12 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 29, 1996

Baseball shells Gaklad 7-

4-run 3rd innin
9[9[
keys 'M' victory
By James Goldstein
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan baseball team was just
happy to lace up the cleats, throw the
bill around and take the field.
tAnd the Wolverines were also con-
tent with their 7-0 shutout over Oak-
land in their home opener yesterday at
Ray Fisher Stadium. The win gives
Michigan (4-0 Big Ten, 6-13 overall) a
five-game winning streak, its longest in
tlhree years.
Cold weather and a thin, white layer
of snow covering the field kept Michi-
gan from playing Wednesday against
Toledo.
"But the grounds crew did an admi-
rHble job getting the field ready for
yesterday's game. No remnants of the
snow were visible - just the green
grass of the outfield and the smooth
iifield dirt.
""It's just good to get out on the field;
that's the great thing," Michigan coach
Geoff Zahn said. "The field is in very
good condition, considering it was
sowing two days ago."
The Wolverines were also in good
cpndition.
Once again, Michigan's pitching was
inpressive. The Wolverines were com-
ing off a four-game sweep at Purdue
where Michigan had three pitching
tems, including a shutout.
Yesterday, seven Wolverine pitch-
drs combined to give up three hits, al-
lbw no walks and strike out 11.
Only Mike Hrbernik and Mark

Temple threw two innings. The other
five hurlers pitched an inning apiece.
Hrbernik started, striking out two.
Temple entered the game for Hrbernik
in the third, allowing no hits and also
striking out a pair. Temple picked up
the win. He is now 2-3.
Michigan's hitters put runs up on the
scoreboard early, giving the pitchers a
comfortable cushion.
In the second inning, Brian Besco
tripled over the rightfielder's head,
knocking in Mike Cervenak, who
walked to open the inning. Brian Bush
beat out a basehit, scoring Besco.
The Wolverines blew the game wide
open the following inning. Mike Muir's
based-loaded clearing double off Pio-
neer pitcher Matt McCellan increased
the score to 6-0.
"It feels good to do somethingto give
us the early lead in the ballgame," Muir
said. "Something we've been doing
lately is having big hits in the beginning
of the game. And our pitching has been
responding by keeping the other team
down."
Kelly Dransfeldt added a RBI double
in the seventh to drive in Michigan's
final run.
Cervenak and Jason Alcaraz led the
Wolverines with two hits apiece.
But Zahn was not completely pleased
with his team's hitting game.
"I wasn't real happy with our ap-
proach at the plate," Zahn said. "We
have to get much more aggressive and
more focused."
But the aggressiveness that Zahn be-
lieved was lacking was made up for by
the pitching staff's performance.
The Wolverines were hitting the cor-
ners and blasting fastballs by the Oak-
land batters.

On Mihgn
from the s
Afterhis RBI triples
took the mound ieo
gave up a labhen
struck out Joc o y,( mogr an
Kyle Simmon t
The Wolvhe nm t
to g o ovser thi game £vihgnhat
Indiana for ub
Bloomington over the woh
of Saturday'snd undy twnb
begin at I p.m.
If the Wolverine, am t ke any one
thing frm the ithe
next game, itin
"Our hitting habeen coinng
around," Mui.
weren't as
to w i in the iT T g s
that and wefee
be more oh
weekend."
volleybleads tKZOO

By Mark Snydr
Daily Sports'.rit.
The element of surprise is one of the
most useful tools in sports - when it is
possible.
This weekend is one of those times.
The Michigan men's volleyball squad
travels to Kalamazoo to participate in the
Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball As-
sociation Tournament at Western Michi-
gan with confidence in its mind.
If looks can be deceiving, then the
Michigan ren's volleybal team annears
to be on the brink of cot apsc. After a loss
to bottom seed Ohio State in the first
round of last weekend's Big Ten Cham-
pionships, the Wolverines could have

been demoralized. But instead, the team
is optimistic about its prospects for the
tournament, which starts this afternoon.
At the Big Ten tournament, Michigan
had its timing down and was on target
through pool play. It had rolled through
its pool, defeating Northwestern and In-
diana on the way to a 6-2 record in the
seeding matches.
But the reason for optimism came after
the Wolverines' best match ofthe season.
They defeated Michigan State, the class
of the conference, in the opening round.
After State went on to win the tourna-
ment, the Michigan players gained even
more confidence in their achievement.
"The game against Michigan State
proved we can beat a good team," Michi-
gan senior Jamie Reynolds said. "After
beating them, we feel we can beat any-
one."
The Wolverines are led by Reynolds, a
senior, in search of yet another honor to
add to his resume. This week, he was
named to the Big Ten's second team.
Already, Reynolds holds the position
of president of the volleyball club off the
court and captain on it. Reynolds serves
as the team leader, organizing practices
and arranging transportation to matches.
I is team is expected to be seeded sixth
or seventh overall, with the focus on
advancing deep into the bracket of 40
teams. First, however, Michigan must
advance past the pool of eight.
"Our goal is to make the semifinals or
finals," Reynolds said.

