BASEBALL The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - April 13, 1998 - SB Games played at Fisher Stadium, Ann Arbor SERIES SCORE Key play: Michigan 3, Minnesota 1 . , i 4 'Adversity' helps Michigan win Big Ten nailbiters Michigan shortstop Scott Tousa scored from second base on Bobby Scales' base hit with two outs, in the fourth inning of Friday's game. Tousa ignored third base coach Chris Harrison's stop sign and scored the tying run. The very next hitter, Jason Alcaraz, drove in the go-ahead run and Michigan led the majority of the weekend. Quotable: "We're paying our best ball of the year right now. We're starting to steam- roll. I think we'll be pretty tough to beat the rest of the year." - Michigan catcher Mick Kalahar after the Wolverines heat MinnesotaJor the third consecutive time, this past weekend, Big Ten Standings By Andy Latack Daily Sports Writer You could tell it was going to be a good weekend in Fisher Stadium. The Michigan baseball team started off its four-game series with Minnesota on a sweet note Friday. The Wolverines did what they had yet to do this year - win a close game in the Big Ten. And then they did it again the very next day, hanging two one- run defeats on the Gophers in the series' first two games, right- ing. the sinking Michigan ship and clawing their way into the middle of the Big Ten standings in the process. After opening the conference season with four lop-sided games at Illinois in late March, just one of which finished in the Wolverines' favor, Michigan has had trouble winning close ones all season. The following weekend against Ohio State, the Wolverines lost three games by a total of four runs. Two one-run losses came on the same day in a heartbreaking doubleheader in * Columbus. So did Michigan coach Geoff Zahn alter the lineup, looking for guys who could get the job done in close games? Not at all. The same cast of players that had difficulty closing out the tight games against the Buckeyes was on the field this weekend against Minnesota. And that's just the way Zahn wanted it. "I think adversity builds character," Zahn said. "This team has grown and learned from that." Indeed, some of the Wolverines on the field in this weekend's triumph have endured their share of adversity, especially against the Buckeyes. There was starting pitcher Brian Berryman, who walked four consecutive Buckeyes in the first game of the twinbill, forcing in the first run in Ohio State's 2-1 victory. There was closer Tyler Steketee, who gave up the game-winning hit to Ohio State catcher Tom Durant with two outs in the bottom of the final inning, giving the Buckeyes an emotional 3-2 victory. And there was left fielder Jason Alcaraz, who went a com- bined 3-for-16 against the Buckeyes, typifying the hitting woes that allowed few Michigan runs on the scoreboard all weekend. But from the very first game against the Gophers this week- end, it was clear that Berryman, Steketee, Alcaraz and the rest of the Wolverines would have no problems putting the nail in Minnesota's coffin. Berryman was effective on Friday, allowing four runs in an eight-inning outing. After allowing three quick runs in the third, the junior gave up just four hits the rest of the way. Except for one walk allowed, he retired the Minnesota batters in order in his final three innings, before bowing out in the ninth. And when Berryman finally faltered and gave up two hits with no outs in the final inning, Steketee was there to preserve the lead, and the game. After throwing a wild pitch to the first batter he faced, the senior forced Minnesota clean-up hitter Craig Selander - leading the Gophers with I1 home runs and 43 RBI - to ground into the game-ending double play. Steketee would pitch just as well in the second game, getting four con- secutive outs to post his second save of the weekend. Alcaraz also had a big day in the Big Ten home