Monday, May 24,1999 - The Michigan DaV- 15
Seniors lea
W Michael Kern
Daily Sports Editor
All season, the Michigan baseball
team has counted on the outstanding
play and leadership of its 14 seniors
to guide it to victory.
Never was that more evident than
in the championship game of the Big
Ten Tournament yesterday as the
seniors guided the Wolverines to
*eir first Big Ten Tournament title
since 1987.
Five different Wolverine seniors
were named first team all-tourna-
ment.
Senior second baseman Bobby
Scales was also named outstanding
player of the tournament thanks to a
.471 batting average, two doubles, a
triple and four RBI.
Ld Michigan to first playoff title in 12 seasons
In the first game of the double-
header yesterday, he was a perfect
four-for-four, scoring three times and
driving in one run.
Michigan received timely hitting
through the championship game
from its seniors.
First baseman Bryan Besco drove
in four of the team's 12 runs with a
double in the first and a homer in the
third.
Right fielder Jason Alcaraz also
lit five singles in the Wolverines'
victory, driving in two, including the
game-winner with bases loaded in
the bottom of the ninth.
Throughout the season, this class
of Wolverines made their mark on
Michigan history. Whether it was
third baseman Mike Cervenak set-
ting the Michigan career hits record
with a homerun against Indiana, or
Scales posting an 18-game hitting
streak, the longest in Michigan histo-
ry, these seniors will be remembered
as one of the great classes in
Michigan history.
But what these Wolverines may be
remembered for most is their
resiliency when faced with adversity.
After losing four-run leads three dif-
ferent times in the championship
game, the Wolverines finally put the
Gophers away in the bottom of the
ninth.
"I couldn't ask for a greater group
of guys," Michigan coach Geoff
Zahn said. "This is their team, and
we are going to go as far as they take
us.
"We had a lot of things that could
go against us, but this group of guys
doesn't give up."
After their 13-10 loss in the first
game yesterday, the Wolverines
looked like a beaten team as
Minnesota carried all of the momen-
tum going into the championship
game. Had Michigan failed to win
the tournament, its season would
have ended right there on the field.
But the seniors refused to go down
without a fight, knowing they could
be playing their final game in a
Michigan uniform.
"We talked about it at the banquet,
and we didn't want to end it this
weekend," Besco said. "We wanted4
to end it with a win because this is it
for the seniors."
II5TEN Road to the title
TOURNAMENT
First game - Thursday
After goingup 7-1early, Michigan sur-
vives a big rally by top-seeded Ohio
State to complete the upset, 8-6.
Second Game Friday
David Parrish drives in two rues in the
bottom of the ninth to pull out a dra
matic 7-6 Victory ver illinois.
Third Yetrday
Still undefeated Michigan drops
slugfest to Minnesota, 13-10,forcl
a final and deciding game.
Fourth Game - Yesterday
Jason Alcaraz rips a single in the bot-
tom of the ninth to giee Michigan the
12-11 win and the tournament crown.
M' runners are runners-up at Big Tens
WOMEN
Continued from Page 16
victory in the long jump. The junior
netted the Big Ten title with a final
effort of 6.5 meters, bringing the
Wolverine faithful to their feet.
Bentley had fouled on her previ-
Bs attempt and needed her final
leap for the victory.
"I wasn't jumping as well as I
wanted to, but my teammates were
counting on me to get 10 points
today," Bentley said.
"When I got onto the runway for
my last jump, I thought to myself,
'this is what all the blood, sweat and
tears are for.'
"To hit that mark makes it all the
better because that's what I've been
eking toward."
On day three, the 4x100 and the
4x400 relays were unable to crack
the top three placings.
Fortunately for the Wolverines,
three ndividuals came through in the
clutch.
Angi Stanifer pulled out a surpris-
RECEIVE INSTRUCTION IN:
iiapkiuu
ing victory in the 800-meter run,
edging Wisconsin's Jennifer Westfall
at the line with a time of 2:06.45.
Westfall held a considerable 10
meter lead going into the final 100
meters, but Stanifer gained ground
and caught her with a lean.
"The last 100 I just kept closing
and closing," Stanifer said. "The last
20 meters she just started coming
back a little bit so I turned it over and
had something left and got her on a
lean."
Distance ace Katie McGregor
finally captured an ever-elusive Big
Ten title in track with a convincing
victory in the 5,000 meters.
"I at least got to go out winning a
race and it felt good, but at the same
time, it kinda sucks because we did-
n't win."
Nicole Forrester defended her high
jump title with a leap of 5-10 1/2.
The height was a considerably low
one for Forrester, but the weather
conditions played a large part.
"The weather makes or breaks this
event," Forrester said.
"You want to be fast with the take
off and because it was raining the
take off was slower. We couldn't get
as high."
Our Cardiio-FI t ickboxing program
takes the music, ' nt andenergy
of aerobics but 'important self-defense
techniques like jA ngkicking,punching
and blacking. You l 'n-while you burn at
800 calories per biou
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lunley at (517)342-2507 for a confidential
t. Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing
300 W. Ottawa
Lansing, MI. 48933
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