But as excited as the Wolverines are
aboutmakingwavesinthe MIVAtourna-
ment, they may have to do it without one
of their top players. Suresh Pothiraj, who
battled mononucleosis earlier this sea-
son, twisted his knee inpracticethis week
and is questionable for today's contest.
Taking Pothiraj's place in the starting
lineup will be Tim McTeague. The rest of
the lineup remains the same with
Reynolds, Ernesto Rodriguez, Andy
Spitser, Chad Stilstra and Justin Biebel
rounding out the starters.
The competition gets a bit stiffer at the
MIVA tournament because there are two
teams sure to make waves. Graceland
College and Park College are not Divi-
sion I schools so they have a distinct
advantage over the Big Ten teams, which
cannot offer scholarships.
With both schools ranked among the
top 15 teams in the country, Michigan has
quite a task ahead. The Wolverines were
ranked No.26 heading into last weekend's
Big Ten tournament, where Reynolds
thinks they improved their standing.
"After last weekend, we should move
up a lot in the rankings," he said.
A new strategy will be employed by
Michigan as it looks to overcome the
flaws that contributed to the Buckeye
defeat.
"We had trouble defending the middle
(against Ohio State)," Reynolds said. "So
we'll bring the outside hitters in to protect
against the middle hits, which are so
dangerous."

sU

During the Passover
observance, alternative
meal options are available
for residence hall residents
or students with
entree meal plans.

PASSOVER

Information and forms
available at all rsidence
hall offices, Entre Office,
and Housing Information
Office. Forms mus Le
submitted b"y Apri 3.

Michigan closer
John Avra
delivers to the
plate en route to
a 7-0 Wolverine
victory over
Oakland
yesterday. Seven
Michigan pitchers
combined to allow
as no walks and
trie outa1
3 , z The Wolverines'
shutout gives
them a five-game
winning streak
heading into thi
weekend's
doubleheaders at
" Indiana.
° KRISTIN SHAEFER/Daty
Fun in the sun
for men s golf
By John Friedberg
Daily Sports Writer
Imagine you could take a few days off
and play a couple of rounds of golf with
the boys. The sun would be beating down
on the green grass, and you could play 54
holes in two days. It sounds like a great
break from this recent cold spell. Amaz-
ingly, a group of students actually gets
this break: the Michigan men's golfteam.
The Wolverines head down to Dalas
for the Dr. Pepper Intercollegiate th a
weekend. The event is hosted by t
TanglewoodCountry Club of Dallas.dihe
par-72, 6,993-yard course will be the first
true test for Michigan this spring.
This will be the second spring touA-
ment for the Wolverines as they look to
rebound from a somewhat mediocre fall
season. The 54-hole tournament begins
with two rounds on Saturday and ends
with another on Sunday. The first tourna-
ment, March 8-10, was shortened by
clement weather in South Carolina.
Among the teams in this weekend's
18-team field are perennial powers Mi-
ami of Ohio, Kent State and Texas Chris-
tian. Also participatinginthistournament
are seven other Big Ten schools, includ-
ing powers Northwesternand Minnesota.
Although the field is strong, Michigan
expects to place highly in the event.
"Realistically, I think we need to be in
the top five this weekend," Michigan
coach Jim Carras said. "In orderto qual
for regionals we need to be in the top five
of these tournaments."
The central regional takes place on the
Michigan golf course May 16-18.
There is still a lot of golf to be played
before the regionals in May, and Carras
said he is optimistic.
"We have no choice but to be competi-
tive in the next few competitions. We
were in the top four in nine out of our
tournaments last season and aside fro
losing (senior captain) Bill Lyle (now an
assistant coach) we should be pretty strong.
We also hope to win the Big Ten this
year," he added.
The lineup for the tournament this
weekend features three juniors, a sopho-
more and a freshman. Redshirt freshman
Isaac Hinkle leads the Wolverines play-
ing this weekend at the No. I spot. Round-
ing out the Wolverines this weekend are
juniors David Jasper and Kyle Dobbs
the second and third spots, sophom
Keith Hinton at number four and junior
Justin Hicks in the fifth slot.
Dobbs has been the most consistent of
the group this year with a 76.6 average.
The highlight ofthe fall for Dobbs was his
second-place showing in the Northern
Intercollegiate at Penn State October 4-
15. Thejunior from Saline, Mich., is also
the most experienced Wolverine playing
this weekend. Hinkle, though, posted
effort that was good enough for a tie for

25th at the event.
Women's tennis to
face Florida pair
By Jiten Ghelani
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women's tennis tea
is in Florida for the weekend- cou
coach Bitsy Ritt's Wolverines ask for
much else?
Victories over South Florida and
Miami, perhaps, plus a full lineup for
the remainder of the season as an
added bonus? This may not seem like
much ofa request, but considering the
recent turn of events, Ritt would be
more than merely content.
Michigan is coming off of a rou
homestand, falling twice last week-
end.
The Wolverines suffered a rpb e
permanent loss, though, when senior
Angie Popek played the last match of
her college career Saturday against
Notre Dame. Ponek may have re4om


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