The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, April 1, 1996 - 58 an postpones basebal's weekend; Wolverines split in Saturday action DARREN EVERSON Darren to be Different By Jim Rose -Daily Sports Writer After the snow finally gave into spring, and the Michigan baseball team was getting usedto the warmerweather, some- thing terrible happened. It rained. Proving once again that March base- ball is simply not meant for the Midwest, yesterday'sdoubleheaderinIndianawas postponed by Mother Nature midway throughthe third inning ofthe first game. The Hoosiers were leading the Wolver- Os,3-2. Play is scheduled to resume, in progress, today at 1 p.m. Saturday's action resulted in a split for the Wolverines. The first game was a 6- 3 Michigan victory, with J.J. Putz pick- ing up his third win. The freshman threw four and one-third innings, striking out four and walking four. Putz got off to a shaky start in the first inning, but the Wolverines' defense was artially to blame. An error by Michigan hird baseman Mike Cervenak put the Hoosiers' leadoff man on base. After Putz issued a walk, he got Indiana's Mike Crotty to ground into what would have been an inning-ending double play. But instead, Putz was forced to face cleanup hitter Matt Braughler, who promptly belted a two-run homer to left center. Indiana went on to load the bases with a walk, a single to left and an infield single, but Putz escaped any furtherdam- age by striking out Ryan Frantz to end he inning. - w1 The Wolverines' offense was keyed by a three-run third. Junior Mick Kalahar started things with a double, and Kirk Beerman doubled to score Kalahar. Jason Alcaraz followed with an RBI single, and eventually scored onaCervenak sacrifice fly. In the fourth inning, the Wolverines picked up a run after Derek Besco doubled and took third on a wild pitch. Then Michigan pulled off a gutsy two-out sui- cide squeeze, with Besco scoring on Kalahar's bunt single. The Wolverines had Indiana's pitch- ing to thank for their final two runs. Michigan's offense in the sixth inning went like this: walk, groundout, infield single, strikeout, hit batsman, hit bats- man (pitching change), walk, groundout. Result: two insurance runs to ice the game. John Arvai picked up his second save with two and two-third innings of work, despite allowing Braughler's second homer of the afternoon in the seventh. In the nightcap, the Wolverines let a sloppy, see-saw battle get away, losing 7- 6 despite giving up just one earned run. The Hoosiers jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Michigan starterBrian Steinbach, who lasted just two and one-third innings. In the four-run second, Steinbach would have escaped unscathed, if not for the two-out error that was followed by four straight base hits. Still, the resilient Wolverines climbed back into the game and actually took a 6- Finzally - a decin all The Michigan baseball game against Indiana was postponed due to rain yesterday. The game will resume today at 1 p.m. with Indiana leading, 3-2. 5 lead into the bottom half of the sixth. But two more unearned runs (thanks to two walks, an error, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly) put the Hoosiers in front for good. Michigan freshman Luke Bonner took the loss on the mound, despite sur- rendering just one unearned run. Alcaraz, Kelly Dransfeldt and Mike Haskell had two hits apiece for the Wol- verines. Haskell clouted a homer, and Dransfeldt's day included a double, a home run and four RBIs. Familiar faces set to take field on opening day of us can lhezvfiz t appears gender inequity is back. In case you missed it, the Michigan Athletic Department decided Saturday not to make women's crew a varsity sport. This is a truly stunning move, as it reverses the University's recent trend toward balancing athletic scholarships along gender lines. To the rest of the local media, this story did not warrant much attention because of what seemed to be Michigan's motivation for dropping the would-be sport. Ostensibly, the University just decided that there isn't enough interest in crew to transform it from club to varsity - pretty tame stuff, and hardly front-page material. This reporter, however, wasn't satisfied. Though I personally agree with the decision, I thought there was something more to it than that. What I found is what you've been finding out about me all year - I was right. Besides their fading desire to make women equal on the playing fields, I found that officials in the Athletic Department have an increasing distaste for the weaker sex in general. "Now don't go printing this in the paper," Athletic Director Joe Roberson said, prompting me to turn on my tape recorder, "but I'll be hornswaggled if I give another scholarship to another girl. I mean, they can't even throw a baseball right." Of course, no one's asking them to play baseball; women's crew is the issue here. But on that issue, the University has made up its mind - the only "women s crew" on this campus will be in the form of a