The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - April 5, 2004 - 5B
Line of the week
Eric Rose
Rightfielder
Sunday vs. Minnesota (Game 2)
H-AB R RBI SB
5-for-5 2 1 1
Notable Quotable
"It's huge to get guys out there in
the elements, seeing the ball in
the sun"
- Michigan coach Rich Maloney
Players of the Series
Matt Fornasiere
(Minnesota)
Fornasiere put up a hit in each
game for the Gophers. In Sunday's
first game, He went 2-for-3 with a
home run in the winning effort.
Paul Hammond
(Michigan)
Hammond was dominant in both wins last
weekend, striking out five in eight innings
of work. He got the win in the series cap-
per, giving up a lone earned run.
FRIDAY'S GAME
Minnesota Golden Gophers 3
WP: Andy Peters (0-1)
Michigan Wolverines 4
!P: Andrew Hess (2-1)
SATURDAY'S GAME
Minnesota Golden Gophers 6
WP: Andy Peters (0-2)
Michigan Wolverines 5
LP: Dan lentz (0-1)
YESTERDAY, GAME 1
Minnesota Golden Gophers 3
WP: Josh Krogman (1-0)
Michigan Wolverines 2
LP: Derek Feldkamp (2-3)
YESTERDAY, GAME 2
-M Minnesota Golden Gophers 10
LP: Andy Peters (0-2)
Michigan Wolverines 12
WP: Paul Hammond (1-0)
Rose blooms at The Fish
INSIDE THE
NUMBERS
YESTERDAY, GAME 2
Michigan 12, Minnesota 10
By Gabe Edelson
Daily Sports Writer
Eric Rose didn't play like a freshman yesterday
against Minnesota.
The Michigan centerfielder went 5-for-5 in the con-
test to raise his season batting average to a stellar .425.
In the weekend's four games, Rose went 9-for-I5 (.600).
In the bottom of the 12th inning of Friday's 4-3 Michi-
gan victory, he also ignited the game-winning rally with
a single. Junior rightfielder Matt Butler's subsequent
base hit drove Rose home for the decisive run.
Nobody is more proud of what this young player has
been able to accomplish so early on than his coach,
Rich Maloney.
"Eric has a chance to be a great player," Maloney
said after the conclusion of Sunday's action. "He uses
his speed, he puts the ball in play, he can drag bunt.
He's just fun to watch."
Rose is not known for his power. A self-described
"slap hitter," he has just seven RBIs and no home runs in
the 13 games he has played. Though an 0-for-2 perform-
ance in the weekend's third game ended his seven-game
hitting streak, Rose - who recorded his first career hit
in just his second at-bat in a Michigan uniform - was
ecstatic after his perfect showing from the batter's box in
the final game of the series.
"It feels tremendous," Rose said of going 5-for-5.
"It's huge for my self-confidence, and also the team's.
(The other players) can put trust in me now and know
that I'm going to do my best for them."
Maloney views Rose as a vital part of his squad's
core, the type of player this improving program can
build around. And the coach also hopes Rose's early
success will only motivate the freshman to try harderr
and achieve even greater goals.
"He's one of the cornerstones of the team," Maloney
said. "He's gaining tremendous confidence, but he's
always been a confident kid, so it's natural for him. I'm.
real happy for him to have this success, because once '
they experience it, they want it more."
This is not to say that everything has come easy for
Rose. The centerfielder believes an off-season swing
readjustment was instrumental in his success at the
plate. The changes were intended to improve his con-4
tact hitting.
"Coach changed a lot of stuff on my swing," Rose said.
"Almost everything, to tell you the truth."°
Rose's emergence has also been facilitated by his
older teammates. The assistance he has received from
other players has been instrumental to his development
both on and off the field.
"The kids help me out a lot," Rose said. "They givea
me helpful hints here and there, and it's a comforting
factor to have those kids there to help you through
tough times." 1 K
Rose knows that the tough times will become less fre-
quent with more experience. '
For now, though, this rookie sensation is thrilled with his
situation. TONY DING/Daily
"I'm very happy at my position right now," Rose Freshman centerfielder Eric Rose, left, went 5-for-5 in yesterday's 12-10 win over
said. "I'm just taking it day by day." Minnesota. Rose is currently batting .426 for the season.