opener, only his big events took place in the batters box. The junior blasted a two-run, opposite field homer in the third inning, cutting the Gophers' early lead to 3-2. Alcaraz went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI on the day, and finished the series batting 7-for-16 with 5 RBI. The Wolverines appeared relaxed in front of the season-high home crowd, and they played so well, it reminded Berryman of another great team - last year's Wolverines, the regular season conference champions. "We hit the ball, we took extra bases and we were real aggres- sive," Berryman said. "That's how we played last year, and that's how we won. I think it's starting to build." Team Illinois Minnesota Ohio State Penn State Indiana Iowa Michigan Purdue Michigan State Northwestern W 9 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 L 3 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 PCT .750 .583 .583 583 .500 .500 .417 .417 .333 .333 GB 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 Closer Steketee shuts door on M' early-season woes By Andy Latack Daily Sports Writer Michigan closer Tyler Steketee had a great weekend, but don't ask him to brag about it. The senior from Jenison, Mich., says all of the credit for his late-inning mastery of Minnesota goes to his defense. It's easy to see his point. The Michigan defense, which led the Big Ten in fielding per- centage coming into this past weekend, has been a stalwart in a season that has had its share of inconsistency. Although they committed three errors in this weekend's four-game series, the Wolverines have made just 32 errors this season - com- pared to a whopping 56 by their opponents. But Steketee deserves his share of the credit as well. Last year, Steketee was exceptional in the closer role, tying a Michigan single season record with 10 saves. He didn't blow a single save opportunity, and his performance earned him a spot on the all-Big Ten team. His 23 appearances also topped the team last year, showing how often Michigan coach Geoff Zahn depended on the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder. Steketee earned his last two saves against Illinois in the Big Ten playoffs, so the big right-hander is used to coming in when the stakes are high. But this year, things weren't going quite according to plan for Steketee. To begin with, he suffered the first blown save of his career in a February 21 outing against Baylor. Then came the debacle against Ohio State. Relieving Brian Steinbach in the third game, and entering the game with a 2-1 lead, two outs and the bases loaded, Steketee struggled with his control, walking in the game-tying run. Then, with the outcome of the game hanging in the balance, he gave up the game-winning hit in a crushing Michigan loss. But Steketee has fought back. Even in his disappointing performance against Baylor, Steketee recovered, striking out the side in the ninth - after giving up two homers to tie the game. The game ended that BASEBALL Continued from Page 11B Michigan, which had little to lose and a whole lot to gain, established an aggressive tempo early on in the series. Trailing 3-2 in the fourth inning Friday, catcher Mick Kalahar was gunned down at the plate as he tried to score from first base on shortstop Scott Tousa's one- out double. But on the very next play, Tousa ran right through third base coach Chris Harrison's stop sign and scored the game-tying run on Bobby Scales' two-out single. "I just put my head down and kept on run- ning," Tousa said. "By the time I saw the sign, it was too late to stop. Staying aggressive and going after the other team is what we needed to do." Michigan took the lead on the next play and stayed ahead of the Gophers for most of the weekend. Junior Brian Berryman (3-2) picked up the win Friday, though he didn't show his best stuff, walking six Minnesota batters in eight innings. But