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Tuesday
SPORTS April 21, 1998
JOHN KRAFT/Bai
yler Steketee has been steady on the mound for the Wolverines, but on Sunday,
egave up a ninth-inning homer that led to a Michigan State victory.
lime rnunning out for
~Ifending champions.
y acb Wheeler
lit iports 5t-ttr
5tTE is riintring out 00 tire Miclhigan
asbtlteamr.
Wkithi just two four-gamro series
ni~itrg int hc Biglten season andl tie
toly1critres waterlogged in eigitli
lacy, hopes of qualifying for thepot
taspost conferencettoratmettare Ctd-
Aaml juist wh~enrtire defending clhaiT-
witt would kill to add a couple more
anit to their schedule or replace tire
inot fromtr earlier this sprirng -anty-
tipward int the statnditngs - oil tire
/oiserirres can do is wait -thrrougir
tatrsaird thrroughr text sveekend, unrtii
ey fitnally resutme Big Tlen action ott
layI atgainrst Pentr State.
*keepr atny tourtnatrettopes al itke,
licirigatirwillltatve tot mrzzle te
ittatry Liotrs. Penrn Slate is sittinrg it
stir plaice itt the coirferetre- still ont
eoutside lookirng in at tire race, bitt
'vertireless ittat more comrfortathle
tsitionth iatn Michrigan.
Petint Statte is not playitrg well righrt
ow. Thte Lions lost tirree of four games
fIowa this past weekend, and they face
Lbostsofupsettinrg red-hot
E i'tne t eend. So the ILiotts
aty stiN be pritme for the picking by
But Micehigant has to play tire agotriz-
g~ \v Wng gatrre for row. Aird that';
trot easy - evenirnt a sport itr whichr
active patrticipattts find thretmselses
leatring otr a fungo bat for half artiotir
at a tinre, watching the spring grass
grow.
Michigain isrr't used tor snatititg
arouind. Thins is a leant that tikes the
extra hatse wirenever possible. a teamtr
itat tests the armr of every oppositng
tttfielder, at teamthtiat chugs arounrd
thtird baise, onily ocasionally tatkitrg
reed of tire third base coathirs stop sigrr.
And yet, as aggressive asth ie
Wolveritres rave been lately. threysve
tad little to shosv for it. Last weekenrd,
wvhen it was absolutely inmperative thratt
Michigan beat tire Spartarns at leaist
tirree timres, the dlefenditrgciramps took
just a sing:, gamre.
And wlhetn Miclrigatr State juirior
To orrHartley's opposite field drise
sailed oser tire fenrce anrd juist cleatred
rigirt fielder Derek Besco's glove ott
Sunday, it ktnocked a few mrore graints
ott sanrd tirroughr the tour glatss-
toward tire enrd of Michrigan'sa seatsorn.
Zahni knew' iis teant needed to w ilt
that series --ttnd every otirer series
front now on. He said so after the excror-
elating otre-run losses at Ohio State. atid
he said so again after the Wolverinres
successfully took three of four fromr
Mitnnesota lire following week.
"We have to start winnirt" series:,
Zahnr said. "We rave to start tatkinrg
See BASEBALL, Page 22
LOUIS BROWN/Tail
Kellyn Tate and the Wolverines host Purdue today and will face rival Iowa during the weekend. The next
week will be critical in the race for the Big Ten title.
.The art o--f the cliche - Michigan
talks the talk a"nd walks the walk
Purdue set.'
tinvade
Alumni
By Uma Subramanian
Daily Spors Writer
Miechigan-Ohio Stare. Mlichtigatr-Michriganr
State.
Michigan-Iowa?
As far as rivalries go, Michigant has its fair
share of quality rivals. Usually. Iowa is not
among the most atntieipated cotests of the
year. But for tire Michigan softball teamr, this
weekend's upcomrinrg series atgatinrst tire
Hasvkeyes - its mrost challetrgitrgatnd feaured
rivai- is the nromenrt tire Wolverines haveall
been waiting for.
But before the much-anticipated contest, the
Wolverines wiii face Pttrdue today in a 2 p.m.
doubleheader ati Alumrni Field.Althrough
Michiganr leads tire atll-titme series 9-i, tire
Wolserinres are not overlookinrg tire
Boilernrakers.
"Purdue atiways plays us really toughr'
(iriffinr said "Wiren tirey conre to play.,trey
play hard."
But atfter tis evenitngtire Wolverinres will be
atble to focus all of threir energy otr Iowa.
Latst year. tire tawkeyes were tire
Wolverines' nemesis, cuttitng short their season
itr tire Women's College World Series with a-3-
2 v ictory in the first round. The two teams fin-
ished tied for fifth in the WCWS.
But the rivalry is even more heated thatn that.
This yeatr,,tire two teanrs find thenmselves in
famriliatr positions astshie top two teants in the
Biglert. But this yeatr, Michigant ft5-i BigTerr,
401-4 overatll) is in tire driver's seat. wirereas
Iowa (9-5, 25.12) is trailing slightly behind.
For Michrigan's star pitcher. Sara Griffin, the
nmatchup brinrgs back hauntitrg netmories. *In
last year's regular-season series with the
Hawkeyes, Griffin suffered a season-ending
injury, breaking her left arm in a collision with
teamrmate Traci Conrad
"Tire only regret I have about my time here
(ait Michigatn) is that injury last year,' Griffint
said. "1 guess this yeatr with Iowa it's a persoir-
al vendetta.
