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SPORTS
Page 20 Thursday, May 19, 1983 The Michigan Daily
Pla offs pit 'M'Iowa...
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By PAUL HELGREN
Bud Middaugh does not cherish his
team's role as the favorite to win this
weekend's Big Ten tournament at
Fisher Stadium. In fact he denies it.
Nonetheless, fourth-ranked Michigan is
clearly the class of the four-team,
double-elimination playoff.
The Wolverines are 42-7 and have won
15 of their last 16 games. None of the
other three teams have the credentials
to match the Maize and Blue. Still Mid-
daugh is not convinced of Michigan's
superiority.
"THERE ARE NO favorites in a
situation like this," Middaugh argued.
"All a tournament like this can tell you
is who is the best team on that par-
ticular weekend."
You can't blame the Wolverine coach
for denying Michigan's favorite
position. Last year's Michigan team
came into the playoffs sporting a 13-3
Big Ten record (43-8 overall), good
enough for a share of the East crown.
After downing Illinois in the first round,
Michigan fell 7-2 to East co-champ Ohio
State and then was eliminated by Min-
nesota, 5-4.
Another reason Middaugh is leary of
lofty pre-tourney appraisals is that
Michigan will have to beat some fine
clubs to win the Big Ten, starting with
Iowa tomorrow. The Hawkeyes come in-
to the playoffs with a 7-7 Big Ten West
record, 30-19-1 overall. Iowa lost its last
two games of the season to West champ
Minnesota, but claimed the fourth spot
in the tournament when Northwestern
Ist three timen tn Illinnis. Never-
theless, Iowa should be a worthy first-
game opponent for Michigan.
THE HAWKEYES do not have any
big home run hitters (junior shortstop
Jim Drahozal leads the team with five)
but have an offensive attack that is
well-suited for spacious Fisher
Stadium. Iowa is basically made up of
hitters who spray singles around the
park and then steal bases. As a team,
the Hawkeyes have stolen 109 bases in
133 attempts this year. That amounts to
more than two steals per game.
Outfielder Tim Gassman leads the
squad with 12 thefts, followed by
Drahozal with 11, and outfielder Rob
Eddie with 10. Even catcher Brian
Charipar has eight swipes this season.
Drahozal leads the Hawkeye hitters
with a .377 average and 25 RBI's. Third
baseman Nick Fegen has made his hits
count this year as he has 28 RBI's with
only a .237 batting mark. Eddie,
Charipar, and Gassman are all hitting
well over .300.
IOWA COACH Duane Banks also has
some fine pitchers he can rely on. The
ace of the staff, Jeff Ott, has been a
"hard luck" pitcher, winning only three
of 10 decisions, including a 1-0 game a
couple of weeks back. Ott has a solid
3.00 ERA and will probably face the
Wolverines tomorrow.
Sophomore Mike Darby leads Iowa in
wins with six against only one defeat.
Freshman Mike Tschida, who is also
likely to see action this weekend, is 3-1
with a 3.90 ERA. If there is a bullpen
ace on the staff it is Mike Hoge, who in
eight games this year is 2-0, with one
save and a 2.66 ERA.
Middaugh will counter with a staff
that has been impressive this year. He
will open with either freshman Scott
Kamieniecki (4-0, 2.52 ERA) or junior
lefthander Gary Wayne (7-2, 1.85).
Junior Dave Kopf, who has won all
eight of his decisions this year, is still
nuestionable due to a sore arm which
forced him to miss his last start.
If any of the starters falter, Mid-
daugh has the luxury of calling on
bullpen ace Tim Karazim. Karazim is
3-1 with six saves to his credit this year.
In the last two years the senior
righthander has won 11 out of his 12
{
Michigan second baseman Jeff Jacobson didn't close his eyes on many more
groundballs than this. The senior's fine fielding helped lead the Wolverines
to this weekend's Big Ten playoffs.
... Spartans-Minnesota at Fisher
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By PAUL HELGREN
"On paper we're facing a Mission Impossible task
this weekend," Michigan State Coach Tom Smith
said about his team's chances in the Big Ten Tour-
nament at Fisher Stadium. "One thing we got going
for us is we know Minnesota came in a similar
.situation last year and won it."
Alas, the Golden Gophers, (12-2 Big Ten, 25-19
overall) are underdogs no more. The Spartans (8-6,
22-30) take on the power laden Minnesota at 4:00 p.m.
tomorrow and it is no enviable task, though not an
"impossible" one.
MINNESOTA is a powerful club that simply bulled
its way to the West title behind a ton of hitting and not
much pitching. The Gopher hitters are led by the
Steinbach brothers, Tom and Terry. Outfielder Tom
hit a Minnesota-record 14 homers, as well as a Big
Ten record nine four-baggers. Infielder Terry hit .379
with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs.
Smith is hopeful that the fact that Fisher Stadium
yields relatively few home runs will give the Spartans
a good chance of upsetting the powerful Gophers.
The first-year Spartan mentor is also hoping for a
stellar pitching performance from senior Mike Pat-
terson (5-5, 4.56 ERA) to stop Minnesota. Patterson is
coming off-of a 9-1 victory over Cleveland State last
weekend.
RELIEVER Bill Archer (four saves, 3.70) will be
counted on to boil out the rest of the staff, which has
varied between mediocre and awful this season.
Minnesota is not exactly deep in pitching itself. In
fact, the statistics reveal an apparent weakness in
Gopher pitching. Minnesota's top hurlers are Bob
Meyers (5-2, 5.39), Bill Thompson (3-3, 4.47) and Bill
Kutshall (4-4, 8.79). It is hard to tell the exact
significance of these ballooned earned run averages,
however, because Minnesota plays in a great hitters
park.
On the other hand, Minnesota's hitters have such
impressive statistics they are worth further mention.
The Steinbachs are not the only sluggers on this club.
Others include shortstop Bill Piwnica (.397, 39 runs
scored) outfielder Bill Lentsch (.385, six homers, 30
RBIs), outfielder Jack Schlichting (.381, 47 RBIs),
Scott Schuvailler (.365, six homers), and first
baseman Alex Bauer (.351).
STATE'S MOST consistent hitter this year has been
sophomore Andy Krause. The Spartan right fielder is
currently hitting .358 with seven.HRs and 28 RBIs.
First baseman Bob Goodhart is also having a fine
year, hitting .345 with nine round-trippers and 33
RBIs.
The winner of the MSU-Minnesota game faces the
winner of the Michigan-Iowa game at 1:00 on Satur-
day. The losers play at 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
- The winner of the Saturday morning contest faces the
loser of the 1:00 p.m. contest at 4:00 p.m. for the right
to play the winner of the 1:00 p.m. contest on Sunday.
Got it? Good, 'cause I'm confused.
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