The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 11- I- .Baseball hosts Wildcats in key series Blue football springs ahead By Sharat Raju Daily Sports Writer The Michigan baseball team doesn't get opportunities like this very often. The Wolverines (7-3 Big Ten, 18-12 overall) have a four-game homestand this weekend starting today at 3 p.m. against ninth-place Northwestern (3-5, 7-20). Tomorrow the two teams play a doubleheader (1 p.m.), and a single game on Sunday (1 p.m.) closes out the weekend series. "I think we have a real good chance of sweeping them," Michigan pitcher Brian Steinbach said. "We just have to play well and not beat ourselves.' The struggling Wildcats arrive at Fisher Stadium having notched two of their three conference victories last weekend against conference cellar- dweller Michigan State. The Spartans are tied with the Wildcats for ninth in the Big Ten. Except for a 16-run explosion last Sunday, the Northwestern bats Pave been relatively silent lately. The Wildcats managed a total ofjust 19 runs in the six games prior to last Sunday. '. Steinbach - Michigan's ace'- will start the series opener this afternoon. With a 4.81 ERA, the junior righthander is slated to square off against Chris Hargan, a righty who is 2-4. Sophomore righthander J.J. Putz, the second man in the Michigan pitching rotation, would ordinarily start Saturday's first game. However, tender- ness in his throwing arm will prevent him from pitching, according to Michigan baseball coach Geoff Zahn. "Right now (Bryan) Cranson is going to pitch the second game," Zahn said. "He came in for J.J. in Minnesota and did fantastic. Every time out we've asked him to come into tight situations, he's gotten guys out. "He certainly deserves this start." Cranson, a freshman, captured his first conference victory last weekend in relief against then-undefeated Minnesota. Northwestern righthander Brad Brasser, 3-3 with a 4.68 ERA, is scheduled to start for the Wildcats oppo- site Cranson. Sophomores Pete Martay (2-0) and Ryan Kelley (1-3) are scheduled to start in the final two games of the weekend, and will probably face Northwestern hurlers Mike Koplove (1-2) and Charlie Williamson (1-4). With the week-to-week status of Putz (37 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings), the Wolverines will need more of their young pitching staff to step-up in his place. "Bryan Cranson and Pete Martay have to pitch well," Steinbach said. "Also Brian Berryman has to pitch well, if he can get into the game." Berryman is 2-2 and has been one of the more reliable members of Michigan's bullpen. Fron stat reports Should the weather cooperate for Saturday's I p.m. kickoff, the Michigan football team will be playing for more than starting jobs. The Wolverines will be playing for dinner. "The teams have been evenly divid- ed, assuring a low-scoring game," Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr said. "The winners will eat steak on Monday while the losers will eat low- fat hot dogs" Michigan will divide its squad into two teams, the Maize team and the Blue team. The Maize team will feature quarterbacks Brian Griese and Jason Kapsner along with tailback Chris Howard, wide receiver Russell Shaw and the versatile Charles Woodson. The Blue squad is led by quarter- backs Scott Dreisbach and Tom Brady. Also lining up on their side of the ball will be wide receiver Tai Strects and tailback Clarence Williams. Among the players who will defi- nitely be watching the game from the sidelines are '96 starters Jerame TuRn (tight end), Chris Floyd (fullback), and, Glen Steele (defensive end). The others who will sit out due to injury are offensive linemen Jeff Backus, and Paul Tannous, rufrning. back Ian Gold, linebackers Rob Swett,- Dave Crispin and Eric Mayes, -wide. receiver Jerry Johnson, tight end Colby' Keefer and kicker Jay Feely. Let the battle for steak dinner will begin. Duke Invite next for women's track By Chris Fwah Daily Sports Writer Put your money where your mouth is. Three weeks ago, after the Michigan women's track team dominated the Wake Forest Invitational, Michigan coach James Henry said he wanted the Wolverines to face tougher competition. He may have questioned whether Michigan was really ready for stronger opponents, however, after the Wolverines garnered just one first-place finish at the Raleigh Relays the weekend following the Wake meet. This weekend, Michigan will have another chance to respond to Henry's challenge at the Duke Invitational, where the Wolverines will again face top-notch competition. Making the trip to Raleigh, N.C., will be teams such as Georgetown and North Carolina, as well as a slew of smaller colleges. Rather than being intimidated, the Wolverines are anxious to improve after the letdown. Junior Tania Longe, Michigan's multi-event answer to Superwoman, has been working on problems she had at the Raleigh meet and expects to do better this weekend. One of the main problems she addressed was hurdling. Normally a strong hurdler, Longe's performance fell flat at Raleigh - literally. "I didn't get down on myself or anything," Longe said. "The last two meets I've learned stuff that I need to be