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Diamond Gem
Michigan softball coach Carol
Hutchins leads the Wolverines
into the NCAA Tournament. See
page 16.
SPORTS
Wednesday e
May 17, 1995 4
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Wolverines shoot dowr
Hawkeyes to win title
By Sarah DeMar
Daily Softball Writer
After surpassing its previous record
of 46 wins, the Michigan softball team
isn't ready to stop playing ball just yet.
The Wolverines, living up to their
1995 regular season conference title,
casually swept the Big Ten Tourna-
ment Friday and Saturday, defeating
Iowa, 3-2, in the final game.
No. 1-seeded Michigan (25-6 Big
Ten, 47-10 overall) advanced by de-
feating Minnesota, 7-5, and the
Hawkeyes, 5-1, in the double-elimina-
tion tournament.
The Wolverines will also host the
regional games May 19-21 against Illi-
nois-Chicago, Notre Dame and
DePaul.
Even though Iowa handed Michi-
gan three losses during regular season
play - the only Big Ten opponent to
perform such a feat - Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins said she wasn't wor-
ried about the game's outcome.
"Even when we were behind, I was
confident we'd win," Hutchins said.
"But you always know with Gayle
Blevins coaching Iowa that they'll be
our toughest competition."
Hutchins' confidence was appar-
ently unfazed despite the fact that the
outcome of the game could have been
reversed had it not been for one call by
the home-plate umpire.
In the fifth inning, Wolverine Kelly
Kovach was allotted first base on an il-
legal pitch by Hawkeye hurler,
Deborah Bolbao. Junior Tracy Carr
laid down a sacrifice bunt so that
Kovach could advance to second base.
Freshman Kellyn Tate looped a
single into leftfield, but Kovach never
even paused as she rounded third and
continued toward home plate. Iowa
catcher Stacee Harrison straddled the
third base line, awaiting the throw
from left and Kovach never slowed
when she barreled into Harrison, who
had just received the ball.
Kovach picked herself from the dirt
and crawled to the plate, touching it as
Harrison held up the ball for the um-
pire to see she had possession. Kovach
was called safe.
"I was just trying to get to the plate
as best I could," Kovach said. "(The
umpire) told me (Harrison) bobbled it.
She didn't come after me the second
time - it was such a boom-boom
play."
Amid raging Iowa fans and team-
mates, Harrison managed to keep her
cool.
"There's just nothing you can say
to the umpire," Harrison said. "I just
did my job."
SEE SoFTBAA., PAGE 17
Michigan to
host NCAA
Regional&,-.
By John Leroi
Daily Spbrts Editor
For the second time in three years
the Michigan softball team will be one
of eight NCAA Regional hosts. Thai
means any games the Wolverines play
before the College World Series ir
Oklahoma City, Okla., May 25-28
will be in the friendly confines o
Alumni Field.
But Michigan won't exactly have
an easy time fetting to Oklahoma City
The Wolverines will have to win ti
tough contest before making atrip t,
America's heartland.
And the teams that will show up ir
Ann Arbor Friday won't be too famil-
iar with Carol. Hutchins' ballclub
Notre Dame, Illinois-Chicago anc
DePaul will join Michigan in the Re-
gional tournament. Only the Fighting
Irish are the least bit familiar to Michi-
gan.
Notre Dame edged out the Wc1
SEE REGIONAL, PAGE
Michigan runs into the NCAA Regionals this weekend at Alumni Field. The
Wolverines took the Big Ten title with a 3-2 win over Iowa Saturday.
Cyganiak to RI..Ten
la in NCAA Standings
Tourney at 1. Ohio State 1810 -643
2, Mlnnesota 16 12 .571
Pepperdine 3.Northweste 1513 .536
By Russ Ordonia Purdue 15 13 .536
Daily Sports Writer 5. Penn State 13 13 .500
Michigan sophomore Sarah Illinois 14 14 .500
Cyganiak will be competing in the first 7. Iowa 13 15 .454
round of the NCAA Women's Tennis a
Championships at Pepperdine Univer- 8. Indlana 12 16 .429
sity today. Cyganiak will face Louisiana Michigan State 12 16 .429
State's Suzana Rodrigues first in the 64- 10., 10 16 .385
player single-elimination tournament.
Cyganiak is the 1995 Big Ten Con-
ference Player of the Year and finished
the season with a 31-13 record. While Big p off
playing at the No. 1 singles spot, she had Ten .-y
a 17-6 mark.
She is the only woman in conference Trautman Field, Columbus
history to become Player of the Year af- May 18-21
ter being named Freshman of the Year
for the previous season. In addition, she Oa 1.
was a member of the all-conference team No. 2 Minnesota vs. No.3 Northwrn
for the second year ina row.
Cyganiak is ranked No.61 by the In-
tercollegiate Tennis Association. No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 4 Purdue
Rodrigues, a sophomore from Cascavel,
Brazil, is ranked No. 45.
Michigan finishes in basemen
By John Leroi
Daily Sports Editor
Last year they finished third. This
year, they were picked to finish second,
They finished last,
The 1995 baseball season didn't go
quite as well as expected for Michigan.
And a trip to Columbus for a four-game
set with Ohio State just made official
what most had known all season - the
Wolverines aren't very good. ;yk
The Buckeyes whipped Michigan
(10-16 Big Ten, 24-29 overall) 15-12 t i
and 18-7, Sunday, after equally offen-
sive 7-1 and 18-8 batterings the day. K
before.
The sweep assured Ohio State (18-
10, 36-20) of its third consecutive Big
Ten title. The Buckeyes will host the
four-team conference tournament, which'
includes Minnesota, Northwestern and
Purdue, beginning tomorrow. MARK ersEVA/Dassy
.iThe Wolverines and Buckeyes com- indiana and the rest of the Big Ten snuck behind Michigan this season.
bined for 17 homemns, Sunday, includ-
ing two by both Michigan's Sean Coston scored five runs in the top of the first in- Michigan scored threeruns in the sixth
and Scott Weaver and three by Ohio ning off Buckeye starter Ben Volk. inning to tie the score at 10 on second
State's Scott Kaczmar. Ryan Van But after the Wolverines scored an- baseman Kirk Beerman's sacrifice
Oeveren also homered for the Wolver- other run in the second, Ohio State came But, the Buckeyes answered with five
ines. back to push nine runs across the plate in in the bottom of the sixth.
Michigan started Sunday's opener the bottom half of the inning to take a 9- The Wolverines added two more
with an offensive surge. The Wolverines 6 lead. SEE BASEBALL, PAGE 17