"Tire rivatlry withr themt really stated try
fireshmtran year. They've atlways beert really
touigh. We want to beat thremr we want at paty-
back:'
Withoar Griffin,. last year's teamn lost hour of
tire regotiar-season gatmes. But itt the Big Ten
Ttrurnament, the Wolveritres pulled the upset
over the Hawkeyes, taking the Big +Ten
Tournarment championship.
"'Thie inrportatnt thir0 to renremrber about tis
series is tirat it's a different teamr for them ntard a
See SOFTBALL, Page 20
By T.J1 Berka
D~ailyor.1t",Wrto l
ii there rs tole tintht 1.1 lt epo ters ,and ttggislt
teachrs, ftorttrmttter itit 1h0atetmorstit's at
clicheu. IThese phiraises. tthtleonceltt 1o vatttise tird
somretimres caitchtn, ire ofte r n 1yIto oid spreaiking
onresindiro.
In sports, threse littlebills o nri 1010 re tiuosed
trost ofti scr. tne a ttt lot persontis doing well.
Wile ,iatrcothrntay saW e'retotI th lis trie
oameitri im. te taits
tOctol~t Ito1IthfieId inst'as at
Softball bel~ tter eIn iI forof whreter
(Olmfi C. ni clie 1s accur~ate 01r-.a
hunch101 Ioft.II'l'IIo J p pease
repotOers.
'Ait atNor. 2 ratikingtt, .1 tl-ota1 te lead inthie Bitt
"Tel stanrdinrgsianod at41-4 tnterarll rectord, trne stould
think thrairtire Michigantrsotbar~ll ntm tWouldlbe oquite
skilled at tising clichres.
And onre would he righrt.
Barrinrg at collatpse, tire\Wolvertines still be Big
'ten chratmpiionrs antd tvill hotst te et Ilctte toroit-
natmrent irr just more 11tha ntwo week'.. 5 tntegh
gatmres tot pity andtou 'ti rilles soprating tetm
fromirtSeconrd-prlatce iorsr.t it wootld be huim~ra ture
for tire Wolscrinres to be lookitng towarothtie Big
itn Tourntamenrt.
Utter clieWrf.
"No," Micihigatn cotacr Carol Hutchins said about
lotokitrg ahead. "We arc going to focus on Purdue
attd tiratr's it."
Comre onr, coacir. Purdue'? The Boilertmakers, who
comre into Alumirr f ield tonrorrow for a double-
hreatder, atre itt sixth place in the conferetrce and are
bairely attrove .510 or tire seasonr. Just atnother utse-
less c lichre. it seetms.
Nont sor fust. Mihiiganr has atlready heirtirhe upset
houll iris seatsotn. Laust week, tire Wolverinres rode at
I {-gatime wxitnning streauk into Last Latnsing 'ora
doblehreader againrst Michigar t Sare. ihe
Wolveritres were 12-tinit cotnference play while tire
Spatants were batrely arbove .5001 at 0n-5.
After riding tire pitching of Sara Griffin to wuinthie
f'irst gunte, the Wolverines funthled the seeonrd gatmre
to tire Spartans. It seemed as if Michigan didn't fol-
lone its oswr clichef - tatke it one game at a titme -
tnitici rmeatns orne simtpire thing n-rore clichets.
Tese commirentrs sere flotsitr nonstop atfter tire
See CLICHES, Page 20
~4CAAs or not, this season was a success
tughn R. KMug
it1 gSrts,'Writer
It would be etirely unjust to hook
atn onthie Micihigatn worren's gynt-
t.s es teamtr merely because its post-
ttorn was cur sihort during tire Nt AA
ecltmntaries. Give thent a break--tire
%o\Cr fns failed to advance by tire
'solwte rarrowest of tmargints. Just
25 otia poirt.
tesverr if'NMichrigattr lad finishred
cad last in prelinminaries - istead of
tually-betng tire first team below the
tie thrat separatted advancers to the
upcr hr ifromspectators - Michigan's
Jott would still be a true success.
Micigan fitnishred the regular seasorn
totked seconirtnt the nation atnd was
inked below ontly tire evenrtual ration-
I Tamttpion -- No.1 Georgia. Notably,
icin did not coast trough the sea-
ttr IT No. 2. Instead, lire Wolverinres
walluhy climbed rear tire lop of the
tnt frotmoat seasorn-lows rainking of 17
te Jantuaruy.
turinpg the Wolverines' 15-b season
itt tire Big Ten), Michigan did a
derful job satisfying tire home
r iCongratulations Seniors!
ZGraduation plans made.. .yet?
crowd at Cliff Keert Arerra. tire
Wolverinres were bettered itt just Otre
hromremtdat tire irands oh' (eorgia,
whichei conrsistantly dismrauntled esery
learn it etrcountiered en route to art
udefeated seasonr.
"Our hromre mreets were tire best,"al
Attnerican freshmrarn Bridget Krnaebhi
sauid. "We aulways pulled ir togeterin
fronrt of a hmne crowd."
'Fie W5overinres were definitelya
threir best in Ann Arbor. Ito the dorrirna-
lion of then-No. 6 Kentucky, 196.8 to
191.6. the Wolverines boarded all but
orre individual award.
During the awards ceremronrywhichr
recognizes the top-four finisirersi
each event as well as the all-around, the
Wildcats simrply watched Wolverine
after Wolverinre step forward and H
ackrnowledge ner achievemrent.
Tire Wolverines were also quite good
at pulling themselves togethrer after a
poor openinrg event.
"I is a good attribute to be able to
bounce back like we do,' Kuraeble said.
That is exactly what Michigan had to
See GYMNASTS, Page 25
_... _........ _._ 2.
eather Kabnick was a bright spot for the Wolverines this year, as part of a team
sat spent much of the season ranked in the nation's top five.
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