more focused on, and I just feel that I'm ready. And I worked on something in the hurdles, so I won't fall again, because I fell the last time" The Wolverines are finishing up a two-week layoff from competition that wasn't much of a vacation - they faced intense training, particularly in the first week of the "break." Freshman distance runner Lisa Ouellet said the time off should prove to be a definite advantage at Duke. "We're two weeks stronger, two weeks fitter and two weeks faster, so we'll just see what'll happen," Ouellet said. Like Longe, Ouellet has had some frustrations in her events, the 800- and 1,500-meter runs. Ouellet has had problems adjusting to the physical nature of the races, which often .involve jostling for position and can even require some strate- gically-thrown elbows. And like Longe, Ouellet has also learned to deal with the particular challenges of her events.She expects to take advan- tage of her new-found aggressiveness to help the Wolverines. "In my particular race (this weekend), there's going to be a lot of girls to race with, which I like," Ouellet said. "I just don't like the physical part, but I'm getting used to that. Where I used to race, I was never really involved in physical contact. I've never been a physical runner, which I've had to learn. "I'm ready for physical now" JONATHAN SUMMER/Daity Freshman sprinter/hurdler Marcella Cornell and the rest of the Michigan women's track team are head- ing back to Raleigh, N.C., again, after competing there last weekend in the Raleigh Relays. M Men's track set to run with powerful Razorbacks By T. J. Berka Daily Sports Writer Woo Pig Sooey! This has been the call at the end of 13 of the last 14 NCAA indoor track cham- pionships and during the last five NCAA outdoor track championships. This weekend, the No. 13 Michigan men's track and field team will try to derail No. 1 Arkansas' dynasty at the Arkansas Relays in Fayetteville, Ark. "Try" is the operative word for the Wolverines, as the Razorbacks represent a collegiate dynasty that would make John Wooden jealous. Since coach John McDonnell was hired in 1984, Arkansas has won 19 out of a possible 27 champi- onships in both the indoor and outdoor ranks. To celebrate this run, Arkansas is bringing back their 1984 national cham- pionship indoor team, which started the run of championships, for a reunion this weekend. Needless to say, the top-ranked Razorbacks are loaded again, boasting top-flight talent in both the running and field events. David Levy paced Arkansas with a victory in the 1,500-meter run last week in the Texas Relays. The Razorbacks also pulled out victories in both sprint medley relays. Arkansas is also talented in the jump- ing events, as they boast indoor triple jump and long jump champion Robert Howard and 1996 junior college high jump champion James Ballard. Michigan's best bet at challenging the Razorbacks is in the distance events, as Steve Lawrence and John Mortimer are coming off victories in Texas last week- end. Lawrence notched his first victory of the season in the 5,000 and Mortimer won the 3,000 steeplechase, qualifying provisionally for the NCAAs. The Wolverines also got a victory last week in the 400 hurdles from Neil Gardner, his third win of the outdoor season. Tomorrow, Gardner will be hard pressed to win his other signature event-the 110 hurdles-as he will be challenged by Arkansas' Kevin White, an NCAA qualifier. The Arkansas Relays also represent the smallest field that Michigan has competed against this season, as there are only nine teams. The Arkansas Relays is the first all-college event on Michigan's schedule. .'M' hockey inks burly recruit Langfeld By Mark Snyder Daily Sports Wter This week is one of disappointment for the Michigan hockey team. But for a team like Michigan, the problems are easily remedied. When the Wolverines bid farewell to their nine-member senior class Saturday at the annual hockey banquet, the players will not only be leaving *behind memories, they'll leave a gaping hole in the core of Michigan's team. Michigan coach Red Berenson took another step towards filling the void. Josh Langfeld, a right wing from Coon Falls, Minn., became the eighth recruit this season to sign with the Wolverines, the Ann Arbor News reported yesterday. Langfeld joins the seven recruits Michigan signed in the early recruiting period. The departure of five forwards and four defensemen has left Berenson looking for help. Chief among the loss- es were big bodies 6-foot-4 Jason Botterill and 6-1 Warren Luhning - imnnoini figures on the ice. Just as The 1997 hockey recruiting class Scott Crawford, 6-0, 185 lbs., Etobicoke, Ont. - defenseman Geoff Koch, 6-2, 190 lbs., Exeter, N.H. - left wing Mark Kosick, 511, 175 lbs., Victoria, B.C. - center Troy Kahler, 6-0, 185 lbs., Newmarket, Ont. - right wing Josh Langfeld, 6-3, 205 lbs., Coon Rapids, Minn. - right wing Scott Matzka, 5-11, 175 lbs., Port Huron - center/wing Ryan VanBuskirk, 6-1, 190 lbs., St. Claire Shores - defenseman Mike VanRyn, 6-1, 185 lbs., London, Ont. - defenseman (IMSA I Iol I Personalized, computerized study Highly trained, expert teachers who Proven methods, guaranteed to I 14 I