8 — Friday, February 20, 2015
Sports
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Michigan reschedules tourney, 
will play four in Georgia instead

Weather moves 
Wolverines to 

Savannah for four 
weekend games

By NATHANIEL CLARK

Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan baseball team 

had long planned to travel to 
Greenville, North Carolina to 
participate in the Keith LeClair 
Classic along with host East 
Carolina, No. 25 Liberty and St. 
John’s.

But Mother Nature put the 

kibosh on the tournament as 
very cold temperatures and ice 
forced East Carolina to make 
schedule changes that kept the 
Wolverines (1-2) from traveling 
there. Michigan will instead 
travel to Savannah, Georgia to 
take on Tennessee Tech and 
Davidson in alternating games 
Friday through Sunday. The 
Wolverines will play in two 
contests on Saturday.

The trip to Greenville was 

supposed to be a poignant 
homecoming for Michigan coach 
Erik 
Bakich 
and 
recruiting 

coordinator Nick Schnabel: In 
1999 and 2000, the two men 
manned the infield for the 
Pirates under then-head coach 
Keith LeClair. LeClair tragically 
passed away in 2006 after a five-
year battle with ALS.

“I’ll always be a Pirate in 

regard of loving the school that 
I got to be a student-athlete at,” 
Bakich said. “Keith LeClair was 
an incredible man.”

The scheduling alterations 

came with short notice for the 
Wolverines. The announcement 
that Michigan would not travel 
to the Keith LeClair Classic came 
Wednesday, and the Wolverines 
did not know whom they would 
face or when they would play 
until Thursday night.

Michigan’s 
first 
opponent, 

Tennessee Tech (2-1), posted 
40-19 record in 2014, meaning 
they will likely give Michigan a 
challenge. The Golden Eagles’ 
biggest threat is Jake Farr, who 

went 5-for-9 with six runs in a 
Saturday doubleheader versus 
Longwood.

As for Davidson (1-1), the 

Wildcats split a pair of games 
with Appalachian State last 
weekend. They find themselves 
in a similar situation as the 
Wolverines, 
as 
Davidson’s 

scheduled contests with Lehigh 
and Army were scratched due to 
inclement weather.

Despite 
the 
spontaneous 

plan changes, Bakich expressed 
confidence in his team going into 
the weekend.

“I think we match up well 

against anyone when we play our 
best baseball,” he said. “I would 
put us up against anyone when 
we’re firing on all cylinders.”

Against Long Beach State, 

Michigan 
looked 
far 
from 

smashing 
this 
ceiling. 
The 

Wolverines dropped their first 
two games against the Dirtbags, 
3-2 and 7-2, respectively, before 
winning Sunday’s contest, 5-3, in 
10 innings.

“Long Beach State was very 

crafty in the way that they 
pitched us, and gave us some 
trouble,” Bakich said. “We didn’t 
get very many fastballs, and so 
we just have to do a better job of 
taking what the pitching gives to 
us. It was a good opportunity to 

use as a teachable moment.”

The Wolverines were also 

forced to contend with some 
injuries 
during 
the 
series, 

including one to junior shortstop 
Travis Maezes, who sat out 
Sunday’s win.

“(Maezes) hurt himself in the 

Saturday game,” Bakich said. 
“We held him out as a precaution 
on Sunday, but he’ll be back 
this weekend according to the 
training staff.”

While junior first baseman and 

pitcher Jacob Cronenworth hit a 
game-winning, two-run single 
in the top of the 10th inning on 
Sunday, he was unable to come 
out of the bullpen to close any 
games against the Dirtbags due 
to soreness. That forced the right-
handed trio of senior Donnie 
Eaton, junior Matt Ogden and 
sophomore Mac Lozer to take a 
stab at the closing role.

The 
closing 
job 
is 

Cronenworth’s, but Bakich isn’t 
afraid to look further down his 
bench if needed.

“It would be a group of guys 

making a group effort,” Bakich 
said, regarding his relievers. 
“That’s a nice option that we 
have. We can match up well with 
righties and lefties and different 
hitter strengths based on our 
strengths.”

Cronenworth, 
however, 
is 

expected to be healthy for the 
series against Tennessee Tech 
and Davidson.

“(Cronenworth) didn’t have 

anything unusual,” Bakich said. 
“Everyone is dinged up, but 
the guys are doing a great job 
competing. Our training staff 
does a great job at keeping our 
guys off the injury list or keeping 
their stays on it very short. I’m 
confident that we will be full 
steam ahead going into this 
weekend.” 

