'M' softball postponed
The No. 10 Michigan softball team's doubleheader with intrastate rival
Michigan State, originally slated for yesterday afternoon in East
Lansing, was postponed because of inclement weather. The games have
been rescheduled for 2 p.m. today at'the Spartans' home field.
Michigan is currently second in the Big Ten; Michigan State is tied for
eighth.
Wednesday
April 10, 1996
9
Zahn to tinker with
lineup vs. Chargers
By Will McCahill
Daily Sports Writer
In a team game, one of the keys to success is
chemistry. And for the Michigan baseball team to
find that elusive element, it needs to play some
non-conference games that give coach Geoff Zahn
the opportunity to experiment.
Txhe extended winter has played havoc with the
Wolverines' schedule, forcing the cancellation of
three of the five scheduled non-conference
matchups so far.
With this in mind, Michigan (9-3 Big Ten, 12-16
overall) hopes - if indeed Mother Nature chooses
to smile upon them - to face Hillsdale at 4 p.m.
today on the frozen tundra of Ray Fisher Stadium.
Not that the Wolverines need to recover from
the tough conference schedule they've been play-
ing - Michigan is in the Big Ten driver's seat -
but Zahn wants to try out different combinations in
the field, at the plate and on the mound against the
Chargers (12-8-1 overall).
As it is, the defensive situation has been fairly
stable for the Wolverines, without much variation
in the infield and little platooning in the outfield
and behind the plate.
Although hitting hasn't been a problem for the
Wolverines of late, the leadoff spot has not exactly
been a source of runs. A handful of hitters have
filled that slot, with only minimal success.
"We've been trying to get somebody to produce
in that spot," Michigan assistant coach Chris
Harrison said.
The meat of the order - shortstop Kelly
Dransfeldt, third baseman Mike Cervenak and
rightfielder Derek Besco -has kept the wheels of
the Michigan offense greased.
Harrison said the lack of output from the first
spot in the order has put extra pressure on the
middle of the order to perform at the plate.
"They've handled the pressure well." the first-
year assistant said. "What's been nice, though, is
having Cervenak swinging the bat well. It gets
(Dransfeldt) better pitches."
The top of the pitching rotation is firmly estab-
lished, with senior Mark Temple and freshman J.J.
Putz leading the way. Each has three wins in confei-
ence, with overall marks of4-3 and 3-2,respectively.
Putz is second on the team in ERA at 3.58, with that
mark narrowing to 0.98 in Big Ten games.
However, the team is still looking for a stro'
performerto step up behind the top starters. Sopho-
more Mike Hribernik fared poorly last weekenI
against Minnesota, while freshman southpaw Pets
Martay came out flat against Michigan State 4
week ago.
Redshirt freshman Bryan Besco put up a good
showing in relief of Hribernik against the Gd
phers, and the closing spot is firmly occupied by
senior John Arvai. -
Today's encounter with Hillsdale should be
pitched by committee, as different pitchers will
shuttle in and out after an inning or two of work.
Senior Aaron Peterson leads the Charger attack,
hitting .319 with 12 RBI. Junior outfielder Ryan
Soldan is also a threat, batting .279 while playing
in all 21 of Hillsdale's games.
The junior pitching tandem of Andy Adams ani
Erich Mullin has been solid for Hillsdale. The two
have combined for seven of the team's 12 wins,
and both have individual ERAs considerably lower
than the team's 3.95 average.
The Wolverines and the Chargers have faced
only one common opponent this season, Oaklan
University. Hillsdale won two of the four meeq,
ings, while Michigan charged to a 7-0 home vic
tory over the Pioneers.
KRISTEN SCHAEFER /alay
The Michigan baseball team, seen here celebrating a victory over Oakland University, is currently in first place in the Big Ten. The Wolverines hold
half-game lead over illinois. Michigan takes a break from conference play today when it hosts Hillsdale College at 4 p.m.
Remaining 'M' regular-season baseball schedule
April 10
11
1314
17
20-21
28
Home games in bold
Hillsdale
Detroit Mercy
Northwestern (DH)
Central Michigan
Penn State (DH)
Siena Heights (OH)
4 pam.
3 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m'
1p.m*
May 2
4-5
7
11
12
Notre Dame
Ohio State (OH)
Eastern Michigan
Cincinnati
Michigan State (DH)
Michigan State (DH)
7
1
1
1
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
p.m.
'M' netters look to ace Spartans syy' I
Wolverines and Michigan State heading in opposite directions
By Richard Shin
Daily Sports Writer
When the Michigan men's tennis
#am faces off against intrastate rival
Michigan State today, it will be a match
between two teams going in opposite
directions.
The Wolverines, winners of three in
a row and five of their last six matches,
face a Spartan team that has dropped
two straight. Most recently, Michigan
State lost a close 4-3 match to an Illinois
squad that Michigan blanked last Sun-
ay.
Led by No. 90 Alberto Brause at first
singles, the Spartans have posted a 2-4
record in the Big Ten and are 10-10
overall. Even though Michigan State
hasn't been on fire lately, Michigan's
No. 1 singles player Peter Pusztai isn't
looking past today's match.
"One thing we emphasize is not un-
derestimating our opponents," Pusztai
said. "This has always been an impor-
tant rivalry for us, for bragging rights
ed recruiting, so we keep that in mind."
Michigan's performance on the sea-
son, however, is enough to leave the
Spartans green with envy.
Leading the way for the Wolverines
is Pusztai, who posted a career-high
32nd victory earlier this week. The
Wolverines have been strong all year at
singles with 20-match winner Arvid
Swan at third singles, and freshman
sensations William Farah and Jake
Raiton splitting time at No. 6.