etzmoves to Blue mound'
m nesota (12.10)
Player AB R H BI
Fornasieress 5 1 1 0
Steidl cf 5 1 1 0
Meel1b 3 21 1
Eldero 3122
Dick c 1 1 0 0
CarlsonH 1 0 0 0
Hunter dh 3 1 1 1
Leseman If 4 1 0 1
Hrncirik 3b 4 1 3 3
Kommerstad rf 3 0 1 2
Sanders rf 1 0 0 0
MacLean2b 4 1 1 0
Lobergp 0 0 0 0
Peters p 0 0 0 0
Gaub p 0 00 0
Total 37 10110
Mkhltgmn(11-11)
Player AS R H Bi
Getz2b 5 2 2 2
Butler If 6 1 3 3
Bohml1b 4 21 1
Scheidt 3b 4 1 1 1
Kunkel c 4 0 1 2
Burhans rf 5 0 1 1
Goldslirg ss 4 2 1 0
Roberts dh 2 0 0 0
Roblin dh 2 2 1 0
Rose cf 5 2 5 1
Penn p 0 00 0
Hess p 0000
Hammondp 0 00 0
Total 4112161
LOB - Minnesota 8; Michi gan 11; E - Minnesota 3:
Steidl n 2Kommerstad (1); Lober (1, Michigan 2:
Bohm (1); Rose (2). HR - None. DIP-Minnesota 0;
Michigan 1. 2B- Minnesota 1: Kommerstad(7
Michigan 3: Buter (6); Kunkel (3); Goldshmeding (61. HBP -
Minnesota 1: MacLean, Michigan: Kunkel. SB- Min-
nesota 2: Fordnasiere (6); Hrmcirik (2), Michigan 1:
Rose (4). CS.- Minnesota: Hrncirik (3) H
Minnesota 510 202 000 10 11 3
Michigan 001 434 OOX 12 16 2
iP H R ERBB SO
Minnesota
Loberg 4.0 10 7 6 2 3
Peteres (L, 0-2) 1.2 4 4 3 1 2
Gaub 2.1 2 11 2 4
Michigan
Penn 3.1
Hammond (W, 1-0) 4.0
7 8 8
2 0 0
2 2 1
3
2
2
I
1
1
Umpires- HP: Perry Costello 1B: James Jackson 38:
Jon Garlits
At-The Fish
Attendance -237 Time -3:25
YESTERDAY, GAME 1
Minnesota 3, Michigan 2
m'nnesota (12-9)1
Player AB R H Bl1
Fornasiere ss 3 1 2 1
Steidl cf 2 1 1 1
Mee 1b 3 0 1 1
Hunter dh 3 0 0 0'
Carlson dh 1 0 0 01
Elder c 3 01 01
Leseman If 2 0 1 01
Hrncirik 3b 3 0 1 01
Kommerstad 3b 3 0 1 0
MacLean 2b 3 1 2 01
Krogman p 0 0 0 01
DeVriesp 0 00 0
Total 25 39 3
Minin(1411)
Player AB R H BI
Getz 2b 2 1 0 1
Butler lf 3 0 2 1
Bohm 1b 3 0 0 0
Scheidt 3b 3 0 0 0
Kunkel c 2 0 0 0
Roberts dh 3 0 0 0
GD~lshrne g ss 3 1 1 0
Roblin rf 1 0 1 0
Rudden ph 1 0 0 0
Rose cf 2 0 0 0
Feldkamp 0 0 0 0
Husainp 0 00 0
Total 23 24 2
By Ryan Sosin
and Matt Venegoni
Daily Sports Writers
It was a move from the high
school playbook. Michigan coach
Rich Maloney popped up from the
dugout in the 11th inning and head-
ed toward the mound at The Fish.
Freshman Dan Lentz stood on the
mound, awaiting his
ed by the Wolverine
infield. Maloney
knew it was time to
replace his reliever.
But unlike his nor-
mal routine of turn-
ing toward the
third-base bullpen
fate, surround-
© 0
SG
Minnesota's Mike Mee faced Getz
in his pitching debut, and the one-
pitch at-bat ended the inning on a
grounder to first base.
The Chicago White Sox selected
Getz as a shortstop in the sixth round
of the 2001 draft. While he may not
join in on the new trend of trying to
make the Majors as a pitcher and
position player, Getz could be called
upon to take the mound for the
Wolverines ad~ain this year.
"He's been a guy we've been
keeping secret this year a little bit,"
Maloney said. "He only got one out,
but that's all we asked, and (the
pitch) was a strike."
WEATHER MAYHEM: It may be base-
ball season, but the weather in Ann
Arbor does not show it all the time.
This past week was the first
time this season that the Michigan
baseball team could practice out-
side all week.
"The new turf (at The Fish) was
laid down in November, so we did-
n't want to mess up the field prac-
ticing," Maloney said.
But with the weather cooperating
Michigan was finally able to prac-
tice in conditions more like a game
setting.
"It's huge for us to get guys out
there in the elements, seeing the ball
in the sun and seeing the ball off the
bat," Maloney said. "We should play
better as the practice outside
comes."
While the weather was nice all
week and for the first two games of
the series against Minnesota, the
third game in the series was a differ-
ent story. The sun quickly vanished
and soon after the fans were scurry-
ing to under the overhang of The
Fish. The game continued in the
driving wind and rain, but was'
called in the top of the fifth due to
darkness.
