Senior centerfielder Brian Bush breaks
the Michigan single-season hits record.
PagW
STPORTS
Tuesday 99
June 1, 19994
Cal State-Fullerton ends Series hopes for Blue
i i
'M' eliminates Notre
Dame, Creighton
before playoff exit
By Raphael Goodstein
Daily Sports Writer
NOTRE DAME - Former Michigan Athletic
Director and football coach Bo Schembechler once
said, "Those that stay, will be champions." Even
though the Michigan baseball team (34-30 overall)
ended its season on a losing note, there will be anoth-
er baosatl4 game, and another NCAA tournament, and
there will even be some more College World Series
titles for the Wolverines somewhere down the road.
"This is what I believe Michigan is about, this is
what college athletics is about. These young men have
determined that they will be successful in whatever
they may do, coach Geoff Zahn said.
The fact that this team did not advance out of the
NCAA Regional does not deter from its surprising
late-season surge. Even though the clock struck mid-
night for the Wolverines' Cinderella run in the post-
season, their performance sent a message about
Michigan baseball nationwide.
"Styles (of baseball) change from region to region,
but it seems to me that some of the cold-belt states are
playing more like we play out there (on the west
coast)' Cal-State Fullerton coach George Horton
said. "I do have a lot of respect for all of the teams in
this region, especially Michigan"
"They fought hard on the field. They played like
champions and that's what it's all about. We played
like champions and thats how everyone of these
seniors should remember this day and this tourna-
ment"
The senior-led Wolverines did have their opportuni-
ties to advance in the tournament. The double-elimi-
nation tournament was unkind to the Maize and Blue.
"You look at our team that no one expected us to do
Zahn, seniors put
Wolverines back
on baseball map
By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Editor
NOTRE DAME - No one expected
it, and when the Michigan baseball teat
got on the bus after Saturday night's 1
5 romp of Notre Dame to advance to
Sunday's regional championship, no one
could really believe it - that is, no one
except the Wolverines themselves.
But the Wolverines (34-30 overall)
have been making people believers all
season long.
Few believed a team that had gone
21-27-1, and who had finished sixth in
the conference the previous sease
could make the Big Ten Tournament -
but they did.
Few thought a team that had lost five
of its last seven games going into the
Big Ten Tournament would have a
chance to win at arch-rival Ohio State
- but they did.
And this weekend, as the fourth seed,
no one could have foreseen the
Wolverines near-upset of third-ranked
Cal State-Fullerton and complete domi-
nation of third-seeded Creighton at&
regional host Notre Dame - but the,
did it, and its been a long time in com-
ing.
Four years ago, the Michigan base-
ball team was a wreck. The
Wolverines had failed to compose a
winning season during the 1990s, and
Third baseman Mike Cervenak slides in safely against Creighton en route to a 13-5 Michigan victory. The
Wolverines advanced to the Regional championship on Sunday from the loser's bracket with back to back
victories over the Jays and Fighting Irish.
anything at the Big Ten Tournament. No one expected Maybe they were trying to avenge last year'sc
us to do anything here as the No. 4 seed," Zahn said. pointing sixth-place Big Ten finish - a year that
In the opening game on Friday, the Wolverines were ed with Top 10 expectations. Or maybe they wet
leading 5-3 going to the bottom of the ninth, belore trying to finally have the breakthrough seaso
Luke Bonner gave up three runs, leaving the team they haven't had since last going to the NCAA
with no room for error. nament in 1989.
However, the Wolverines were not about to let their But, Saturday, playing in the back-draw, Mic
season end - not without putting up a fight. Just as beat No. 3 seed Creighton 13-5, and then facing'
they wouldn't allow their season to end last weekend
at the Big Ten tournament in Columbus. See FULLERTON, Pa
disap-
start-
re just
a that
tour-
chigan
No. 2
ge 14 See REGIONALS, Page 14
Crew equals best finish at NCAAs
By Emily Achenbaum
Daily Sports Writer
When Virginia earned the central
region's slot at the NCAA Rowing
Championships, the Michigan women's
rowing team was not alarmed - - they
knew their stellar record made them a
top choice for receiving an at-large bid.
Sure enough, the Wolverines caught
the NCAA's eye and sent their full team
to Sacramento, Calif, last weekend.
The three days of championship races
were a tough elimination process that
culminated in a seventh-place finish for
the first varsity eight boat, third for the
second varsity eight and fourth for the
varsity four boat.
Last year, Michigan finished fifth in
team competition behind repeat cham-
pion Washington and perennial power-
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rom Spketree Apts., in the Kroger/Rite Aid Strip
house Virginia, with both the first varsi-
ty eight and second varsity eight finish-
ing fifth in their respective races and
the varsity four boat finishing seventh.
"The racing was unbelievable - like
nothing (we've seen) before," said
coach Mark Rothstein. He added that
several schools are picking up on row-
ing and fielding young, yet highly con
petitive teams - not unlike Michigan.
In possibly the closest and most dis-
appointing race of the weekend,
Michigan's first varsity eight boat
missed qualifying for Sunday's Grande
Final by a mere three-tenths of a second
in a photo finish.
"I thought we rowed a great race"
said Rothstein, "They poured every-
thing they had into the race, but can
up short by six inches."
Rothstein described the first varsity
eight boat's race as one that will stick
See CHAMPIONSHIP, Page 15