SPORTS
Page 12 Tuesday, June 14, 1983 The Michigan Daily
NATIONAL CHAMPION TEXAS ELIMINATES WOLVERINES
'M' batsmen finish third in Series
KERSEWORDS
BY JOHN KERR
Ak-Sar-Ben? .. .
They sure
spell funny in Ahamo
Random thoughts on the College World Series:
Despite losing to Texas and Alabama, Michigan
definitely made some people believe that non-Sunbelt
schools can play baseball. At the beginning of the series
one fat reporter (about 350 pounds) from Tulsa kept
griping that the Wolverines played inferior competition
in their regional. He added that if Michigan had played
in a region with Texas, Oklahoma State, Oral Roberts,
or a few other Sunbelt teams, it never would have made
it to Omaha, and that every team in the Central Regional
was better than the Wolverines. But after Michigan's
seven-run ninth inning against second-ranked Stanford,
which gave the Wolverines an 11-4 win, he changed his
tune. "I'll tell you who surprised me," he said in a hick
drawl, "it was Michigan. I figured they'd be gone in two
games.' As it turned out he left before the Wolverines
did since Oklahoma State, the team he covered, got
knocked out in three games...
Michigan's Dale Sklar completed a clean sweep of the
All-Tournament teams when he made the CWS squad in
the outfield. The sophomore center fielder also made the
All-Big Ten Tournament team and the All-Regional
Tournament team...
Other than the CWS, the big sports event in Omaha is
thouroughbred racing. The horse track is very big with
all the results shown on the TV news. The name of the
track is Ak-Sar-Ben. Take a close look at that. Anything
look funny about it? Give up? Okay, get this, it's
Nebraska spelled backwards. Pretty neat, huh. There's
another track at the border of Iowa, South Dakota, and
Nebraska, near Sonix City which is called At-Ok-Ad. You
can figure that one out yourself. I don't know what the
deal is, I guess they just get into that sort of thing out
there...
Unlike a few of the other coaches at the World Series,
Michigan's Bud Middaugh impressed nearly everyone
with his professionalism and class. The Wolverine coach
never once saida bad word about anything, at times
bending over backward to be helpful. Michigan is lucky
to have him represent it...
Two other coaches, didn't come off so well. Arizona
State's Jim Brock made a complete fool out of himself
when he got upset over a scorer's decision. In the third
inning of the Sun Devils' game against Maine, a Black
Bear hitter lined a shot at the first baseman who dove for
it but the ball went under his body as he was outstret-
ched. The scorer ruled a hit, which is exactly what it
was.
In the eighth inning, however, Brock's pitcher had a
one-hitter - the scorer's call in the third. Brock called
the press box and blasted the scorer calling him
"arrogant" for not checking with an umpire on the play.
(what the ump has to do with it I don't know). He kept up
his tirade in the interview room after the game...
Oklahoma State's Gary Ward rocked the boat a bit
also. He refused to allow his players to observe tradition
and shake hands with their opponents after each game.
He called it "hypocritical" and said "that's where most
fights start." What a moron. Sure it might be a bit
hypocritical, but why not do it anyway? Who does it
hurt? If you have instilled any sense of sportsmanship
and discipline in your team, I don't think a fight is
anything to worry about...
One problem with the CWS is its length. The tour-
nament is stretched out over ten days an, at times, it
drags. There is no reason why they couldn't cut it down
by a few days.
By PAUL HELGREN
The winningest season in Michigan baseball
history came to a close late Friday night when the
Wolverines fell to eventual national champion
Texas, 4-2, in College World Series action at
Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium. Texas defeated
Alabama, 4-3, on Saturday night to claim the
championship.
Despite its elimination Michigan coach Bud
Middaugh expressed pride in his team's
achievements this year.
"I'M NOT AT all ashamed of our club," said a
slightly-more-emotional-than-usual Middaugh af-
ter the game. "I'm very proud of them. We didn't
win, we thought we had a good chance to win, but I
thought we had a heck of a year anyway.
"And I hope you people (the press) respect the
club we brought here because I thought they
played very well." %
After clobbering Stanford for 16 hits on Wed-
nesday night, Michigan was held to only four
safeties by Longhorn starter and winner, Mike
Capel (13-1). Three of those hits came in the fifth
inning when Michigan scored its only two runs of
the game. Middaugh was sufficiently impressed
by Texas' third starting pitcher.
"I THOUGHT he threw a very strong ball
game," the fourth-year Wolverine coach said. "He
was very competitive. He was an outstanding pit-
cher until they got the lead. When they got the lead
he became a great pitcher."
Texas also scored all of its runs in the fifth in-
ning, but unfortunately for the Wolverines they
came on a grand slam homer of starting pitcher
Scott Kamieniecki (5-1). Mike Brumley hita pitch
that Middaugh said was "almost on the ground"
over the right field fence. That was all Texas
would do for the rest of the game as three
Michigan relievers kept the Longhorns in check,
but it was enough.
"It was the kind of game where if somebody
busted one it could be the difference," said Mid-
daugh. "As it turned out it was Brumley doing it."
Michigan ends it season at 50-9, the most wins
ever by a Wolverine club. The previous hight was
44 held by last year's club. The two wins in Series
play is the most ever by a Middaugh-coached
team. Middaugh's previous World Series teams,
1980 and '81, went 1-2 and 0-2 respectively in the
June classic.
Two Michigan players, third baseman Chris
Sabo and center fielder Dale Sklar, made the all-
tournament team. Sabo had a homer, two doubles,
and five runs batted in while hitting .353 (6-17).
Sklar had a triple and hit .429 (6-14).
I
I
Bye, bye A2?
Michigan pitcher Dave Kopf is scheduled to meet with Chicago Cubs officials today to discuss a
professional contract. Kopf, who just completed his junior year at Michigan, was the Cubs' third-round
pick in last week's amateur draft. See story,.age 11.