In 
spite 
of 
the 
losses 

and 
injuries, 
Michigan 
got 

promising performances out of 
several of its freshmen pitchers 
versus 
Long 
Beach 
State. 

Southpaw Michael Hendrickson 
and righty Bryan Pall teamed 
up for a combined 5.2 innings 
of 
relief 
pitching 
Saturday, 

allowing two runs with five 
strikeouts. Right-hander Ryan 
Nutof pitched 5.2 innings in his 
start Sunday, letting in only one 
earned run and striking out four 
batters.

While playing the Golden 

Eagles 
and 
the 
Wildcats 

wasn’t the original plan for the 
Wolverines, with the temperate 
weather, they will still relish 
the opportunity to compete this 
weekend.

‘M’ faces revamped, 
healthy OSU team

Wolverines have 
won nine of 10 

against Buckeyes

By ZACH SHAW

Daily Sports Writer

To say the Michigan hockey 

team has had the upper hand 
against 
Ohio 
State 
recently 

would be a gross understatement.

Since 2011, the Wolverines 

(8-4 Big Ten, 16-10 overall) have 
gone 9-0-1 against their neigh-
bors to the south. The Buckeyes 
have been outscored 52-28 in 
those contests, 18 of those com-
ing in just two games this sea-
son.

But as No. 15 Michigan has lost 

three of its last four games, Ohio 
State (3-9, 8-16-2) has improved 
and, more importantly, gotten 
healthy. The two teams will bat-
tle it out once again in Columbus 
on Friday, then in Ann Arbor on 
Sunday.

“They’re a different team, let’s 

face it,” said Michigan coach 
Red Berenson to MGoBlue.com. 
“When we played them last game 
(on Jan. 16), they had seven regu-
lars out, they couldn’t even dress 
a full lineup of players because of 
injuries, so they’re a whole differ-
ent team, a different animal.

“They’ll want revenge, and 

we’ve go to go down there and 
keep pace.”

In addition to injuries, the 

Buckeyes have struggled to get 
the most out of their players who 
are on the ice. Ohio State leads 
the conference in game miscon-
ducts, surrender 3.5 goals per 
game, hasn’t been able to get the 
most out of what was thought 
to be a two-headed force in net 
between Matt Tomkins and 
Christian Frey.

The Buckeyes have dropped 

seven of eight games during the 
stretch, ruining any postseason 
aspirations.

“It really came down to who-

ever was less bad would play,” 
said Matthew McGreevy, a stu-
dent reporter and broadcaster for 
Big Ten Network and Ohio State 

student radio. “It was pretty hard 
to watch. They had the injuries, 
but the problems were so much 
more than that.”

This time, however, the Buck-

eyes are much closer to full 
strength. With injuries, suspen-
sions and position battles pretty 
much over, a new energy has 
arisen in Columbus.

“Wednesday’s practice was 

really the first time since Novem-
ber that everyone was back,” 
McGreevy said. “The team seems 
really excited to play, rather than 
just saying they’re excited.”

After dropping three of its last 

four games, though, Michigan 
is more than ready to move on, 
especially against one of the Big 
Ten’s worst teams.

“We know that it’s a rivalry 

against Ohio State, but we’ve got 
to stay focused on what we’re 
going to do and how we’re going 
to win,” said sophomore forward 
JT Compher to MGoBlue.com. 
“It’s not going to be about them, 
it’s going to focus on how we play 
and how focused we are on get-
ting the win.”

In addition to returning to 

competition, 
the 
Wolverines 

are excited about another long-
awaited return. Sunday’s game 
will mark Michigan’s first home 
game since Jan. 10.

“It’s been a while,” Compher 

said. “I think everyone’s excited 
to get back to Yost, but we have 
a game in Columbus on Friday 
that’s at the forefront right now, 
so we’re focusing on that first.”

Michigan has dominated Ohio 

State for three seasons. But with 
a rejuvenated lineup, Berenson 
knows that edge can be far from 
safe.

“I think any time you have an 

edge on the team, you’ve really 
got to pay attention to detail,” 
Berenson said. “We’re going to 
see their best hockey, and we’re 
going to need to play better than 
we did last week.

“The records don’t really mean 

anything. I think they’re better 
than their record because of all 
the injuries, and we need to get 
better if we’re going to have a 
good record.”

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Michigan coach Erik Bakich’s team will play Tennessee Tech and Davidson in Savannah, Georgia this weekend.

ICE HOCKEY