Michigan pitchers were in complete control by Saturday. Left-hander Bryan Cranson evened his record at 3-3 with five innings of scoreless ball in the early game, before Tousa committed two errors at short and Zahn called on Steketee to extinguish the fire. Senior Brian Steinbach went the distance in the nightcap, and gave his teammates a chance to finally sit back and relax. way due to rain. And just like that February day in Texas, Steketee has battled back from the disaster at Ohio State. In this weekend's crucial series against Minnesota, he notched saves in the first two games, bringing his season total to four, Steketee did not give up a hit during the entire series. And that evening in Columbus is the furthest thing from his mind nowadays. "Anytime something like that happens, I just try to forget about it," Steketee said. "I came out the next day and wanted to pitch again." When Steketee struggles, so does Michigan. As the person Zahn relies on to finish off close games. Steketee is crucial to the Wolverines' success in tight contests. At the same time, when Steketee is on, Michigan is a very dangerous team. The start- ing rotation is coming into its own, allowing just 12 earned runs in 26 innings of work this past weekend. With the starters pitching the majority of the game and then handing the ball to Steketee - eliminating any possibility of a shaky middle relief performance - Michigan is very tough to hit. "I have a lot of confidence in Tyler," said starter Bryan Berryman, who was relieved by Steketee after eight strong innings Friday, lead- ing to Steketee's first save of the weekend. "He's going to come in and close out the game, so I don't mind handing the ball over to him any time," And with the pitchers clicking, Michigan is now winning the close ones and suddenly finds itself back in contention in the Big Ten. "I think that's our character as a team," Steketee said. "We keep battling and going after guys. We've had a couple bad breaks that haven't gone our way, but I think that's a trib- ute to our guys staying with it." If Michigan - and especially Steketee - stays with it,the Wolverines could make some noise in the Big Ten after all, Big Ten scoreboard Game one played on Friday, games two and three on Saturday, and game four yesterday. Illinois at Ohio State Game 1: Illinois 2, OHIO STATE 1 Game 2: Illinois 2, OHIO STATE 1 Game 3: OHIO STATE 3, Illinois 2 Game 4: OHIO STATE 8, Illinois 5 Northwestern at Penn State Game 1: Wildcats 20, PENN St. 18 Game 2: Wildcats 5, PENN ST. 4 Game 3: PENN ST. 8, Wilcats 5 Game 4: PENN ST. 14, Wildcats 11 Indiana at Michigan State Game 1: MICHIGAN ST. 8, Indiana 4 Game 2: Indiana 2, MICHIGAN ST. 0 Game 3: MICHIGAN ST. 2, Indiana 0 Game 4: Indiana 3, MICHIGAN ST. 0 Iowa at Purdue Game 1: PURDUE 12, Iowa 7 Game Game: Game 2: 3: 4: Iowa 8, PURDUE 0 Iowa 8, PURDUE 7 Iowa 8, PURDUE 2 Schedule All times EST HNmegaens in CAPS~ I April 14 April17 April 18 at Bowling MICHIGAN at Michigan Green STATE State 3 p.m. 3 p.m. N. April 19 April 21 April 30 MICHIGAN vs. Notre CENTRAL STATE Dame MICHIGAN 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 3 p~m. MINNESOTA Player' Arit cf Scanlon 3b Quinlan 1b Selander rf Groebner If Holthaus dh Brosseau ss Devore 2b Negen c Hortonph Totals Minnesota Dobis L, 3-3 Wagner AB R H BI 411 4 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 334 7 4 IP 20 MICHIGAN Player AB R H BI Scales 2b 5 2 3 1 Alcaraz If 4 1 2 3 Cervenak 3b 4 1 2 0 Q.Bescorf 3 0 30 B. Besco lb 2 0 0 1 Bobedact 3 0 0 0 Bush ph 1 00 0 Sanborn dh 4 0 0 0 Kalahar c 4 0 2 0 Tousa ss 4 1 2 0 Totals 34 514 5 H R ER BB SO 14 4 5 2 3 o 1 0 0 2 7 3 2 6" 5 0 1 0 1 0 LOUIS BROWN/Daily Michigan closer Tyler Steketee revived his season this weekend with saves Friday and Saturday. The Wolverines beat Minnesota three times, winning two of the games by one run. Michigan finds unlikely heroes in Ri