0) took the win,hurling a hitless eighth
and ninth.
In the first game of the series Fri-
day, the Wolverines were clobbered,
15-8. Georgia Tech jumped out to an
early 4-1 lead, but Michigan was able
to come back with four runs in the
fifth inning.
However, the Yellow Jackets came
out buzzing in the sixth, pounding out
eight runs in sealing theirI11th victory
of the season. The Wolverines had as
many errors (three) as Georgia Tech
had home runs.
Michigan righthander Matt Ferullo
(1-2) was driven out of the game after
5-1/3 innings, getting rocked for nine
hits and six earned runs.
Sophomore Mike Haskell didn't
fare much better in relief, as he was
shellacked in a third of an inning. He
gave up four runs on three hits while
walking two in his fourth outing of
the season.
Simmons and first baseman Mike
Muir led Michigan in the hitting de-
partment. Simmons went 2-for-3 with
two RBI, and Muir went 2-for-4 with
a pair of RBI as well.

Michigan baseball team improved to 5-9 by walloping Georgia Tech yesterday, 27-5.

DOUGLAS KANTER/Daily



;SPORTING
trike
iii Smith
Sotts Writer
ajbr League baseball
est crisis in its 125 yea
tarters, the World S
1r t time ever and this
amp.
ut that wasn't it.
ow-there are pitchers
and carpenters a mon
ns. 2
hel are probably real
clashes and building ho
e on their hands becau
T.ngs are definitely no
e l is a mess.
So what would be the
gi e Baseball to do cons
rrible crisis?
Settle the strike?
No, that's not the ans
ue's answer. It's alm
ethe decisions. Settli
h sense. Besides, woul
t players knocking ea
6p-ups?
No it wouldn't. Not for
Wewant baseball - r
Instead of settling the s
a've decided that they
instead.
Expand.
The owners' have decide
najor league teams to
Expand the league? Ar
1 seball since the mi
at thing on the leaf
e of~a game called Maj
Tampa Bay.
Exansion under norm
us. There are just not en
uprosters as it is. If th
ht as well have the ca
re full time, because the
players that expansion

VIEWS:
has gone on too long
When the Florida Marlins and the Colorado Rockies
started play in 1992 when there wasn't a strike, people
is in the midst of perhaps the were still moaning that expansion was not needed and that
irs of existence. there wasn't enough talent to fill the rosters.
eries was canceled last fall for But what about now?
caused irrevocable damage to Not only does the announcement of two more teams
come at the most horrible time in the history of baseball,
it also comes at a time when there are more 1986 Mets that
and catchers who were teach- are sober then there are good pitchers in the league.
ith ago in major league uni-, If there weren't enough quality pitchers three years
ago, what makes one think there are more today? Am I
major leaguers who are teach- missing something, or did 20 David Cone and Gregg
uses to fill the ample time they Maddux clones come from another planet while I was
se of the strike. taking a nap?
)t right. Put simply, the state of Pitchers with ERA's under 4.00 are a hot commodity.
They go for millions of dollars on the open market and
most logical thing for Major command an arm and leg in a trade. Many of them are not
sidering that it's in the midst of even close to being all-stars, but they can throw the ball
over the plate with a little mustard and a little movement.
In other words, they're adequate. They're not horrible
1wer. Or at least it's not the and they're not good. They're adequate.
ost too logical for those who Adequate is rare, though, and commands millions in
ng the strike would make too this sea of futility. Yet there is still room and talent to
dn't it be fun to watch replace- expand?
ch other over while trying to There is no better case for the lack of pitching in the
league than the abbreviated 1994 season in which batters
r me, and not for most fans. were having career seasons while chasing some of
eal baseball - now. baseball's oldest and most distinguished records.
trike, though, the powers that Who's to know now what kind of numbers would have
would instead do something been put up in 1994 if it were a complete season. Records
would have been broken. Hitting records.
After the season's they had in 1994, it's scary to think
ed to grant Phoenix and Tampa of what kind of numbers a Ken Griffey, Jr. or a Frank
) begin play in 1998. Thomas could put up when they get to feast on expansion
e you crazy? There hasn't been pitching in a few years.
ddle of August, and the most But then again, with the priorities of the owners right
gue's agenda is expanding this now, we may may never even get to see Frank Thomas or
or League Baseball to Phoenix Ken Griffey Jr. swing the bat.
Instead, if the situation at hand remains ignored, the
al circumstances would be ludi- first pitch thrown by a shoe salesman in Tampa's first
cough good players out there to game in 1998 may be hit out of the ballpark by an
fe league keeps expanding, we electrician from Phoenix.
arpenters and the teachers out And if this is the case, it wouldn't matter how bad the
y wouldn't be much worse then pitching was. The game, like the strike is now for the
-caliber teams oroduce. owners, would not be the fan's first priority.

