2000 Baseball schedule
The Michigan haseball team starts its
home season today against Eastern
Michigan. Check the Daily Sports
Website to see the rest of the schedule.
michigandaily.com /sports
ORTS
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WEDNESDAY
MARCH 22, 2000
12*
THIS WEE
NCAA SIMM[NG
Who: Michi .:a' mens swimming at NCAAS
When: Thuay trhrough Saturday
The \W'lver inesseda " wilmlers To this week's
C AAs l lere's the set v yin the super six.
Sophomore Tim Silano
wEve nts are 400 and 1500 free and 400 [Mi, and
comnpeteewirth TImpson, McWha and Kurth in
the 8201freetyrelay
u400 1M itional champion
oThree -time NCAA All-American
Junior Chra. Thompson
Evenrsare 200,4V and i O5free
A Four-timeNCAA All-American
junior Scott Werner
;Events at' 200 IM, 400and 200breast
* NCAA All-Americ.a
Sophomore Jeff Hopwood
aEventsare Land 200 breast
aNCAA All-American
Senior Mike McWra
Events are400and1500 free
uNCAA AI- Amencan
Freshman TonyKurth
Events are-Ik I5.100free and 200 IM
The Northwestern University
College Preparation
Program is looking for
Counselors
to work this summer.
We're hiring "Big Sibs" to help
guide high school
students from around the nation
through a summer of
learning and fun at Northwestern.
For an application call:
1800 FINDS NU.
Qualified candidates must have
completed their
sophomore year of college by
the start of the program
(June 12,2000) and should have:
a desire to work with high school
students
a consistent record of academic
achievement
strong oral and written
communication skills
. excellent interpersonal skills (both in
group and one-on-one situations)
..time-management skills
.leadership skills
... problem-solving skills
a wide range of extracurricular
interests
Swimming sends
six to NC"AAs
By Benjamin Singer
Daily Sports Writer
Freshman Tony Kurth is traveling
to the NCAA Championships for the
first time.
He accompanies five other mem-
bers of the Michigan men's swim-
ming team who have combined for
10 All-American and six honorable
mention awards.
The Wolverines also bring the
two-time Olympic silver medalist
Erik Namesnik for an assistant coach
and head coach John Urbanchek,.
who assisted in coaching the U.S.
team in four straight Olympics
games.
But even in this company, Kurth
can still say he is an experienced
swimmer.
Kurth is no stranger to major com-
petition.
He swam at the 1999 Pan-
American games and was a member
of the U.S.S. Junior National team in
1996.
But this will not add up to
Michigan's first national champi-
onship since 1995.
The Wolverines only qualified one
relay team - an improvement on
none from last year - but are not
favored to gain any points in the 800
freestyle.
Then Michigan suffered a surpris-
ing blow when senior Josh Trexler
failed to qualify at the Zone C
Diving meet.
The consequence is that No. 7
Michigan will probably not even
improve upon last year's eighth-
place finish.
Improving on that finish was one
of the team's many goals at the
beginning of this season.
"If we break into the top 10, that's
a big achievement said senior tri-
captain Mike McWha.
Instead, this will be a champi-
onship in which the Wolverines
need to highlight their individuals if
they wish to make their presence
known.
Sophomore Tim Siciliano will try
to repeat as a national champion in
the 400 IM, a feat he pinned as a
freshman.
Junior Chris Thompson has been
edged by Arizona's Rvk Neethling
the past two years in the 1650
freestyle event. That event is most
comparable to the 1 500 freestyle this
year.
Ncething also beat Thompson
earlier this year in a dual meet and
other major competitions such as the
Pan-Pacific games.
"It's just my luck of the draw,"
Thompson said. "It's frustrating to
be swimming at the same time he is."
Since the swimming is measured
in meters in the summer Olympics
in Sydney, the NCAA's events will
do the same to prepare Olympic
hopefuls such as Siciliano and
Thompson.
Thompson feels he will be helped
for the summer by more than than
just the switch to meters.
"It's more the competition that
helps for the Olympics," Thompson
said.
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By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
If memories of the Michigan base-
ball team's run through last season's
Big Ten Tournament continue to flutter
through your mind, you probably need
to get acquainted to the here and now.
Priority number one: Sizing up the
re-tooled batting lineup.
The Wolverines (6-8-1) lost five for-
midable hitters - Mike Cervanek,
Brian Bush, Jason Alcaraz, Bobby
Scales and Bryan Besco - to gradua-
tion. Of all the intangibles the fearsome
fivesome brought to the table, two of
them are necessities for the new and
largely underclass ensemble - clutch-
hitting and run production.
In the early-going, the young
Wolverines are still digging in.
"We've been struggling a little bit
with the bats this year," pitcher Vince
Pistilli said. "Obviously, we don't yet
have the run production of last year."
Opponents have outscored Michigan
96-83 this season, while the team's
average, .267, sits at a large distance
behind opponents' .299 showing.
But the prospect of potency from the
diverse lineup appeared in the early
season performances of two veterans
and two rookies.
Senior catcher David Parrish anchors
the lineup and sports a comfy .27&
average and five homers entering into
the spring. And senior centerfielde;
Rob Bobeda has emerged from the°
shadows of his departed teammates
cruising along with a .333 average, in
addition to the team lead in runs, 18.
"Any time you have a David Parrish,
you're going to have some power,"
coach Geoff Zahn said. "We'd like to
be able to do all things well, but there-
are certain parts of the order where
we'll have to rely on running and
See PREVIEW, Page 15
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By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Editor
The return of goalie Josh Blackburn to the Michigan hock-
ey team on Jan. 8 transformed an inconsistent collection of
talent into a well-oiled machine.
That is, until the Wolverines clinched an NCAA
Tournament berth three weeks ago.
After cruising through virtually the entire second half of the
season, the Michigan hockey team hit a few speed bumps in its
season finale against Bowling Green, its first-round playoff
series against Western Michigan, and the CCHA semifinal
matchup with Nebraska-Omaha.
Whether it was a lack of focus, or just not getting the
bounces when they needed them, the Wolverines are ready to
forget the last four games and fine tune their hockey this week
in practice - shifting things into high gear for the NCAA
Tournament.
"We've had up-tempo practices and everyone is really
working hard right now." Hocke
captain Sean Peach said.
"There's not a whole lot of talking 'I -
going on out on the ice right now.
Everyone is out there to work."
The Wolverines, who leave on
Thursday afternoon for Albany, N.Y., fTournament
site of this year's East Regional, know
they don't have much time left to prepare for the intense level
of competition they will face in the tournament.
"In the playoffs it's a different game,' Blackburn said. "It's a
lot more physical, and the little things count more. It's the team
that wants it, and the guys who are working harder who win.
"The tournament is a level up - it's a couple levels ur,
from the regular season. Toward the end of the season p
game gets more and more intense, and in the tournament it
raises up even further and you have to raise your ganV p
with it."
See ALBANY, Page2l
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