"The weather was rough to play in
Saturday and Sunday for everyone,
including the umpires," Maloney said.
Saturday's second game was fin-
ished yesterday before the sched-
uled game. But the teams were not
even sure if they were going to play.
A few quick calls resolved the situa-
tion.
"We called Western Michigan and
Michigan State and they were play-
ing, so we said, 'Let's play,' " Mal-
oney said.
NoTEs: Eric Rose's 5-for-5 day was
the first for a Wolverine since Jason
Alcaraz pulled off the feat against
Penn State in 1999. ... Matt Butler
extended his current hitting streak
with a single in the third inning
Sunday. He went 3-for-6 on the day
... Kyle Bohm hit the only home run
for the Wolverines on the weekend.
The longball, Friday, was his second
on the season ... Pitcher Paul Ham-
mond, returning from elbow surgery,
earned his first career win yester-
day.
Minnesota
Michigan
Minnesota
ro man (W, 1-1)
DeVis
Michigan
Feldkamp (L, 2-3)
Husain
4.0 3 2
3.0 1 0
230
00 4
4.2 7 3 3 1 4
2.1 2 0 0 2 2
LOB - Minnesota 7; Mich-
gan 5. E- Minnesota 0, Michigan 2: Getz (1); Kunkel
F.1). DP -Minnesota 1;' Michigan 3 HR -Michigan:
ronasiere (2). DP -None. HBP - Minnesota: None
Michigan: Roblin. SB - Minnesota 3: Fronasiere(5);
Steid[(2); Leseman (5), Michigan 1: Getz (8). CS -
None.
R H E
200 010 0 39 0H
110 000 Q 2 4 2
IP H R ER BB SO
Umpires - HP: Jon Garlits, 1: Perry Costello, 38:
James Jackson
At -The Fish
Attendance- unannouncedTime - 2:14
Game Notes- Game suspended Saturday due to dark-
ness in top of 5th inning; Completed Sunday at 1 p.m.
BIG TEN STANDINGS
Conference Overall
for a replacement, Maloney looked
across the huddle and called for
sophomore second baseman Chris
Getz.
"(Getz) was a very good pitcher
in high school," Maloney said. "He
can throw 90 (miles per hour)."
Getz, usually slotted in at the
leadoff spot, is hitting .277. The
move from the infield to the mound
is nothing new for Getz, who holds
the Grosse Pointe South High
School career record for saves. In
the 2001 Michigan High School
Athletic Association state champi-
onships, Getz was called from his
spot at shortstop by coach Dan
Griesbaum to close out the game
against Grand Ledge.
Team W
Michigan State 4
Ohio State 3
Michigan 2
Indiana 2
Penn State 2
Northwestern 2
Minnesota 2
Illinois 1
Iowa 0
L
0
.1
2
2
2
2
2
3
4
W
13
10
11
18
12
11
12
7
6
L
10
11
11
9
11
12
10
13
16
T UIN JIU/LIIIy
Sophomore second baseman Chris Getz takes off after making contact with the
ball during play yesterday against Minnesota. Getz also took the hill as a pitcher.
Friday's results:
NORTHWESTERN 2, Indiana 0
MICHIGAN STATE 1, Iowa 0
MICHIGAN 4, Minnesota 3(12 Inn.)
Purdue 7, PENN STATE 3
OHIO STATE 5, Illinois 1
Saturday's results:
MICHIGAN STATE 5, Iowa 4
Minnesota 6, MICHIGAN 5 (11 Inn.)
PENN STATE 7, Purdue 3
NORTHWESTERN 12, Indiana 10
MICHIGAN STATE 6, Iowa 3
Yesterday's results:
Minnesota 4, MICHIGAN 3
OHIO STATE 5, Illinois 3
Illinois 12, OHIO STATE 4
Indiana 3, NORTHWESTERN 1
MICHIGAN STATE 12, Iowa 1
MICHIGAN 12, Minnesota 10
Purdue 18, PENN STATE 2
SCOUTING REPORT
EASTERN CH GAN
WEDNESDAY
Eastern Michigan rolls into Ann Arbor
riding a 10-game winning streak, hot
off a pair of victories over Oakland.
Ryan Ford leads the charge for the
Eagles. He pitched seven innings last
weekend, striking out eight. Ford and
Brian Bixler contributed a pair of
home runs a piece in a 23-9 win on
Saturday. The Wolverines have tradi-
tionally dominated Eastern Michigan,
owning a 98-48-2 record. The single
game is the first of three between
the teams, who meet for a double-
header on May 5.
NOWA
NEXT WEEKEND
Uinhidnn Wmill In+n r t mnnrtha
WILLA IRACOAS/Uaiy
Members of the Michigan baseball team observe weekend action at Ray Fisher
Stadium. Two games in the four-game set went to extra innings.
A A .f U - ___
(rraat ink in thic xxrwat}tar"