SPORTS WednedayMay' 8 199 **-~The Mihigan Daily~ - I' softball looks to defend ig Ten crown on home turf By Will McCahill and Mark Snyder Daily Sports Writers Defending what title? To the Michigan softball team, this weekend's Big Ten tour- nament is not about defending the title it won last year. It's about winning this year's conference crown. "We don't feel we're defending the title - we're trying to win the 1996 title," Wolverine coach Carol Hutchins said. "Our whole philosophy is to go out and win (this year's title)." Ninth-ranked Michigan (20-4 Big Ten, 43-12 overall) heads into the conference tourney on a roll, having won two of last weekend's three-game series at Minnesota (17-6, 42-14). The Wolverines were able to clinch the title with a win in the first game of that series, slamming the door on the second-place Gophers' title hopes with a 3-0 victory. Three victories in as many tries against Ohio State the pre- vious weekend had put the Wolverines in a spot to lock down the regular-season title, and neither team nor coach was ready to let that opportunity slip away. "Winning the first game was key," Hutchins said. "We didn't want to keep them in the hunt. "The longer they were in it, the more the momentum would shift their way," she said. Sophomore pitcher Sara Griffin was the key to the weekend for Michigan. Not only did she blank No. 14 Minnesota on two hits in the first contest, but she then followed up that per- formance with a no-hitter in the final game of the series. That game - which turned into the rubber match of the series after the Gophers won the second contest - saw the Wolverines pound out ten hits on the way to a 7-0 victory. Griffin helped out her own cause in that game, garnering two hits in four trips to the plate. Senior third baseman Tracy Carr also went 2-for-4, knock, ing in a pair of runs. Over the course of the series, Carr became Michigan's career RBI leader, bringing her total to 127. Not coincidentally, Carr is also the Wolverines' all-time doubles leader. A two-base hit in the final match of the Minnesota series increased her mark to 39. Hutchins said the confidence her squad showed on the field was, for her, the highlight of the weekend. "(The team) was just totally poised and confident," she said. "It's a great feeling to watch your team and have all that con- fidence in them." Michigan will now be rewarded for its regular season efforts as it hosts the conference tournament this weekend. "To be at home is huge," Hutchins said. "It's one of the prizes of winning the regular season.' The Wolverines will be the top seed in the four-team toff- nament, followed by Minnesota, Iowa (17-7, 43-15) and Indiana (16-7, 36-19). The tournament winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA National Softball Tournament. .. : is ?:: : ii?:::"}ii..:-.. .:{ FILE PHOTO/S Sophomore pitcher Sara Griffin and the Michigan softball team host the Big Ten tournament this weekend. The top-seeded Wolverines face Indiana Friday. 'Ven's tennis wins conference title, heads for NCAAs Women netters overcome injury-plagued early season to finish Big Ten campaign By Richard Shin Daily Sports Writer For the Michigan men's and women's tennis teams, April was a -.onth of changes. W The Michigan men's tennis team entered April with a 7-7 record after opening the spring season with three consecutive victories. An undefeated month and an 11-match winning streak propelled the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title in eight years and a first round bye in the NCAA regionals Saturday. Michigan, which finished at 12-1 in *he conference, is the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Region IV Championships at South Bend, Ind. The Wolverines clinched the Big Ten title by defeating Ohio State, 4-0, in the first round and avenged a regular season loss to Northwestern in the sec- ond round, winning 4-3. Michigan then bested third-seeded Illinois, 5-2, in the final totake the con- ference crown. The title marked the 36th title for the Wolverines and the 18th for Michigan coach Brian Eisner. The past two seasons, Michigan has finished second in the conference, losing to Minnesota in the finals both years. The Wolverines' success has been rewarded, as three players were named to the All-Big Ten team this season. Michigan No. 2 singles player John Costanzo was named to the team for the third consecutive season, while Michigan's top singles player, Peter Pusztai, was honored for the second year in a row. No. 3 singles player Arvid Swan was named to the team for the first time. Pusztai, who sports a career record of 115-54 heading into the NCAA regionals, was honored as the Big Ten Player of the Year. He was also named the Regional ITA/Senior Player of the Year and garnered Big Ten Athlete of the Month for Tennis in April. Pusztai leads the team in victories with a 37-13 mark, and is ranked No. 25 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Rolex Collegiate Rankings. For the Michigan women's tennis team, April was a month of calm after a season of difficulties. After losing two key members to injuries, including senior Angie Popek, the Wolverines rebounded to go 4-3 for the month, including a three-match winning streak. The strong April play earned Michigan a berth it the NCAA Midwest regional, where the Wolverines were seeded sixth. Michigan upset third-seeded Indiana in the first round, 5-4, but dropped a 5-0 decision to second-seed- ed Northwestern in the second. The loss ended the season for the Wolverines, as they finished 6-5 in the Big Ten and 8-12 overall. Early season injuries decimated the women's team, as Popek and freshman Jennifer Boylan were sidelined by knee injuries. Michigan No. I singles Sarah Cyganiak enjoyed a good season, going 11-4 in the Big Ten and 22-9 overall. Cyganiak was also 19-4 at doubles, teaming with Sora Moon at the first doubles slot. Senior Tara Graff finished at 14-13 overall, and had the only other winnim, record at singles on the team. The Wolverines finished tied foi fifth place in the Big Ten with Purdue. and return four starters next season. The Michigan men's tennis team faces Minnesota or Notre Dame at 2 p.m. CDT on Saturday at South Bend and with a victory would advance to the finals Sunday. Adult Lifestyle Program - ~ANNOUNCES I Color Printing Color Printing Color Printing Color Printing Big savings on color printing for all clubs, businesses, and organizations. att Michigan's rk.APremier * -ANN ARBOR Multi-Tap 338 S. 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