The Michigan Daily -SPORTSMonday - Monday, April 3, 1995 - 5
BASEBALL
Continued from page 1
perfect suicide squeeze play.
Redshirt freshman Brian
Steinbach started the game for the
Wolverines and allowed 10 hits, but
didn't surrender a walk and held Illi-
nois to just one run in five innings.
Bullpen ace John Arvai replaced
Steinbach in the sixth and cruised
through a 1-2-3 inning.
But Brian McClure led off the top
of the seventh with a double. Arvai
then hit Illini leftfielder Bill Antonacci
with a pitch. Sinak followed with a
grounder to Arvai that advanced both
runners.
Bill Schullian and Brett Laurvick
hit consecutive RBI singles to score
McClure and Antonacci. Sean Bennett
came on to pinch-run for Schullian
and crossed the plate to tie the score
on Dusty Rhodes' grounder to third
base.
With one out in the bottom of the
seventh, Weaver cranked his third
double of the game. Simmons was
intentionally walked to put two run-
ners on board for the Wolverines. But
Coston struck out and Chapman flied
out to the centerfield to end the in-
ning.
Down 5-4, Kelly Dransfeldt led
off the bottom of the eighth inning
with a single. But after catcher Scott
Niemiec and pinchhitter Mike Muir
struckout, Dransfeldt was doubled off
attempting to steal second base.
Derek Besco (0-1) faced only two
batters, but took the loss for Michi-
gan.
Weaver led the Wolverines with
three hits, an RBI and a two runs
scored. Chapman and Dransfeldt both
finished with 2-for-4 performances
and one RBI.
Tyler Steketee (2-3) had his best
outing of the year in Sunday's second
game. The freshman fireballer didn't
allow an earned run and limited Illi-
nois to only six hits, but still was stuck
with a 4-1 loss.
Steketee hurled his second straight
complete game, striking out three and
walking none. His ERA (5.20) is best
among Wolverine starters. In his last
two outings, Steketee's ERA is .071.
"Steketee pitched a hell of a
ballgame," Freehan said. "He's just a
Baseball results
"(Illinois) didn't
score an earned
run and that's
unbelievable. A
,good defensive
team doesn't play
that way."
- Bill Freehan
Michigan baseball coach
freshman, but he has pitched well for
us. He kept us in the ball game last
week against Iowa."
Rightfielder Rodney Goble
singled in Coston with two-outs in the
third inning to score Michigan's only
run.
Michigan committed two errors
which led to all four Illini runs.
"We didn't hit the ball well to-
day," Freehan said. "We didn't field
the ball well in the second game.
It's something we usually do well.
(Illinois) didn't score an earned run
and that's unbelievable. A good de-
fensive team doesn't play that way."
In Sunday's first game, Mark
Temple (2-4) lasted only two in-
nings, giving up six runs on eight
hits in a 9-3 loss. Illinois rocked
Temple for five runs in the first
inning.
The Illini sent 10 batters to the
plate in the first, racking up six
singles. Three Michigan relievers
were tagged for three more runs on
eight hits.
Chapman knocked in all three
Michigan runs with a bases-loaded
double with two outs in the sixth.
Kids get overlooked
byfoul bllpolicy
By John Lrol
Daily Baseball Writer
Anyone else remember going to the ballpark as a little kid, dragging along
an oversized Ozzie Smith autographed glove in hopes of nabbing a foul ball?
With the exception of consuming mass quantities of popcorn and hot dogs,
trying to snag a foul ball is the most fun youngsters have at a baseball game.
And Ann Arbor youths are no exception. Every time batters at Fisher
Stadium foul a ball off, mobs of kids take off after it. Dozens of kids dash
towards the parking lot in hopes of being the first to spot the stray baseball. A
foul ball is a treasure like no other for a little kid.
And in a world of multimillion dollar contracts, drug abuse and labor
strikes, the happiness that one foul ball can bring to a child is amazing.
But not at Michigan. The minute children rush into the parking lot for the
first time, a voice booms over the public address system: "Please return all foul
balls to the first base dugout."
With no Major League baseball for months, the games the Michigan
baseball team plays at Fisher Stadium are the only action around. Youngsters
may already have a negative picture of baseball and professional sports in
general. Now the University is taking away the pleasure of a Michigan foul
ball.