sorority. Instead, the University plans to grant usage of the Huron River. as well as all of the club's boats, to the football team. The football Wolverines will use the equipment and facility as part of a new training regimen. "The girls can come watch, though," football coach Lloyd Carr said. The Athletic Department echoes Carr's sentiment. It might not want the girls around, but it's sure not going to just forget about them. All of the scholarships set aside for crew will continue to go to women -just in other ways. In the future, the monies will be directed toward helping women study executive assistance, clerical science and, of course, knitting. "We admire their drive," Roberson said. "We just think they should refocus it." So, too, has the Athletic Department fine-tuned its stance on gender equity. The University still intends to comply someday; now, however, it's going to go about it a little differently. Michigan will no longer classify athletes as male simply because they have ; external plumbing. Now, teams will evaluate their players on a yearly basis and then reclassify the poorer half of them as girls. The message is clear: From now on, to be a man, you've got to play like a man. "How's that for motivation?" Carr said. This new plan helps the University on several levels. For one, you'll probably see an increased on-field determination from Michigan athletes. Losing is one thing, but being told you play like a girl and not being able to deny it is far worse. Secondly, it allows Michigan to achieve gender equity after all. Now the Athletic Department won't even need a single women's sport to do it - and so many of those sports will cease to exist. The University has secretly decided to drop women's soccer, gymnastics, track and cross country all by the end of 1996. Field hockey, softball, volleyball and the rest will go the way of the dodo by the end of next year. Only women's swimmiig will stick around for a while -though not indefinitely. "We figure we'll give 'em another year or two," Roberson said, chuckling. "Let 'em win a national title, get some notoriety for the school, then wham-o! - give- 'em the axe." National titles and gender equity are nice, but their value doesn't approach that of the third effect of the University's new plan. Athletes carrying only X-chromo somes just won't be varsity athletes - not here. "Damn straight," Roberson said. "If you don't have a Y, go play at the Y." - Darren Everson can be reached at evey@umich.edu. If you believe a word of this column, you may be an even bigger Aprilfool than he Js. The Associated Press Greg Maddux and the Atlanta Braves oet their World Series rings, Ryne andberg returns from a 1 1/2-year retire- ment and major league baseball becomes a Vegas act'today on the first full day of the 1996 season. Recently retired Dave Winfield will throw outthe firstball in Cleveland, Tony La Russa will manage his first game for St. Louis and Cal Ripken will play con- secutive game No. 2,154 for Baltimore, highlighting some of the day's 12 open- ers. The season began last night when Chi- cago played at Seattle. The March 31 opener was the earliest in major league history - never before had a regular- season game been played before April 2. For the first time in three years, base- ball is expecting a full season, the reason for the early start. What baseball isn't sure about is fan reaction - attendance was down 20 percent in last year's strike- kewed season. The Braves, despite lastyear's success, were not assured a sellout for their game against San Francisco. The fans in atten- dance at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium will see the World Series banner raised and rings passed out. "After that, it's a whole new season," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "What we did last year won't mean a thing." Philadelphia was not anticipating more than 40,000 for its game against Colo- rado, and Florida may not get near that number for its game with Pittsburgh. In otherNL openers, itwill be St. Louis at New York, Montreal at Cincinnati, San Diego at Chicago, and Los Angeles at Houston. In the AL, it's Kansas City at Baltimore, New York at Cleveland, De- troit at Minnesota, Boston at Texas, and Toronto vs. Oakland in Las Vegas. The Athletics, forced to leave Oakland because of construction at the Coliseum, will play their"home" opener at Cashman Field in Las Vegas. It will be the first time a major league game has been played at a minor league park since Sept. 3, 1957, when Brooklyn faced Philadelphia at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, N.J. The ballpark, with fewer than 9,400 seats, has a center-field fence 433 feet from home plate. But the power alleys are only 364 feet, and it has been the site of many home runs when the Las Vegas Stars, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, play their Pacific Coast League games there. "It's not a pitcher's park," said Carlos Reyes, who will start for the A's. The Athletics, in addition to playing in