ousa Michigan Berryman W, 3-2 8 Steketee S, 3rd 1 By Jacob Wheeler Daily Sports Writer Michigan baseball coach Geoff Zahn received some unexpected gifts this weekend. But he didn't find them hidden in the stands during Saturday morning's Easter egg hunt at Ray Fisher Stadium. All Zahn's presents were opened on the field, as his surging Wolverines took three of four games from second-place Minnesota, and improved to 5-7 in the Big Ten. But a number of Michigan's key contributions came from the most unlikely of sources. Robbie Reid, Michigan's reliable point guard and three-point shooter but often-neglected designated hitter and pitcher, finally appeared in the lineup for Saturday's first game. And he made the most of the rare start, collecting two hits - the first of which set up Michigan's decisive three-run second inning. Reid didn't start game two, though. He's on a team this season with considerably more depth than Brian Ellerbe's eight-man basketball squad. Zahn has a surplus of hitters on the baseball roster, and the junior was only one of four in the designated hit- ter slot this weekend. But once again, Reid responded like an e eryday player when called upon. He delivered a inch-hit handles Michigan's varying pitching corps well and he holds opposing baserunners at bay with his arm. But until this past weekend, the senior wasn't doing much with the bat. In fact, Kalahar carried a humble .172 average into the weekend and he did- n't have a single extra base hit. The catcher did an admirable job coaxing his pitchers through four games against a tough Ohio State lineup last weekend. Still, the Wolverines only came away with one win because they just weren't scoring enough runs. Not enough Michigan batters were hitting the ball well. So Kalahar went 6-for-I1I this past weekend, in addition to handling the tools of ignorance. He drove in a key run with his double in Saturday's 3-2 victory, and he also raised his batting average 60 points. "I can't say enough about Mick," Zahn said. "He does a great job with the pitchers, he'll throw some guys out. It's a bonus for him to swing the bat, but it seems like come conference time he does a good job." Tousa, on the other hand, has been pounding the ball all season. The freshman raised his average to .360 with a 5 for 10 performance this weekend, and he motivated the Wolverines with his fearless MINNESOTA Player AS R H BI Arltc t 3 0 1 0 Scanlon 3b 3 0 0 0 Quinlan1 b 3 1 0 0 Groebner It 2 0 1 1 Selander rf 3 0 1 1 Holthaus dh 2 0 0 0 Horton ph 1 0 0 0 Brosseau 2b 2 0 1 0 Negen c 3 01 0 Devore ss 0 0 0 0 Egan ph 1 10 0 Brosseauph 1 0 0 0 Totals 24 2S 1 IP Minnesota Pautz L. 3-3 6 MICHIGAN Player AB R H BI Scales2b 30 10 Alcaraz if 3 0 1 0 Cervenak3b3 0 0 0 D. Besco rf 2 1 0 0 BBesco1b 30 1 0 Bobeda cf 3 0 1 0 Reid dh 3 1 2 0 Kalahar c 21 1 1 Tousa ss 2 0 1 1 Totals 24 3 8 2 H R ER BB SO 8 3 3 1 1 5 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Michigan Cranson W, 3-3 Steketee S. 4th 5.2 1.1 MINNESOTA MICHIGAN Player AB R H BI Player AB R H Bt Art f 3 0 0 0 Scales 2b 2 1 0 1 Scanlon3b 3 1 1 0 Alcarazif 4 0 1 1 Ouinian lb 3 0 0 0 Cervenak 3b 3 0 1 1 Selander rf 3 0 1 1 D.Besco rf 31 1 0 GroebnertIf 3 0 1 0 B Bescoib 3 0 0 0 Norton dh 3 1 1 0 Parrish dh 2 0 0 0 Brosseau ss 2 0 0 0 Reidph 1 1 1 0 Devore2b 3 0 1 1 Bushcf 2 2 1 1 Negen c 2 0 0 0 Kalahar c 1 1 1 0 Tousa ss 2 1 2 1 Totals 252 s 2 Totals 2378 5 LOUIS BROWN/Daily Michigan left fielder Jason Alcaraz went 7-for-16 against Minnesota this weekend. He hit a two-run homer Friday to spark Michigan to its first of three victories. - Continuing the trend, Minnesota came out yesterday and prevented a series sweep. The slightly altered Gopher batting lineup recorded 10 hits and scored six runs. First baseman Minnesota Wemner Shupe L. 1-1 Gangi IP 1.1 2.1 2.2 H R ER BB SO 2 2 4 1 3 3 3 0 3 5 2 2 0 0 1 Michigan Steinbach W, 2.5 7 4 2 2 1 5 I