Thursday, May 8, 2014
Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Baseball tops Oakland

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Weekly Summer Editon Mnichign anvaicom

By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Writer
After 50 games, the Michigan
baseball team is finally on a roll.
Though months of inconsistent
play have prevented the Wolver-
ines from stringing wins together,
the Wolverines (11-10 Big Ten,
24-25-1 overall) have won four
straight and five of six. In a mid-
season addition to the schedule,
Michigan was able to continue
that positive momentum against a
familiar foe.
On Wednesday night, the Wol-
verines were able to overcome an
early deficit to beat Oakland for
the second time in nine days, this
"time by a score of 7-4.
"It was a good all-around team
win," said Michigan coach Erik
Bakich. "I'm proud of the way our
relief guys came in and pound-
ed the strike zone and gave our
offense a chance to get back in the
game, and our hitters were able to
string quality at-bats together, put
the ball in play and keep the pres-
sure on their defense."
Michigan came away with
another win, but not before a
_disastrous first inning shocked the
team. Normally the Sunday start-
er, senior left-hander Logan McA-
nallen got the start on the mound
to fine-tune things before facing
Ohio State this weekend. Instead,
he surrendered four hits and three
runs in the first frame to the Griz-
zlies (8-29) to put the Wolverines
in an early hole.
"(McAnallen) was making
some mistakes with his fastball
and leaving too much over the
plate," Bakich said. "Whether he
-was trying to throw away or go
in, he was catching too much of
the plate, and they were able to
put the barrel on it pretty consis-
tently."
Following the offensive spurt
by the Grizzlies, Michigan battled
back with its own bats, usingthree
extra-base hits and a number of
errant pitches by Oakland pitch-
ers to take a 4-3 lead in the second
inning.
On the defensive side, the Wol-
verines were able to limit the Oak-
land offense to just three hits and
one ninth-inning run the remain-
der of the game, allowing what
looked like an upset in the making
to become an easy win.
"(Freshman right-hander) Cam
Wysocki was critical to that,"
Bakich said. "He was able to pitch

Ann ArborMI

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Thursday, May 8, 2014


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Kevin White has started four games since starter Jacksos Lamb injured his back.
White, Jamett
earn starting roles

five shutout innings on 48 pitches,
which means he was able to work
very fast. He was pounding the
strike zone and giving us a chance
to get back in the game."
After several quiet innings from
both sides, Michigan was in the
midst of another rally in the sixth
inning - having already scored
one run with a runner on second
with no one out - when an incom-
ing thunderstorm delayed the
game for 68 minutes.
"We just talked to the team,"
Bakich said, "and told them to
make sure they go back out there
and compete with the same intent
and sense of urgency they had at
the beginning of the game, and not
let a rain delay lull you to sleep.
"I thought our guys did a nice
job tacking on runs right after the
delay and staying aggressive. That
was a big part of the game to come
out strong and not ease back into
it."
Following the storm, the Wol-
verines picked up rightwhere they
left off. Entering the delay in a 1-0
count, freshman outfielder Car-
men Benedetti drove a two-run
homer to right, extending Michi-
gan's lead to four.
The bomb was Benedetti's first
career home run, but the fresh-
man - who went 2-for-3 with four

RBI in the game - is hitting .359
with 20 RBI since April 1, num-
bers that have not only moved him
up in the depth chart and lineup,
but asserted Bendetti as one of the
team leaders.
"(Benedetti) didn't get a lot of
opportunities and wasn't a go-to
guy at the beginning of the year,"
Bakich said. "But he's become one
our mainstays in the middle of the
order and has been very consis-
tent. His development is just his
maturation as a collegiate hitter
and getting comfortable at this
level. The more he sees, the better
he's getting, and now you're start-
ing to see some power come with
that."
As a team, the Wolverines' team
average has risen to a season-
best .258. With a critical series
against Ohio State and the Big Ten
Tournament looming in the near
future, Bakich feels good about his
suddenly successful team.
"We just have to keep that
competitive mentality," Bakich
said. "That's where I've seen an
adjustment in the way these guys
approach the game, we're doing
a much better job of competing
every time we step into the box
and step on the mound. We just
want to keep that going as long as
we possibly can."

Juniors fill in for
injured starters
down the stretch
By BRAD WHIPPLE
Daily Sports Writer
With just 10 days left in the reg-
ular season, one would think inju-
ries to two starters would put the
Michigan baseball team at a disad-
vantage.
Not quite - just look at right
fielder Kevin White and designated
hitter Dominic Jamett.
The juniors had waited all sea-
son for the opportunity to get off
the bench and onto the field. Now
that they have one, they've been
makingthe most of it.
"Those guys have been work-
ing hard," said Michigan coach
Erik Bakich, "and they deserve a
chance."
Before the April 25 game against
Nebraska,junior firstbaseman Kyle
Jusick was taking batting practice
when he suffered an oblique strain
in his back, causing him to miss the
entire series.
A week later, in the series opener
against Northwestern, left fielder
Jackson Lamb tried to make a div-
ing catch on a line drive but instead
missed the ball and aggravated a
muscle in his back - the same mus-
cle that proved to be troublesome
for the freshman in the first few
weeks of the year.
White and Jamett filled the
two open spots in Saturday's game
against the Wildcats and have held
onto them, hitting safely in every
game since.