It would seem that a university that recently inked a multimillion dollar
contract with Nike would have the extra bucks to allow kids to keep any
baseball that ventured into the stands. If kids spend two dollars for a hot dog
and two more for a watered down Coke, it seems only fair that they should be
allowed to keep a foul ball they snag at a baseball game.
But the Athletic Department disagrees. Every game youngsters race for foul
balls and every game, the same announcement descends like a canon ball from
the press box: "Please return all foul balls to the first base dugout." Sure, some
stray balls go unreturned. But why even tell a kid it is not the University's or
the NCAA's policy to let them keep their coveted prize?
"We're under a budget," Wolverine catcher Matt Fleury says. "There is a
limited number of balls for each game. We recycle the game balls, when
they're not suitable for games as practice balls. It's a standard rule in college
baseball. Some places offer a free Coke or something as an incentive for
returning (a foul ball)."
With all the greed and selfishness in pro sports today, bribing a kid to get
him to return a foul ball is hardly a good message to give him.
Anyone who has seen the look on a child's face just after grabbing a
baseball that was actually used in a college game knows what a baseball means
to a kid.
"I have a hard time asking a kid to give a ball back after he gets one,"
infielder Andy Wade says. "(After Sunday's two losses) all I could think about
was how badly we played. Some kid asked me to sign his glove and he told me
I was his favorite player. Even on a day like this, it's got to make you smile."
But for the kids who had to return their treasures, there will be no smile
today.
Baseball Notebook:
gers' payer joins 'M'
as new volunteer coach
TONYA BROAD/Daily
The Wolverines' Chad Chapman hit his second home run of the year and
was 6-for-12 at the plate on the weekend.
Game 1
Illinois 000
Michigan 312
000
210
0 --0
x -- 9
1.
9
1
0
W - Ferulo {24), L " Wolland (3); DP- UM 2; LOS
Uilinols 2, UM 3; 28 - Coston {UM), Dransfeldt (UM); R
Chapman (UMI; CS -B. 8mn (UM); WP - Wolland
Ofls;E -Sinak (Illinois).
Game 2
lilinois 100
Michigan 011
000 31- 5
020 00- 4
15
10
2
1
W - Ocestreich (23) t ".D. Besco (0.2); LOS . fitInois 16,
.UM 8; 20- McClure (Illinois), Weaver 3 (UM), Vac
Oeveren (UMf, Chapman (UM), Ofansintdt (UM); 38-
iMcClure (ltinols); *W McCure (Ilinois); CS- Antonucci
E(Illinois), Coston (WI), Dwasfeldt (UiM); 5#- ESoan
I(Illinois), &inak (Mimnos), Van Geveren (UiM); E " Bogan
(Illinois), IBusehe 4llllnos), Vas 0everen (Uim). j
Came 3
Illnos 00 220 0 -4 6.1.
E Michigan 001 000 0 -1 3 2
W - Qestreich (33), L, Steketee (2-3); LOS -fllinois 5,
UiM 5; 3$ - Weaver' (UM): SB - Antoinacrj 3 (llnots),
Sinak (Mlinois); 5F " . Inuvick (Illinois); WP'- Oestreich
j ifinois), Steketee (UiM); E - Otstretch (Illinois), Van
Deveten (UiM), Wade (UiM).
Gamue 4#
Illinois 502 101 0- 9 16 0
Michigan 000 003 0- 3 6 2
IW " Williams (3.5) k - Temple (2.4); LOB. Illinois 6, tM
4; DP-Iflin is 1. UiM 4 28- Aztoaci (Illnois); HR I
Latnvlck 2 (Illinois); 81$-. na (Illinois); Sf-SChutlian
Dransfeldt (UM),
TONYA BROAD/Daily
Michigan secondbaseman Andy Wade just missed tagging out Illinois' Bill Antonacci.
By John Lerol
Daily Baseball Writer
Three weeks after assistant coach
Dan O'Brien left the Michigan base-
ball team, a new coach may be added
to the staff. The man rumored to take
over as the Wolverines' newest as-
sistant has quite a spectacular resume.
