Michigan
Detroit
Wolverine Offense Pounds Detroit 23-2
3/31/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Site:Â Detroit, Mich. (Campbell Athletic Complex)
Scores:Â Michigan 23, Detroit 2
Records:Â U-M (13-11), Detroit (4-12)
Next U-M Game:Â Friday, April 2 -- vs. Illinois (Ray Fisher Stadium), 3 p.m.
DETROIT, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team exploded for 24 hits, including five home runs, in Wednesday's (March 31) 23-2 win at the University of Detroit. The Wolverines (13-11) collected their fourth straight win and seventh victory in the last eight games, while Detroit dropped to 4-12.
The Wolverines used a "big inning" offense in the win, scoring four runs in the first and fourth innings, eight in the sixth and five more runs in the ninth inning.
Senior rightfielder Jason Alcaraz (Albuquerque, N.M./Eldorado HS), making his 171st career start, and junior/sophomore shortstop Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS), making only his sixth career start, were the only Wolverines to play the entire game. Alcaraz went 4-for-7 with a double and a homer and used four RBIs to push his team-leading total to 28 runs batted in, while LaRosa was 3-for-5 and added a double and his first career homer. Senior co-captain Bobby Scales (Roswell, Ga./Milton HS) also chipped in with three hits.
Freshman Kirk Taylor (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS), the second of four pitchers (all lefthanded), evened his record at 1-1 by working four scoreless innings and fanning five batters. Sophomore Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) made the start and worked the first two innings, while Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) pitched two innings and senior Robbie Reid (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS) pitched a scoreless ninth. The four lefties combined for 11 strikeouts.
Michigan, second in the Big Ten Conference with a 3-1 record, hosts defending Big Ten champ Illinois in a four-game series this weekend (April 2-4). Illinois (4-0) is in first place in the Big Ten after sweeping Michigan State last weekend. Senior RHP Luke Bonner (Taylor, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child HS), 3-2 with a 2.65 ERA, is expected to start against Illinois in the series opener Friday.
NOTES
• Seniors Jason Alcaraz and Mike Cervenak (New Boston, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child HS) each added hits in the Detroit game as they continue to climb the Michigan all-time hit list. Cervenak ranks fourth with 238 hits, two shy of Casey Close (240 hits, 1983-86) in third place. Alcaraz is fifth with 224 hits. The Michigan career hit leader is Ken Hayward (267 hits, 1982-85).
• Alcaraz leads the Wolverines with 28 RBIs, and he moved his career total to 129. Alcaraz moved into 11th place on the all-time U-M RBI list, passing Chris Sabo (126, 1981-83) in the UD game. Alcaraz heads into the Illinois series one RBI shy of Scott Weaver (130, 1993-95) for 10th and is two short of Bill St. Peter (131, 1986-88) for ninth. Meanwhile, teammate Cervenak, who has 18 RBIs this season, ranks eighth with 135 RBIs and is one RBI shy of Barry Larkin (136, 1983-85). Ken Hayward (1982-85) holds the record with 207 RBIs.
• Cervenak was limited to one hit by the Titans, but he made it count as his first inning single drove in the winning run. Cervenak has four "gamers" this season to lead the team and has 17 career game-winning RBIs.
• Sophomore/freshman C.J. Ghannam (Farmington, Mich./Harrison HS), redshirted in 1998, waited 73 games to make his Wolverine debut and he took advantage. Ghannam stroked a two-single single in his initial at bat, stayed in the game at third base and went 2-for-3.
• Michigan scored eight the "hard way" in the sixth inning as hit leaders Alcaraz and Cervenak opened the inning making outs. So with two outs and nobody on eight Wolverines reached and scored. with Alcaraz capping the rally with a long three-run homer. Cervenak made the second and third outs of the inning.
• Michigan smashed five homers for the second time in 1999, with Alcaraz hitting a three-run homer while seniors Mike Seestedt (Mt. Pleasant, Mich./Sacred Heart HS) and Brian Bush (Warren, Ohio/Howland HS) hit solo shots. First career homers were belted by junior outfielder Jay Dines (Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) and junior/soph Bill LaRosa.
• Senior 1B Bryan Besco (Westland, Mich./John Glenn HS) hit his 38th career double to claim ninth place alone on the 'M' all-time doubles list. Heading into the Illinois series, Besco needs one to tie Rodney Goble (39 doubles, 1992-95) for eighth place.
• Scales, who had a 12-game hitting streak to open the season, extended his current streak to nine games. Scales has at least one hit in 22 of the 24 games this season. Scales leads the team with 15 walks and has scored 27 runs in 24 games.
• "Big Play" Offense: The 23 runs scored by Michigan marked the most runs since beating Georgia Tech 27-5 on March 12, 1995, while the 24 hits were the most since the Wolverines had 27 hits in a 24-2 win over Northwestern on May 8, 1993. The last time Michigan had exactly 23 runs was April 17, 1982, vs. Purdue and the last 24-hit game was March 13, 1989, vs. Yale.
