*SPORaTS Q: Who was the skipper of the Michigan baseball team the last time it qualified for the Big Ten tournament? 's6nepp!W png :V Baseball earns first playoff berth since 1989 cott Burton LV BASEBALL WRITER There probably was no more sus- enseful way for the Michigan base- all team (26-27 overall, 13-15 Big en) to qualify for postseason play ian its four-game series split, 13-12, -8, 1-4, 8-6, with Illinois (26-26, 12- 6). The Wolverines needed at least y victories in theweekendseries to ify for the Big Ten playoffs as ne of the conference's top-four rams. Unfortunately, Michigan put 11 the pressure on game four after ropping two of the first three con- rsts. The pressure only mounted after lichigan blew 4-1 and 6-5 leads rd headed into extra innings tied, -6. Both teams then went scoreless *the first two frames of extra nings, despite the fact that both ams were recycling weary arms n the mound. Finally, WolverineshortstopRyan an Oeveren knocked in Chad hapman in the top of the 10th inning ith a one-out single to give Michi- n the lead. Van Oeveren three bat- ters later crossed the plate with an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Brian Simmons. But it wasn't until John Arvai (3- 0) - Michigan's closer - pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bot- tom of the 10th that Michigan sealed the victory and third place in the Big Ten. "It was an great series," Illinois coach Richard Jones said. "All the games went right down to the wire. We had an outside chance of getting in the playoffs if we won three of four, so it was exciting." In a twist of Michigan's fortunes all season, the Wolverines offense carried the team to victories, while the pitching struggled. No where was this better epito- mized in game one, where Michigan pounded three homers - including two by Sean Coston - but allowed four as well. Ray Ricken (6-6) picked up a fortunate victory despite allow- ing six runs and six hits in five in- nings. "We've been a good offensive team all year, so we though we could come into this series and swing our bats and produce some runs," Jones said. Michigan now head into the double-elimination, round-robin Big Ten tournament, which is scheduled tomorrow through Sunday in Battle Creek. The winner of the tournament earns an automatic berth into the NCAA playoffs. Michigan begins play tomorrow against second-place Minnesota (21- 7), who split with Michigan in its four game series two weeks ago. Ohio State is the prohibitive fa- vorite in the tournament, carrying a 25-2 conference record and a top-15 nationalranking. Michigan State(13- 15) sneaks into the tournament as tie fourth-place team after winning a weekend series with Iowa (13-15). "I think that when you go into the playoffs, everyone is 0-0," Jones said. "The pressure falls on Ohio See BASEBALL, Page 15 Michigan freshman Kelly Dransfeldt slides safely into second base last week against Xavier. Last weekend the Wolverines split with Illinois, but qualified for the Big Ten tournament for the first time since 1989. 0o postseason play for softball Volverines drop three to Indiana, fall to third in Big Ten v Ryan White Michigan dropped both games last Things returned to the weekend's ILY SPORTS WRITER Friday by close margins losing by norm in the final game of the series as There will be no third straight Big scores of 2-0 and 2-1. Indiana came out on top by a 2-0 n Championship or NCAA tourna- On Saturday the Wolverines' bats score. ent appearance for the Michigan woke up and pounded out 11 runs in Unlike baseball, softball does not all team. game No. 3 defeating Indiana 11-5. yet have a post-season tournament, hat fact was assured last week- Six Michigan players collected two though one is scheduled to begin next d when Indiana took three out of hits apiece, and second baseman season. The format will be like ur games against the Wolverines in Kathryn Gleason and catcher Jenni- baseball's where the top four teams diana. The losses put Michigan (18- fer Smith each had three RBI. Big Ten, 34-26 overall) in a tie for See SoFMALL, Page 15 ird in the final Big Ten standings ith Ohio State. Just as the.Wolverine's losses opped them into third, the Hoosiers F r e ins propellednthem into first placeM *he Big Ten championship. 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