Vegas, will have another April Fool's joke waiting for them today. Mark McGwire has an injured foot and will not be able to play, one of several stars out of action on opening day. Kiruy Puckett of Minnesota, Chipper Jones of Atlanta, Tim Raines of the New York Yankees, Jose Rijo of Cincinnati and Bret Saberhagen of Colorado also are among those sidelined for now. But several other stars will be back. Sandberg will again be at second base for the Cubs, Dwight Gooden returns this season from his 1 1/2-year drug suspen- sion and Jimmy Key, Dean Palmer and Aaron Sele have recovered from injuries that cut short their 1995 seasons. Six managers will be making debuts with new teams. La Russa has moved from the A's to the Cardinals, Joe Torre is with the Yankees, Davey Johnson is in Baltimore, Ray Knight is in Cincinnati, Art Howe takes over in Oakland and Buddy Bell succeeds Sparky Anderson in Detroit. Anderson, however, will be back in Cincinnati, where he managed the Big Red Machine, for opening day. Among the prominent players with new teams are Roberto Alomar in Balti- more, Dennis Eckersley in St. Louis, Kevin Brown for Florida, Rickey Henderson for San Diego andJulio Franco in Cleveland. While the Braves did not add anyone significant in the winter, the AL cham- pion Indians signed Franco and former Cy Young winner Jack McDowell. "We accomplished something lastyear by going to the World Series, but we didn't win it," Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel said. "We still have unfinished business to take care of" No. 11softball comes alive to take series from Hawkeyes By Dan Stillman Daily Sports Writer The reigning Big Ten champion Michigan softball team began its de- fense of the conference crown this weekend by doing something it had not done in eight years -take a series from Iowa. In winning two out of three over the Weekend, the Wolverines also got their revenge on the Hawkeyes, who ousted them from last year's NCAA Women's College World Series. After splitting a Saturday double- header against the rival Hawkeyes, No. 11 Michigan (2-1 Big Ten, 23-9 overall) came from behind to beat the No. 16 Hawkeyes, 3-1, yesterday to win the weekend series. A Wolverine offense that struggled roughout the weekend finally came live in the bottom ofthe sixth yester- day, rallying for three runs and four hits giving Michigan a thrilling come- from-behind victory. With Iowa (1-2, 22-10) leading 1- 0, the Wolverines loaded the bases with one out in the sixth. Junior catcher Jennifer Smith then smashed a ground ball single up the middle to drive in the tying and win- *ing runs. Junior second baseman Jessica Lang followed with another RBI single up the middle to make it 3-1. Sara Griffin (13-4) pitched the com- plete game, allowing one run on four hits. "I tried to keen (the hall) low," a dribbler in front of the plate for an infield single. An intentional walk to Griffin later in the inning loaded the bases to set the stage for Smith's game-winning single. Sophomore pitcher Debbie Blibao took the loss for Iowa. The weekend ended much better than it began for the Wolverines. In the firsti game of Saturday's twinbill, Michigan struggled offen- sively and defensively in falling to the Hawkeyes, 6-2. Iowa sophomore pitcher Debbie Bilbao (11-4) shut down Michigan's 'm' S 4/2 4/6 4/7 4/9 4/11 4/13 4/14 4/16 4/17 4/20 4/21 4/24 4/27 4/28 5/4 5/5 5/8 5/10-11 5/17-19 5/23-27 Penn State Northwestern - Northwestern Michigan State Toledo Wisconsin Wisconsin Purdue' Western Michigan Indiana Indiana, Central Michigan Ohio State Ohio State Minnesota Minnesota Eastern Michigan serious damage. But afterthree hits and one hit-batter, Michigan trailed, 4-0. Bilbao's two-run scoring single was the big blow in the inning. In the bottom of the inning, the Wolverines cut the lead to 4-1 thanks to a Hawkeye throwing error that al- lowed senior right fielder Erin Martino to score from second. But Iowa answered immediately to take a commanding 6-1 lead with two more runs in the fourth. "Wejust were tentative," Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. "In both big innings, they had opened up on plays that should've been made, but we're playing tentative ball." Michigan added a run in the fifth, but it was too little too late for the Wolverines. Holmes took the complete game loss, dropping her record to 11-5. In the second game, Griffin took the mound and quieted the Hawkeye offense. The game remained scoreless until the Michigan bats came alive in the top of the fourth. Four straight hits with one out, in- cluding three consecutive doubles, re- sulted in a 2-0 Wolverine lead. Griffin (2-for-3, two doubles) started the rally with a double to left. Freshman left fielder Cathy Davie fol- lowed with an RBI-double, and then senior center fielder Cheryl Pearcy doubled Davie home. Iowa came back with a run in its A-DH H-DH H A-DH H-DH A-DH A H-DH A-DH A-DH A A-DH H-DH H A-DH A H-DH Big Ten Tournament NCAA Regionals NCAA College World Series a I f . l: I .. ...... ....