fScoreoard. NBA MEN'S NIT BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS Charlotte at Fresno State TORONTO, inc. vs. Minnesota, inc. Buffalo at CALGARY, inc. Toronto at PHOENIX, inc. N.Y. Islanders at VANCOUVER Los Angeles at SAN JOSE, inc. SPRTSgan Jdg How often do you get to enjoy baseball in a wintery atmosphere? This afternoon, the defending Big Ten champion Michigan baseball team will debut at home against Ball State at 3 p.m, so bring your gloves. Orlando at ATLANTA, inc. San Antonio at CLEVELAND, inc. Phoenix at UTAH. inc. Georgia vs. Penn State, inc. NHLS HOCKEY Philadelphia at NEW JERSEY. inc. Wednesday March 25, 1998 8 Michigan freshmen look for* help to avoid NCAA jitters By Chris Farah Daily Sports Editor A funny thing happened when the Michigan hockey team traveled to Albany to play in the 1992 NCAA semi- finals. Well, maybe it wasn't all that funny at the time. "I remember the first year we went to Albany in the Final Four," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "Our whole team was in awe. They were just so happy to be there. We were the best team there, and we didn't know it. And we didn't show it" Michigan may not be the best team in the NCAA Tournament this year, but intimidation could still be a factor Friday when the Wolverines play Princeton in the opening round of the NCAAs. Most of the Wolverines have previous experience in the national tournament, but for Michigan's nine freshmen, NCAA tourney competition is unchar- tered territory. "It's kind of early in the week, but I bet by Friday evening it'll start getting to me," Michigan freshman defenseman Dave Huntzicker said. "So, we'll see. Hopefully it won't be too bad." Michigan's seniors are doingtheirbest to make sure the freshmen are prepared for the increased level of competition. Aside from advice, they've been taking the rookies out to dinner this week to help them ease into the tournament envi- ronment. "The other guys have been taking us out to dinner," freshman forward Josh Langfeld said. "We always talked about it as a team. It's a big part of our season, and we've all been planning for it. We don't want to lose by a little mistake. If we work hard, everything will happen." Aside from support from seniors like Bill Muckalt, Matt Herr and Marty Turco, some old familiar names have also returned to help out. Players on Michigan teams of the past have made visits this past week to talk to the freshmen about the importance of this weekend. Former Michigan defenseman "Blake Sloan came up and talked to us a coupl1 days ago.' freshman defenseman Mike Van Ryn said. "He talked to us. He's been through four NCAA Tournaments and three Final Fours. He's experienced, and he told us what to expect - what it takes to get there." At the same time, it's not as if this weekend will be the first taste of college hockey for the freshmen. Having played in the CCHA Tournament just last week, the rookies aren't exactly rookies any4 more. "I think we gained a lot of experience, especially in the three game Notre Dame (CCHA) series, about how playoff hock- ey is," freshman defenseman Bob Gassoff said. "And the freshmen have been called upon quite a bit this year, especially with the injuries. We should be ready to go by Friday." MARGARET MYERS/Daily Despite entering his first NCAA West Regional, Josh Langfeld and the other Michigan freshmen are eager to get the games underway. To calm the rookies' fears about Friday's opening-round match with Princeton, the upperclassmen have taken the youngsters out to dinner. Blue tennis seeks upset win against Notre Dame K' By Drew Beaver Daily Sports Writer The No. 24 Michigan women's tennis team has not been upset too often this year. It dropped a close match to No. 30 San Diego, but with both teams so close in the rankings, that can't really be considered a shock. The first time the Wolverines were truly upset was last Saturday, when they fell to No. 50 Purdue. So with No. 15 Notre Dame heading to Ann Arbor, the Wolverines are looking to pull off an upset of their own. The 11-5 Irish square off against the 5-5 Wolverines at 4 today at the Varsity Tennis Center. "I'm hoping the loss to Purdue has a positive effect on the team," Michigan coach Bitsy Ritt said, "I think everyone is anxious to get back out on the court." The Irish are also coning off a loss - theirs was at the hands of No. 4 Texas. They also fell to No. I Florida earlier this month. A 5-4 loss by No. 27 Kansas earlier this month, proved that they can fall victim to the upset as well. Michigan has not pulled off an upset in its four matches against higher-ranked teams this year. The Wolverines are looking to end this trend. . "I think we're ready," Michigan sophomore Erryn Weggenman said. "The loss (to Purdue) was disappointing for everyone, but everyone is ready." In the 'oss to Purdue, the Wolverines' biggest problem was unforced errors. "We gave them too many free points," Ritt said. "We're hoping to improve on our consistency." The Wolverines will need to reverse this trend against a powerful Notre Dame team to earn the upset. The strengths of the Irish parallel those of the Wolverines. Both teams rely on depth and strength throughout the lineup to carry them through dual meets. Last year in South Bend, the Wolverines lost a close 5-4 decision to the Irish. "We felt like we had opportunities to win that match," Ritt said. The Wolverines need a victory to stay above .500 in dual-meet matches. A win would also help improve their national ranking, which is used for seedings at the NCAA regional tournament. 'M' takes first in Jamaica By Chris Duprey Daily Sports Writer At the beginning of a track season, all coaches talk about giving their runners 'tired legs.' After last weekend's travel those must belong to the Michigan women's track team. The sprint team made the trek to Kingston for last weekend's Jamaica Invitational. The Wolverines began a much-anticipated outdoor cam- paign by placing first in two events and finishing in the top eight in most of the others. Coach James Henry chose to load all of his top guns in the 400-meter relay. His strategy worked to perfection, as the team of Kenise Bocage, Maria Brown, Tania Longe and Olive Ikeh turned a solid time of 45.51 seconds to capture first place. Michigan edged Seton Hall by .14 seconds to pull out the vic- tory. Of the four, Brown is the only upperclassman. 6 "We had only one day to practice," Bocage said. "We did really well." Nicole Forrester continued her winning ways with a victory in the high jump, clearing the 6-foot 3/4 bar. Four of the 15 places in the two 100-meter dash heats belonged to Wolverines. In Heat A, Maria Brown ran a blister- ing time of 11.91 for second place. Sophomore Bocage took fifth place in the second heat in 12.16. DANA LNNANE/Daiy The Michigan women's tennis team - currently ranked 24th In the nation - con- tinues Its season this afternoon when the Wolverines host Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 15, will be looking to avoid being upset. AD MICHIGAN JOIN THE CLASSIFIED STAFF AT WHY GO $$ $$$$98ANYWHERE ELSE? NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 'Pe & excitement!, 1998 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL ALLTUCR STUDENT TICKET DEADLINE S PLACE $300 CLASSIFIED DEPT. 420 MAYNARD, 2ND FLOOR OF THE STUDENT FRIDAY, MARCH27 PUBLICATIONS BUILDING ForMore Information Call A University of Michigan Athletic Ticket Department APPLICATU A 1000 South State S Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2201. 8:00am ri 74-- 5:30pm, Mon.-FiPhn:74071 MCAT SCHEDULE Courses Start June 6,1998 LOCATIONS Birmingham Ann Arbor East Lansing Wayne State EARLY ACCESS Start your MCAT preparation early. Just pay your Early Access course deposit, receive your course materials and take an extra diagnostic MCAT. Then, meet with an instructor one-on-one twice each month until the course begins. Get a jump on your prep! PEACE CORPS Wednesday, March 25 "Application Workshop" Featuring Peace Recruiters International Center, Room 9 7:30 p.m. Ft: Enroll for the '07 i- -°-..