nline Poll
so cast the largest shadow on the Michigan
letic department this week?
1Kelly Bataka B) Josh Laogfeld
i s. les Woodson D) Jason Bacashihua
c igandaily.comIsports
SPOT
MONDAY 1
MA 21, 2001 )
7V Surprise! Baseball 2nd at BTT
By Jim Weber
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS - Despite Michigan holding the sixth and
lowest seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines had rea-
son to believe they could win the postseason tournament that
concluded yesterday.
After all, the Wolverines won the tournament in 1999 at
Ohio State with the lowest seed. This year, though, Michigan
had to settle for runner-up after losing to third-seeded Min-
nesota 3-2 yesterday in the championship game.
Michigan lost in its first game to Ohio State, but Minnesota
had not yet lost in the double-elimination tournament.
Michigan turned to freshman Jim Brauer against the Golden
Gophers. Brauer came into the game with a less than impres-
sive 3-2 record and a 6.44 ERA, but lasted 6.2 innings while
allowing three runs,just one of which was earned.
The Gophers were shut out until the sixth inning when Jason
Kennedy homered off Brauer to cut the deficit to 2-1. In next
inning, Minnesota loaded the bases with no outs on a single
and two bunts. Michigan then turned a double play but Scott
Welch scored from third to even the game at 2-2. The next bat-
ter, Sam Steidl, drove in the eventual game-winning run on an
infield single to shortstop Bill LaRosa.
Michigan had taken the lead in the third inning when
LaRosa scored on a wild pitch by Minnesota pitcher Ben Birk
with the bases loaded. The bases were reloaded for the Wolver-
ines after Jordan Cantalamessa walked. But Michigan stranded
all three runners when Nate Wright grounded out to firstbase.
Gino Lollio added his fourth homerun of the year in the
fourth inning to stretch the lead to 2-0. That was the last time
Michigan would score.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, with men on first and
third with two outs, Minnesota pitcher Ben Birk made an
amazing catch on a line drive hit to the mound by catcher Jake
Fox. Birk, who was out for most of the year after being hit in
the face on a similar line drive against Miami, stopped the
See GOPHERS, Page 15
Bacashihua to skate for Plymouth
ichigan celebrates in a previous game against Western Michigan. The Wolver-
s re happy now that they're headed to the Women's College World Series.
1lue wi1ns regionals,
beaded to Okahoma
By Seth Klempner
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan goalie recruit, Jason
Bacashihua, decided last week not to
join the Michigan hockey team.
Bacashihua committed to the Wolverines
in the fall, but was recently determined
to be academically ineligible to compete
next season.
Bacashihua, who for the past two
years has played for the Chicago Freeze,
a junior 'A' hockey team, opted for the
NHL Entry Draft instead, to be held at
the end of this month - automatically
forei-ting his con ll eiilitv
According to Freeze general manager
Kevin Rooney, the 18-year-old is pro-
jected to be drafted as high as the second
or third round.
In hockey, a player can enter the draft
after his 19th birthday and remain eligi-
ble to play at the NCAA level. If he opts
for the draft before turning 19 - like
Bacashihua - he loses his NCAA eligi-
bility.
"If academics were not an issue, Jason
would be coming in this fall," Michigan
head coach Red Berenson said. "He put
himself in a difficult situation during his
first two years of high school. And now
he was trying to dig himself out, and he
ly Jeff Phillips
)aily Sports Writer
After a rocky beginning of the sea-
on, the Michigan softball team has
#hed the Women's College World
Series for the first time since 1998 by
lefeating South Florida yesterday in
he regional final, 12-5.
"We're thrilled - the kids are very
:xcited," Michigan coach Carol
lutchins said. "I've always said, 'It's
iot about where you start, but where
you finish.' (The win) is great for the
>rogram."
ichigan was led by pitcher Marie
arda, who pitched 18.2 innings over
he four games and did not allow a
single run - earned or otherwise.
She picked up three of Michigan's
our wins at the regional.
"Marie Barda picked us up and car-
ried us on her shoulders - she was
terrific," Hutchins said.
Yesterday's win was the Wolver-
ines' second against the Bulls at the
regional, but the championship victo-
ry came much easier than in their first
meeting - a four-hour, 13-inning
marathon, which Michigan won 6-2.
Barda pitched 8.1 scoreless innings in
relief of fellow second-team all-Big
Ten member MarissaYoung.
The Wolverines also defeated Chat-
tanooga and host, top-seededed Alaba-
ma en route to the WCWS berth.
The win gives the Wolverines the
No. 4 seed in the WCWS and the
opportunity to face fifth-seed Okla-
homa on Thursday, May 24 in Okla-
homa City.
See BULLS, Page 2A
wasn't quite out of it yet."
Bacashihua, who lacked the necessary
combination of ACT scores and grade
point average to be play for Michigan,
would have needed to retake some class-
es next fall to become eligible.
Had he been eligible, Bacashihua
would have backed up senior goalie Josh
Blackburn, who will be making starts at
goalie for the fourth consecutive year.
With no other goalie recruits coming in,
it was likely that Bacashihua would have
become the starting goalie for the 2002
season.
"It won't really change anything this
See BACASHIHUA, Page 15
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