"Kevin hasn't played consistent-
ly and is a guy who has been wait-
ing patiently," said Bakich. "There
have been other outfielders ahead
of him, but he has stepped up and
said 'I'm the guy.' We've battled
consistency issues all year, so
maybe now it's his turn to see what
he can do over a consistent period."
Saturday was White's first start
since March 9 and Jamett's first
of the season. In the first inning,
Michigan (11-10 Big Ten, 24-25-1
overall) posted nine runs en route
to an 18-6 win. As part of the explo-
sive timing, the pair contributed
two singles. Later in the seventh
inning, White also bombed his first
home run of the season to left field.
The two juniors' ability to drive
in runs and contribute quality at-
bats put them back on the field to
start Michigan's last game in the
series against Northwestern and
Tuesday's game against Central
Michigan.
In the last three games, each of
them have driven in three runs,
with White going a combined 6-for-
12 and Jamett 6-for-13. White said
that over the last few months, he's
been improving by focusing on
what he can control while forget-
ting the elements beyond his grasp.
"Being somebody who hasn't
started in that long of a time period,
I'm always looking for ways to con-
tribute to the team," White said.
"Whether it's bringing positive
energy from the bench or whatever
I can."
Though it remains to be seen
if the duo can continue to put up
consistent numbers, Michigan
must hope the iron remains hot if it
wants the season to continue,

inside
N EWS
Charity bike ride
Business sophomore will
lead 100 mile trek to raise
money for cancer research.
>> SEE PAGE 2
NEWS
Rare bloom
A plant in the University's
collection will flower for
the first time in 80 years.
>> SEE PAGE 3
OPI NION
(Transit)ioning
The Daily examines the
benefits of the newly-
passed AAATA millage
>> SEE PAGE 4
'Louie returns
Famed comedian Louis
C.K. is set to return for his
season 4 premiere
>>SEE PAGE8
SPORTS
Off to Evanston
Michigan softball comes
into the Big Ten Tourna-
ment 6-5 in its past 11
>> SEE PAGE 10
INDEX
Vol. cxxtv; No.15
02014 The Michigan Dil
michigandailycom
NEWS ......................... 2
OPINION......................4
ARTS ..............................8
CLASSIFIEDS......................... 6
CROSSWORD........................ 6
SPORTS ..............10

--SPRING COMMENCEMENT

CITY
Voters pass
AAATA's
transport
expansion
The .7 millage is
approved by 2-to-1
margin, will bring in
$4.4 million
By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA
ManagingEditor
With the results of Tues-
day's special election tallied, the
Ann Arbor Area Transportation
Authority's proposed transit mill-
age passed with 71 percent of vot-
ers supporting expanded transit
service.
Voters passed the millage in all
of the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti pre-
cincts, and all but two precincts in
Ypsilanti Township. The final vote
count was 13,949 to 5,783.
The proposal, which was consid-
ered in a special election, involved
a .7 mill, which the AAATA would
reportedly use to provide the con-
tinuation of increased services
in those communities, including
more night and weekend routes,
increased services for the elderly
and disabled and more routes with-
in the city of Ypsilanti.
The referendum will cost
about $33 per year for residents
whose homes are valued at about
$100,000.
State Representative Jeff Irwin
(D-Ann Arbor) is a casual public
transit user and has supported the
millage since talks began almost
five years ago when it was evident
that the needs of the area were
changing. He said the $4.4 mil-
lion raised will be an "investment
in better quality service" for those
that enjoy or rely on the AAATA's
services.
Irwin added that through-
out its 30-year history, the
See AAATA, Page 3

RUBY WALLAU & TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Graduates of the Class of 2014 celebrated during the Spring Commencement ceremony Saturday where Mary Sue Cole-
man delivered her final commencement speech at Michigan Stadium.
AsDM INeISTuR ATIONt

Proceedings allege
wrongdoing in
sexual misconduct
investigation
By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA
Managing Editor
Former student Drew Ster-
ret filed a lawsuit against the
University on April 23 after he
was suspended from school fol-
lowing allegations of sexual
misconduct. Sterrett, who was
a student in the College of Engi-

neering, has taken legal action
because he said he was denied
due process during the inves-
tigation, after a complaint was
filed against him by a female
friend whom he had sexual rela-
tions with.
Sterrett's attorney Debo-
rah Gordon told The Michigan
Daily she finds the University
was "completely neglectful"
in almost every aspect of
their internal investigation,
which ultimately left Sterrett
"deprived of his educational
opportunity."
Gordon added that the Uni-
versity's "sloppy" investigation

led to a false result and main-
tains her client's innocence
based on official affidavit state-
ments that Sterrett obtained
from witnesses in an attempt
to provide evidence to clear his
name.
She explained that with all
other crimes, from minor in
possession to public indecency
charges, the accused is allowed
a hearing and chance to speak
with witnesses as part of their
due process rights. These allow-
ances are not offered to those
accused of sexual assault, which
Gordon said she believes is the
See LAWSUIT, Page 6