The N SPORTS tichigan Daily Friday, May 18, 1984 BA TSMEN FACE NU IN PLAYOFF OPENER 'M' set for baseball showdown Page 16 I 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 4 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. 4 4