Senior singles players John Costanzo
and Geoff Prentice provide important
leadership as well as victories from the
second and fifth positions, respectively.
Sophomore David Paradzik provides
steady play at No. 4 to round out the
Michigan singles corps.
Since the loss to Northwestern March
30, the Wolverines have been on a roll,
especially at the top two doubles posi-
tions. Since the Wildcats swept all three
doubles matches, the teams of Pusztai
and Costanzo, and Prentice and Swan,
have gone undefeated, posting identi-
cal 3-0 marks.
"Right now, I'm playing stronger at
doubles than at singles," Pusztai said.
"I've been returning serve really well
lately and once that gets going, every-
thing else starts working, also."
And for opponents, that spells
trouble, especially since Pusztai is
22nd in the nationat singles. le and
Costanzo are ranked at doubles as
well, coming into today's match as
the No. 24 tandem.
"I've been floating along at singles,"
Pusztai said. "But (Costanzo) and I have
been working well together lately."
Doubles has not been a strong posi-
tion for the Spartans this season. None
of Michigan State's doubles teams have
more than one win in the Big Ten, and
the three teams are a combined 3-12 in
the conference. Without the doubles
point, winning the match may prove to
be difficult for the Spartans.
Michigan is approaching the rest of
the schedule with confidence and, af-
ter a surprise in Evanston, the team
doesn't want to let anyone else spoil
its season.
"After Northwestern, it was impor-
tant for us to get going to show the (Big
Ten) that we could bounce back,"
Pusztai. "A win tomorrow would be a
huge for us.
Bullets' Wallace
arrested on
misdemeanor
assault charges
The Associated Press
DURHAM, N.C. - Washingtoti
Bullets rookie Rasheed Wallace, who
is sidelined with a broken left thumb,
was arrested over the weekend iin
North Carolina and charged with mix-
demeanor assault.
The team's top draft pick was ar+
rested Sunday and charged after al
legedly failing to obey a restrainirig
order filed against him by Chiquio
Bryant, police said. Bryant i-s
Wallace's ex-girlfriend and mothtr
of his son Ishmiel, according to po-
lice.
The 6-foot-10 Wallace, who playet
his college basketball at nearby North
Carolina, is scheduled to make a court
appearance May 7.
Wallace, who had started 51 game,
broke the thumb two weeks ago it
Washington's 111-108 overtime loss
to Orlando. He was averaging 10
points and 4.6 rebounds a game.
The Michigan
men's tennis
team, winner
of five of its
last six
contests, will
take on a
significantly
weaker
Michgan State
team which is
looking to
raise its
record above
the .500
mark.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Fielder slam keys Tiger win
TO DAY
VISIONS
OF
WOMEN'S
The Associated Press
DETROIT - Cecil Fielder's grand slam
yed a six-run Detroit fourth, and the Tigers
eld on for a 10-9 victory over the Seattle
Mariners in their home opener yesterday.
Alan Trammell, starting his 20th season
with the Tigers, and Travis Fryman also
homered for Detroit. Ricky Jordan and Alex
Rodriguez homered for Seattle, which also
hit six doubles and two triples.
Greg Keagle (2-0) earned the victory with
3 2/3 innings of five-hit relief. Brian Will-
iams pitched the ninth for the save.
Paul Menhart (0-1), who walked the only
*ree batters he faced, took the loss.
The Tigers scored six runs in the fourth on
one hit, Fielder's grand slam off reliever Bob
Wells for a 10-7 lead. Seattle pitchers walked
six and hit a batter in the inning.
It was the ninth grand slam for Fielder and
his first since May 22, 1995, which also came
off Wells.
The Mariners took a 3-0 lead off Detroit
starter Scott Aldred in the first inning. Luis
Sojo doubled and scored on Ken Griffey's
triple. Edgar Martinez walked, then Jay
Buhner doubled home Griffey and Martinez,
who held up momentarily at third before
scoring on an error by left fielder Melvin
Nieves.
. In the bottom of the inning, Seattle starter
Bob Wolcott walked the first two Detroit
batters. Fryman then hit a 2-1 pitch off the
facing of the second deck in left for his third
homer, pulling the Tigers into a 3-3 tie.
Trammell hit a solo home run in the second.
The Mariners took a 7-5 lead in the fourth
on two-run homers by Jordan and Rodriguez.
Russ Davis singled home Alex Diaz, who had
doubled, in the Seattle seventh.
Outfielders
Melvin
Nieves, Chad
Curtis and
Bobby
Higginson
congratulate
Tigers' first
baseman
Cecil Fielder
after hitting a
fourth-inning
grand slam in
Detroit's 10-9
win over
Seattle,
yesterday.
AP PHOTO
HEALTH.
CHALLENGES FORTHE MILLENNIUM
CONVERSATION WITH:
*Dean Noreen Clark
School of Public Health
*Dean Ada Sue Hinshaw
School of Nursing
*Dr. Kristine Ann Siefert
Assistant Dean of Research
School of Social Work
MODERATED BY:
National champs honored
The national champion Michigan hockey team will be honored during the first
intermission of tonight's Detroit Red Wings-Winnipeg Jets game at Joe Louis
Arena. The game, which wasn't originally going to be televised, will be picked
up by Channel 50. Coincidentally, the Red Wings will be gunning for their 60th
win, which would match the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens' NHL record.
CLASSIFIED ADVE'RTIS ERS!
Beginning April 10, 1996 The Michigan Daily
Dr. Abigail J. Stewart,
Director Institute for Research on Women
and Gender
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1996
3:00 - 5:00 P.M.