Page 14-Saturdey; Moy,1-981-,The MichiLon Doily Blue-MSU batsmen tangle 'M' only needs one to clinch East title By MARTHA CRALL The Michigan baseball team finds itself in an enviable position going into this weekend's four-game series with arch-rival Michigan State - that of having to win only one game to clinch the Big Ten East Division title. The Wolverines are currently atop the division with a 9-3 mark. Purdue, who has already clinched a spot in the playoffs, is close behind at 8-6-1. IF THE WEATHER IS GOOD AT Michigan State today, the probable starting pitcher for the Wolverines would be Scot Elam or Gary Wayne. Elam boasts an 8-1 mark with a 1.68 ERA overall; Wayne is 6-1 with a 1.20 ERA. The pair led all Big Ten pitchers with Wayne at 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA in conference play while Elam is also 3-0 with a 1.20 ERA. In Big Ten play, Wolverine shortstop Tony Evans shares the batting lead with Nick Fegan of Iowa, sporting a .500 average. Overall, Chris Sabo and Jim Paciorek pace the Wolverine hitters with .353 averages. Sabo leads the club in home runs with nine round-trippers. Ohio State checks in at third in the East Division with a 7-9 record, with Michigan State fourth at 5-7 and Indiana rounding out the field at 5-9-1. IN THE WEST DIVISION, ILLINOIS has clinched a playoff spot while leading the division with an 11-3 record. Minnesota is second with a 9-3 mark, Iowa is third at 7-5, Wisconsin, with a 3-9 record, sits in fourth, and Northwestern is far behind, with a 2-12 slate. Michigan holds the highest team batting average in the Big Ten with a .312 mark. The Wolverine hurlers also have by far the lowest ERA at 3.49. Their closest rival is Purdue, who holds a 4.34 team ERA. On defense, Michigan is the second- Photo by DAVID GAL most proficient in the league with a.967 fielding percentage behind Minnesota. WOLVERINE SLUGGER JIM Paciorek takes a healthy cut against an After their doubleheader on the Spartans' home turf today, the batsmen return Eastern Michigan pitcher in Wednesday's doubleheader. Paciorek is the to Ann Arbor to host Michigan State tomorrow in another twin bill at Fisher Stadium beginning at 1 p.m. The Wolverines conclude their regular season at home Wolverines' co-leader in hbatting at .353 with Chris Sabo. Michigan plays a on Tuesday with a non-conference double header against Western Michigan. doubleheader at Michigan State today, needing only one win to clinch the Big Ten East Division title. MAJOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP: Boston beats Blue Jays, 4-2 TORONTO (API - Mike Torrez Mark Bomback, 3-2, suffered the loss. boosted his career record against WITH ONE OUT in the fourth inning doubled. Miller scored on the hit when shut-out of the season with a six-hitter Toronto to 7-0 and Glenn Hoffman and Boston leading 1-0, Tony Perez and second baseman Damaso Garcia and Ray Knight delivered a two-run singled home two runs as the Boston Carney Lansford singled and Gary allowed Barry Bonnell's throw back to single as the Cincinnati Reds defeated Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays, 4-2, Allenson walked. Hoffman then laced a the infield to get away from him. the Houston Astros last night. last night. single to right-center to make it 3-0. Reds 4, As tros o Seaver, 3-1, notched his 54th career Torrez, 2-2, was relieved by Tom The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead in the shutout, remaining in loth place on the Burgmeier in the sixth inning. third inning. With one out, Rick Miller CINCINNATI (AP) - Tom Seaver hit all-time list, two behind Bob Gibson. Burgmeier earned his third save, while walked and one out later Dwight Evans a two-run homer and pitched his first Seaver gave up six walks and struck out four. CINCINNATI OPENED the scoring Fx.off Don Sutton, 2-4, in the fourth when Dave Concepcion doubled, George Foster walked and both advanced on an infield out. Knight, who was 0-for-18, lined a single to center for the first two runs. Seaver insured his own victory in the seventh when Ron Oester reached base on a single with two outs and the pitcher then hit his 12th career homer over the fence at the 357-foot mark in left- centerfield. Giants 4, Expos 3 MONTREAL (AP) - Johnnie LeMaster drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the fifth inning and San Francisco struck for two more in the seventh as the Giants downed the Mon- treal Expos, 4-3, last night. Larry Herndon led off the Giants' fif- th with a single and took second on Joe Morgan's hit. I 4 I I SCORES National League Cicinai4,Houston 0 San Fr-ancisco 4,Montr~eal 3 Philadelphia- If. San Diego-S 0 GLENN HOFFMAN OF THE Boston Red Sox tries to tag out Toronto's Ernie Whitt (12) at second base during their game at Toronto last night. Hoffman missed picking up the ball and Whitt was called safe on the play. Hoffman came back, though todrivein two rans which lifted the Red Sox to a 4-2 in over the Blue Jays.