He played a little bit of Major League
baseball in his time and he knows a
few things about hitting. Some kids
may even have his baseball card lying
around.
His name: Alan Trammell.
The Tigers' All-Star shortstop has
attended practice this week and has
helped with coaching duties. Coach
Bill Freehan said yesterday that
Trammell is "the official volunteer
coach."
The 1987 World Series Most
Valuable Player has worked with in-
fielders and helped with batting prac-
tice.
"Its great to have Alan Trammell
here," Freehan said. "The players love
him being at practice - the infielders
really love him being at practice."
Of course, Trammell has had
plenty of time off to contemplate his
future in baseball. Freehan said that
Trammell wishes to stay in baseball
after his playing days are over. Freehan
also said that he wotfld be more than,
happy to have Trammell on his staff.
However, with the Major League
baseball strike over, Trammell is now
otherwise employed. Trammell is in
his mid-30's and is flirting with re-
tirement. Whether or not he has played
his last game in a Tiger uniform is
anyone's guess.
"I don't know," Freehan said yes-
terday. "He could be a Major Leaguer
tomorrow."
The Wolverines could use a coach
who has won a few Gold Gloves at
shortstop. Michigan infielders made
three errors yesterday.
BIG GUNs?: Centerfielder Brian
Simmons, who leads Michigan in
every conceivable offensive cat-
egory, and shortstop Ryan Van
Oeveren, who was last season's
MVP and is batting .500 in his last
four games, have always been the
go-to guys for the Wolverines. How-
ever, Simmons and Van Oeveren
may may have hit a mild mid-sea-
son slump.
This weekend, the two All-Big Ten
selections were a combined 4-for-20
with no RBI, five strikeouts and two
errors.
This eekends
K, I
Vs .
L a 7g
Saturday and Sunday I p.m., Fisher Stadium
0
Feruilo adjusts to starting position with ease
By Ravi opal"A was disappointed, because you tion, but Ferullo kept his cool. He
Daily Baseball Writer don't get very many opportunities of kept his head high, for his team hadH 'splayed
It was the 22nd game of the throwing a no-hitter," Ferullo said. the victory. But he didn't go crazy.
Michigan baseball team's 1994 cam- "But I wasn't going to let it affect my Setting an example for the younger well or us. He's
paign. performance." players was something he really never
Senior pitcher Ron Hollis pitched As per baseball superstition, the had to do. With the senior group last pr bably ourmost
a no-hitter against the Spartans, as the Wolverines were mum on the subject year, Ferullo was left picking up their
Wnl~ripc nn -0 nlh nlno f nnn-ittr Rt ta idnt kee rid t a hi wncsart of thy Wolverine c si en
woverines won ,-v. rxis, along
with Ray Ricken, Heath Murray and
Chris Newton, made up Michigan's
senior pitching foursome. The four-
some combined for 20 of the Wolver-
ines' 29 victories last year.
A little over a year later, Michigan
senior pitcher Matt Ferullo took to the
mound against Illinois, in the
Wolverine's 25th game of the year.
Working his way through the Illini
lineup, he brought a no-hitter into the
top of the seventh inning.
Deja-vu?
o a no-flier. u a.il nUl ull Keep
Ferullo from thinking about it.
"The sixth inning is when it really
set in," he said. "(A no-hitter)
would've been great."
But Ferullo was able to take things
in stride. After the game, his team-
mates jumped all over him in celebra-
UU YVs 1C e oW l l 111C.,VJIV .ii'.
bullpen.
He compiled a 4-2 record that sea-
son, posting a 4.61 ERA over 21.1
innings.
"He started adjusting (to a starting
role) last season, during the non-con-
ference slate," reliever John Arvai
said. Arvai added that Ferullo's expe-
rience starting in the Cape Cod Sum-
mer League last summer aided the
transition from a relief role for his
teammate.
Now, he leads the team in com-
starter. "
- Bill Freehan
Michigan baseball coach
"I know I've been around for
awhile, but I lead by example," he
said. "Our captains (outfielder Rodney
Goble and shortstop Ryan Van
Oeveren) are more vocal (than me)."
Ferullo's leadership has helped the
Wolverine hurlers through a rocky
start to the season. Although
Michigan's team ERA is 6.55, Ferullo
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