Sports Page 1. Wednesday, May 22, 1981 The Michigan Daily On to Omaha! 'M' batsmen blank EMU for title 4 4 BY MARTHA CRALL The Michigan baseball team was down again, losing the first game of a double-elimination tournament after which there would be no tomorrow for three of the four teams. It had to win four games in a row to keep its already successful season alive. But overcoming tremendous odds, the Wolverines topped New Orleans, Nevada-Las Vegas, and Eastern Michigan twice to capture the Mideast Regional and earn a trip to the College World Series in Omaha for the second straight year. IT TOOK TWO dramatic shutout vic- tories in two days before more than 8,500 fans over cross-county rival EMU, which pounded its initial two op- ponents by a total 33-15 score. Sunday's 10-0 Michigan whitewashing of the Hurons marked the first time all season that Eastern had been shut out. THE SECOND time came on Mon- day, a 4-0 gem, in the championship game before a bi-partisan crowd of over 4,500 screaming fans. All- Tournament pitcher Scot Elam, who took a 2-1 loss to New Orleans on Friday, went the distance in earning his 11th win of the season, tying him with former Wolverine and current Los Angeles Dodger hurler Steve Howe for most season victories. The game went on for five nerve- wracking innings with neither team scoring a run before Michigan exploded for four in the top of the sixth, knocking Huron starter and loser Mitch Zwolen- sky (3-4) off the mound. All- Tournament outfielder and Most Valuable Player Jim Paciorek led things off with an infield hit after one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch, which prompted Eastern head coach Ron Oestrike to call for the inten- tional walk to All-Tournament catcher Gerry Hool. THIRD BASEMAN Chris Sabo, also an All-Tournament choice, then singled Paciorek in and Tim Miller followed with an RBI single of his own, which spelled the end for Zwolensky. Mickey Weston came into relieve and was greeted by a perfect suicide squeeze bunt off the bat of shortstop Tony Evans, which scored Sabo. Designated hitter John Young rounded out the scoring with a two-base hit, which drove Miller home. "Timely hitting and Scot's (Elam) performance were the key for us," said Michigan head coach, Bud Middaugh. "I think the fans saw exciting baseball. We played with hustle and enthusiasm. "I told the players we just had to go out and try to play the best we can," Middaugh said, barely audible, while jubilant Michigan fans sang thunderous a cappella renditions of "Hail to the Victors." "I think the world of these players, win or lose, I told them that before the ballgame. They just put it together one more time." ELAM'S SIX-HITTER highlighted the performances of both teams. The sophomore struck out six and didn't walk aman. "I felt good today," said Elam after the game. "I knew that they like off- speed stuff, so I threw mostly fastballs. I was hitting spots and when I got ahead of the hitters, I came back with off- speed stuff. "We have been a gutsy team all year; we've had to come back time and time again," Elam said. "I knew that once we got on top we pretty much had it won. It's a miracle." ALTHOUGH Monday's victory was the climax, Michigan had to defeat formidable opponents on the way there. After Friday's loss to New Orleans, the Wolverines had to play Eastern's first victim, Nevada-Las Vegas. Freshman pitcher Rich Stoll (6-2), rose to the occasion in posting a com- plete-game victory to eliminate the Rebels, 6-2. After getting off to a slow start on Friday, All-Tournament cen- terfielder Greg Schulte became the hit- ting hero on Saturday, going two-for- five and driving in two runs. Hool and Sabo also got two hits as the Wolverines scored one run in the third inning, two in each of the fifth and seventh frames, and one more in the eighth to put away the visitors from the west. The task got tougher by the day, as the Wolverines then had to eliminate opening-game winner New Orleans, which was Eastern's second victim. Mark Clinton and Steve Ontiveros (7-4) teamed up for a seven-hit, 7-1 drubbing of the Privateers in Sunday's first con- test. DAVE STOBER drove in three runs and collected three walks, going one- for-two to lead the Wolverines. The junior infielder was the designated hit- ter in Saturday's and Sunday's first. game, but moved to left, a position he had never played, for the last two. Schulte and Paciorek each hit a home run and drove in two runs, as the first three hitters in the lineup cleaned up on two New Orleans pitchers. . Then came the toughest task up until then - the second game of Sunday's doubleheader with the undefeated Hurons. Michigan showed no mercy, as it jumped on sore-armed Eastern pit- cher Bryan Clutterbuck (6-7) for five runs in only two-thirds of an inning. Paciorek, Miller and Evans all collec- ted doubles in the onslaught and Young added a single in what proved to be more than enough runs to win the game. The Wolverines didn't stop there, however, as they dented reliever Jason Hansen for five more tallies before the game's end. All-Tournament pitcher Bill Shuta (6-1) picked up another Michigan complete game, giving up six hits while walking two and striking out five Hurons. PACIOREK SMASHED three hits and drove in three runs, while Sabo collected two RBIs to help the Wolverine cause and send the series in- to a deciding seventh game. Michigan and Eastern cleaned up on the All-Tournament choices, receiving 10 of the 11 positions. The star first baseman was Pat Zureich of EMU, its number nine hitter. Eastern also had Howie Simmons at second base, Bry'on Horn at shortstop and Jim Irwin in the outfield named to the All-Tournament team. Pitcher-designated hitter Dave Albrecht was the only non-state player named to the squad. The New Orleans hitter was named the All-Tournament designated hitter. Michigan will take its 41-18 record and Mideast title on to Omaha where it will take on Mississippi State Saturday in the College World Series. I 4 0 I College Baseball Poll Arizona State narrowly edged Miami of Florida, which required four games to capture the South Regional for top spot in the final Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll. Miami had been num- ber one in the previous poll, with ASU third and California State-Fullerton second. Michigan jumped from 17th to fifth with its Mideast Regional victory. The topeight teams will be competing in the College World Series in Omaha starting this Saturday. Arizona State represents the West Region, Oklahoma State won the Mid- west Regional, Texas took the Central Regional, Mississippi State claimed the Atlantic Regional crown, Maine represents the Northeast Region and South Carolina captured the East Regional. 1. Arizona State .................50-12 2. Miami (Fla.) ..................60-8 3. Oklahoma State ...............49-15 4. Texas ........................58-9-1 5. MICHIGAN ...................41-18 6. Mississippi State ........... 45-15 7. Maine ........ ..............32-12 8. South Carolina ................44-13 9. Cal State-Fullerton ..........47-18 10. Oral Roberts ...............45-10-1 11. Memphis State 12. Eastern Michigan 13. Stanford 14. St. John's 15. Florida 16. Florida State 17. E. Tennessee State 18. Lamar 19. Brigham Young 20. Fresno State MICHIGAN RIGHTFIELDER Jim Paciorek bats against Eastern Michigan in Monday's Mideast Regional title game, which Michigan won, 4-0. Paciorek was named to the All-Tournament team and also garnered tour- nament MVP honors. 0