BASEBALL NOTEBOOK:
Michigan bats come alive in Atlanta

By John Lerol
Daily Baseball Writer
Yesterday wasn't a bad day for the
Michigan baseball team. The Wol-
verines whipped Georgia Tech, 27-5,
in the rubber game of a three-game set
in Atlanta.
After three straight losses, tak-
ing two of three games from the
Yellow Jackets is a decent week-
end. But scoring 27 runs against one
of the nation's most respected pro-
grams - now that's a great way to
end a road trip.
The Wolverines racked up 22 hits
and homered twice while freshman
Tyler Steketee held Georgia Tech to
five runs on only seven hits.
Michigan's team batting aver-
age rose 21 points from a paltry
.244 tosa nearly-respectable .265 in
the game. And while nearly the en-
tire team raised its level of play, the
Wolverines' first four hitters did
the most damage.
Leadoff hitter Andy Wade went
1-for-3, but scored four runs after
drawing three walks. Wade totaled
six bases-on-balls in two games.
Leftfielder Scott Weaver batted
6-for-7 with a double, a triple and
four RBI.
Rodney Goble went 4-for-8 at the
plate with a triple and a home run. The
rightfielder knocked in six runs and
scored four himself.
Brian Simmons cracked
Michigan's other home run and hit a
double, going 2-for-4. Simmons leads
the Wolverines with 24 RBI.
The four bombers scored 16 runs
and rang up 15 RBI.
LIGHTING UP THE sCOREBOARD:

DOUGLAS KANR/Daily
Michigan coach Bil Freehan saw his Wolverines rack up 22 hits yesterday.

Goble's three-run homer in the ninth
inning gave Michigan 27 runs, the
most runs the Wolverines have scored
in one game this century. The 1900
Michigan squad beat Northwestern,
26-2.
However; the 27 runs scored
against Georgia Tech are not even
close to Michigan's all-time high.
The Wolverines' have scored 30
runs or more 11 times, most recently
in a 36-2 victory over Kenyon in
1895. In Michigan's first game of
collegiate baseball, in 1866, it scored
33 runs. The same season, 61 runs
crossed the plate against Jackson.
The next year, the Wolverines
wore out the scoreboard operator,
whipping Detroit, 70-17. But,
Michigan's most impressive victory
came in the 1886 season opener. The

score? Michigan 75, Hiawatha 10.
SLUMPING SEASON: Senior Ryan
Van Oeveren was probably
Michigan's best player last season.
The shortstop hit .298 and was
voted the Wolverines' most valuable
player by his teammates. Van Oeveren
was sure-handed in the field, commit-
ting just nine errors in 238 chances on
his way to All-Big Ten second team
honors.
Entering the weekend set with the
Yellow Jackets, the co-captain was
batting .135 with only five hits in 37
at bats.
He went 2-for-7 in his first two
games, raising his batting average to
.159, still 41 points below the
Mendoza line. Van Oeveren struck
out four times and slipped to the ninth
spot in the batting order.

...................... r ., ---.



lue spill
5g .
J es Goldstein
y ports Writer
The Michigan men's volleyball
m. ;was two points away from
ng swept at home by Ti-State.
yer, the Wolverines took the
ing three points to win the
e and the next two games to win
match.
Down two games to none, Michi-
rallied in the third game en route
9-15, 10-15, 15-13, 15-9, 15-10
tory.
Tape Wolverines (9-4) defeated
-State in their only match against
his season. It looked like Tri-
"Would hand Michigan its first
9 of its three-match homestand
en it had a 13-12 lead after a
ssjve kill by Tri-State outside
ter, Chris Depaw.
But with the help of the Wolver-
s' blocking game, Michigan
a ted Tri-State's chances to end
match.
And the blocking got off to a great
ith captain Stan Lee timing his
perfectly to swat down the ball
he only area of open court to take
third game.
For the most part in the early ac-
,the Wolverines were not men-

Lers down Trn-State

State quickly regained the lead at 5-4
and cruised the rest of the way to
capture the game.
The opener wasn't the only thing
Michigan lost.
Early in the first game, middle
Dave Hunter went up for a block and
came down awkwardly, rolling his
ankle in the process. He had to be
helped off the court and did not return
in the match.
The severity of Hunter's ankle
injury is unknown, but he should be
out for at least 4-6 weeks, which will
most likely leave him unavailable for
the Big Ten Championships March
24-26.
Hunter's replacement filled in ad-
mirably. Freshman middle Suresh
Potharij came off the bench to give -
the Wolverines a lift; or actually, a
block.
Potharij's numerous blocks were
the catalysts to Michigan's reener-
gized play. In the third game alone,
Potharij tallied three blocks, all for
points.
"(Potharij) stepped up," Engel
said. "He did a great job for us. He had
a big block on the Tri-State top out-
side hitter.
"That was a big turning point in

the game, especially for his mental
attitude. He didn't have all the confi-
dence coming in, but that helped him
out a lot. It helped us out a lot."
In the fourth game, the Wolver-
ines got their accurate passing back
along with their emotion. After going
back and forth in a tight game, Michi-
gan regained the lead for good on
outside hitter Kevin Urban's serve at
7-6.
The final game consisted of side-
out play where a point was awarded
for each side-out. Rodriguez got on a
roll when he was perfectly set up by
Lee for a forceful kill. The match
came to a fitting close with another
block, this time by Rodriguez.


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