The N
SPORTS
tichigan Daily Friday, May 18, 1984
BA TSMEN FACE NU IN PLAYOFF OPENER
'M' set for baseball showdown
Page 16
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By ROB POLLARD
Two perennial Big Ten powerhouses,
a time bomb and a new kid on the block.
That's the best way to describe the
field for the Big Ten baseball tour-
nament, which begins today in Min-
neapolis.
THE POWERHOUSES are Michigan
and host Minnesota. The time bomb is
explosive Michigan State and the
newcomer is Northwestern, which is
making its first post-season appearan-
ce since 1957.
However the participants aren't
placing too much weight on the teams'
past performances.
"Throw out the records," said
Michigan head coach Bud Middaugh.
"Whoever gets hot this weekend can
win the whole thing."
MINNESOTA skipper John Anderson
is another one who is putting the past in
a closet and closing the door.
"In the past it has been a battle bet-
ween Michigan and Minnesota, but
anything can happen in this tour-
nament," said Anderson, who led the
Hayward named baseball MVP.
See page 14.
Gophers to the Big Ten title in 1982.
To say that the Wolverines and
Gophers have dominated the league in
the past is an understatement. The two
teams have combined to win 10 of the
last aa Big Ten titles.-
BUT NORTHWESTERN and MSU
can't be taken lightly. Both teams have
the potential to take all the marbles.
"It's the best Northwestern team I've
seen since I've been here," said Ander-
son of Michigan's first-round opponent.
"They are a good hitting team.
Everyone goes up there swinging the
bat."
Wolverine starter Scott Kamieniecki
(5-3, 3.13 ERA) will find out just how
well the Wildcats swing the bat.
Kamieniecki's most recent outing was
an 11-3 complete game victory over
Purdue.
HIS OPPONENT on the mound will
most likely be righty Bob Miller. Miller
is 10-2 with a 2.42 ERA. His Big Ten
marks are 2-1 and 1.95.
"Our strength is our balance," said
Northwestern head coach Ron
Wellman. "We don't have one par-
ticular area that we are strongest in."
Anderson believes that the areas
where Northwestern are weakest is its
relief pitching and defense.
"THEIR BULLPEN is suspect. If
(Michigan) can get into their bullpen,
they (Northwestern) will have
problems. They have had some
problems defensively at shortstop and
third base," said Anderson.
Michigan ace reliever Ken Hayward
will have to choke a few opposition
ralles himself if the Wolverines hope to
defend their crown. Hayward summed
up the team's position going into the
biggest weekend of the season to date.
"We've been working since January
to get where we're going this weekend.
At the beginning of the year we wanted
to be Big Ten champions, and that's
what we're going after."
Here is a brief synopsis of the three
teams Michigan must beat out for the
Big Ten crown.
See 'M', Page 15
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DOUG McMAHON/Daily;- ' " " - '.w '
Michigan coach Bud Middaugh is hoping the rest of the Big Ten will be saluting A MICRG A N g a mes wIll e areadea ss rasdie staiS WA A M
his Wolverines after this weekend. AMl A ltixta relEs.&rDa s'light Tise.
SPORTS OF THE DAILY:
MacTaggart ousted at NCAAs
I
Special to the Daily
LOS ANGELES - Mary MacTaggart's quest for
the national championship in women's collegiate
tennis ended yesterday in the second round when
Stanford's number-three player Kate Gompert
downed the Port Huron native, 6-3, 6-0.
MacTaggart had advanced to the second round by
defeating two previous opponents. In a preliminary
match two days ago, the recent graduate beat
Courtney Allen of Principia College of Illinois, 6-3, 6-
3. Allen won the Division III national championship
last week at Kalamazoo College.
YESTERDAY MacTaggart was scheduled for two
matches. In her morning match MacTaggart was
victorious over Oklahoma State's top player Mary
Boudreaux, 6-4, 6-3. Boudreaux had led the Cowboys
to a number-10 national ranking and had defeated
MacTaggart during Michigan's spring trip earlier in
the season.
According to Wolverine coach Ollie Owens
MacTaggart was playing very well but against
Stanford's Gompert it just wasn't enough. Last week
Stanford won the '84 national team title.
MacTaggart ends the year with a record of 26-8.
Tracksters ready for Big Tens
This weekend in Columbus the Michigan men's
track team will be trying to accomplish something
never before done in the 83-year history of Big Ten
track; win its fifth straight outdoor conference title.
The Wolverines have won six outdoor champion-
ships since Jack Harvey took over the coaching
reigns in 1975, including the last four. But this year
according to Harvey, the other Big Ten teams will
give Michigan its stiffest challenge in years.
"INDIANA WON THE indoor championships and
have a strong team, especially in the sprinting events
so I think they should be considered the favorites,"
said Harvey, whose teams have nudged out the
Hoosiers for first place in each of the past four outdoor
seasons.
Michigan's Derek Harper, John Nielsen, and Scott
Eriksson will all be trying to repeat as Big Ten out-
door champions in the long jump, shot put and discus
respectively.
THE WOMEN TRACKSTERS will be running in a
combined meet with the men for the second straight
year. After taking second place in last year's Big
Tens (finishing one point behind Wisconsin), coach
Francie Goodridge is hoping to finish in the top half of
the conference at this year's meet.
"We'll be fighting to be in the top five," said
Goodridge. "We just don't have the depth this year.'"
Despite the lack in depth, the Wolverines have
several runners hoping for top finishes in the meet.
Seegert grabs kudos
What a week for freshman softballer Alicia Seegert.
The Wolverine third baseman/catcher was named
to the 1984 All-Big Ten Softball Team by the con-
ference coaches this week. She was the only Michigan
player to make first team. Teammates Missy
Thomas and Vicki Morrow earned second-team
honors.
Seegert was also named the Big Ten softball
player-of-the-week for her outstanding performances
against Michigan State and Northwestern last week.
It was the second time this year she copped the honor.
The Manchester native, who was named
Michigan's Most Outstanding Player, finished the
season as the league's leading hitter. She batted .418
in Big Ten play and also knocked in 19 runs, another
league-best.
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