SPORTS Friday, May 23, 1986 Page 15 The Michigan Daily Middaugh magic leads to Big Ten title By SCOTT G. MILLER hero. Reliever Kevin Gilles allowed Bud Middaugh's business card no runs in four innings of work and reads "Michigan baseball coach." struck out the side in the ninth to Maybe the vocation on that card record his first win of the season. It should be changed to "Michigan was Gilles' first road trip since the magician." spring outing to Florida. His practice The Wolverines won the Big Ten performances last week earned him double-elimination tournament last the travel spot. weekend for the fourth time in six "HERE IS a junior that hasn't pit- years by defeating Wisconsin 12-11 ched much for us over his career. A and host Minnesota 10-7 and 9-5. lot of other guys would have given Michigan (47-10) will host the NCAA up," said Middaugh. "But this kid Mideast Regional starting today at kept on battling and working hard. Ray Fisher Stadium. Boy was he happy when he won that WINNING THE close games has game. I don't think I have seen a kid become so commonplace for Mid- any happier." daugh's crew that the squad Events for the team became hap- seemingly has completed more pier Saturday when Michigan comebacks than former heavyweight defeated the defending champion champion Muhammad Ali. In one- Gophers, 10-7. Starter Mike Ignasiak run games the Wolverines are 13-2. pitched five strong innings and began "I think if you approach the game to tire. Middaugh looked to his bull- positively, like our players do, it cer- pen for inspiration and found it from tainly increases your chances of senior Scott Kamieniecki. The Detroit coming back," said Middaugh. n ve was 8-0 last season before Friday's finish against the Badgers being sidelined with arm trouble. was a feat Houdini would have been Before his one-inning stint against proud of. Michigan trailed 8-4 in the Minnesota, he has seen action in only bottom of the eighth inning with two four contests this season. outs. For most other teams the game "I have two guys that I think can was over, but not for the Wolverines. give an emotional lift when I bring AT THE start of the seventh inning them into a game in Kamieniecki and Middaugh sensed that Wisconsin star- Jim Abbott," said Middaugh. ter Tim Roman was getting tired. He "Kammy shut them down." then checked how the Badger relievers DUE TO pain in his throwing arm, were throwing in the bullpen. Kamieniecki after one inning gave "They were struggling and were way to Paul Wenson, who picked up wild," said Middaugh. "I told our his fourth win of the year. kids, 'if we can get into their pen, we The other emotional sparkplug, can win.' We knew we had to get Abbott, entered Sunday's contest Roman out of the ball game. against the Gophers with Michigan The Wolverines executed Mid- trailing 4-3 in the third inning. The daugh's order by scoring four eighth freshman not only inspired his own inning runs to chase Roman from the team but also overpowered Min- mound. Reliever Jim Rosplock ended nesota with his fastball. In over six the rally, but in the ninth a single by innings of work he struck out ten bat- Jeff Kiel and Chris Gust's second ters in route to recording his sixth vic- home run of the game closedthe score tory of the year. to 11-10. Another of the weekend's heros was WISCONSIN coach Steve Land shortstop Jeff Kiel. The sophomore's again went to his bullpen. New pit- playing time increased a few weeks cher Lance Painter surrendered a ago when junior Matt Suida quit the single to Kurt Zimmerman, the first squad, and Kiel has produced. batter he faced. He then got Big Ten Besides playing well in the field, he Player-of-the-Year Casey Close to hit the first two home runs of his line out hard to the second baseman Wolverine career during the for the second out of the inning. weekend. Michigan's last hope was its "Kiel really plugged up the infield cleanup hitter Hal Morris. The Mun- for us," said Middaugh. "He was ster, Ind., native mashed a patented steady and aggressive." munster shot to deep left-center field. If the Wolverine magic continues Badger center fielder Joe Armentrout this weekend, Middaugh will have a collapsed to his knees in disgust as the chance to pass out his business card ball cleared the Siebart Field wall. in Omaha during the College World Morris wasn't the only Michigan Series. VAIW AWL r= '' M 711L.- APwF VW Michigan's Hal Morris, shown singling against Adrian earlier this year, blasted a ninth-inning, two-out, two- run homer to beat Wisconsin last Friday, 12-11. MIDEAST REGIONAL: 'M' toopen against Indiana St. By DARREN JASEY Missouri Valley Conference tour- Four conference champions, nament after stumbling to a 10-10 con- boasting a combined 175-60-1 record, ference record. Last Monday's 13-6 begin battle today in the Mideast rout over regular-season champ Regional of the NCAA baseball tour- Southern Illinois gave them their nament at Michigan's Ray Fisher fourth tournament birth in the last Stadium. When the last out is made on five years. Southern Illinois received either Sunday or Monday, one of those an at-large birth in the Central powerful teams will be headed to the Regional. College World Series in Omaha. According to Sycamore coach Bob Michigan(47-10) is shooting for its Warn, his team's success is due to a sixth trip to the World Series in the good blend of both hitting and pit- last nine years. The Wolverines fell ching, but he feels that the key for his short in regional play last year after team is its tournament experience making it the previous two years. (12-4, 4.00 ERA) against Michigan. MISSOURI Valley Conference Right fielder Paul Frye (.402, 12 champion, IndianadState (45-19) will HRs, 58 RBI), third baseman Boi face Michigan in today's first game at Rodriguez (.321, 15, 54) and catcher 5 p.m. Midwestern Collegiate Con- Mike Eberle (.315, 14, 47) provide the ference winner Oral Roberts squares brunt of Indiana State's power. Warn off against Mid-American Conference champ Central Michigan (41-14-1) shortly after game one. Despite Michigan's lofty number-six ranking in this week's Collegiate Baseball- ESPN poll, none of the coaches CU believe that one team willdominate in ,,,, O CO I the region. $1.00 OFF'., "It's a well-balanced region," said" Central Michigan coach Dean Kreiner. "There's just so many goodD S T I teams, and it's hard to say who's TEE W DIl going to be playing their best ball at HEARTS THL the time." A SH Indiana State had to play some of its best ball just to get into the regional. Call for sh The Sylt9ibbres heatedi' -l'u in -thie - '-'-'- - -.-. . will start Paul Quinzer (12-4, 4.00 ERA) against Michigan's Mike Ignasiak (8-2, 5.00 ERA). Oral Roberts is expected to start left-hander Tim McCoy against the Chippewas. The senior compiled a team-record 109 strikeouts. McCoy's teammate, Greg Oram (11-4 3.91), helps provide Oral Roberts with a formidable southpaw pitching duo. At the plate ORU is led by Craig Colbert (.343, 14, 71), Pete Schmidt (.382, 14, 64) and Mike Shambaugh (367, 5, 54). Pitcher Tim McDonald (8-1, 3.09) leads a balanced Central Michigan staff, and sluggers Andy Rohn, Doug Fisher, Bob Podschine, and Larry Lamphere were all named to the All- MAC team. Michigan's All-Big Ten Players Casey Close*............. OF Kurt Zimmerman ........ OF Hal Morris...........1B Chris Lutz ................. P *Big Ten Player-of-the-Year PON nneneo $450or$4.Otiket-10,2 * M" tickets - good through 5129/86 GHT ROOM WITH Ws Atim IEW **clogk'