Weekly Release #2
3/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Friday, March 10 -- at Charleston Southern (Charleston, S.C.), Noon
Saturday, March 11 -- at Charleston Southern (Charleston, S.C.), 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 12 -- vs. Kent (Charleston, S.C.), 10 a.m.
Friday, March 17 -- at Miami (Miami, Fla.), 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 18 -- at Miami (Miami, Fla.), 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 19 -- at Miami (Miami, Fla.), 1 p.m.
Michigan Baseball Faces Charleston Southern, Kent
The University of Michigan baseball team returns to action for three games this weekend (March 10-12) in Charleston, S.C. The Wolverines (3-6) face host Charleston Southern (13-8) on Friday (March 10, Noon) and Saturday (March 11, 3 p.m.) before closing out the weekend with a neutral-site battle with Kent State University (5-2) on Sunday (March 12, 10 a.m.). Both opponents are newcomers to Michigan's schedule. The host Buccaneers have a mid-week Big South doubleheader with Winthrop before playing U-M and Kent twice on Friday and Saturday.
Ralston Out for Season
Senior/junior RHP Bryce Ralston (Tacoma, Wash./Curtis HS), who led the Wolverines with an 8-1 mark in 1999, is out for the season. He is scheduled for "Tommy John surgery" to repair a damaged ulnar collateral ligament on Thursday (March 9). Ralston, who missed the spring trip to Florida, was voted tri-captain by his teammates in the fall.
"It is a big blow to lose a tri-captain and your best pitcher of a year ago," said head coach Geoff Zahn. "We will miss his leadership as well as his pitching ability. We will need the pitching staff as a whole to pick up the slack."
Coaching Matchups
Michigan's Geoff Zahn, with a career record of 118-115-1, is in his fifth season at the helm for the Wolverines. Zahn has led Michigan to Big Ten Conference championships in 1997 (regular season) and 1999 (tournament). The Wolverines have made the Big Ten playoffs three times in his four seasons (1996, 1997 and 1999) and advanced to the NCAA playoffs in 1999.
Gary Murphy, a former Michigan graduate assistant, coaches Charleston Southern. A native of Flint, Mich., "Murph" enters the week with a career record of 84-105 in four years at CSU. He played on Alma's 1978 MIAA championship team and was on the Wolverine staff when Michigan played in the College World Series in 1983 and 1984. Future Major Leaguers on the Wolverine roster when Murphy was at Michigan included Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Gary Wayne and Hal Morris.
Rick Rembielak, in his 13th season at Kent State University and in his seventh as head coach, enters the weekend with a chance at collecting career win 200. He has a career record of 197-138-1. He has won a pair of Mid-American Conference championships (1994 and 1996). Rembielak, who played at Miami University (Ohio), replaced former Wolverine assistant coach Danny Hall as head coach at Kent when Hall took the head job at Georgia Tech.
Probable Wolverine Pitching Rotation
The probable starting pitchers for the Wolverines in the weekend trip to Charleston, S.C., include junior Vince Pistilli (Highland, Ind./Highland HS), sophomore Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) and freshman Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS). Potential Wolverine starters:
- Game #1 vs. Charleston Southern -- Pistilli (RHP, 1-1, 3.09 ERA) is scheduled to make his 15th career start in the weekend opener. He fanned seven while losing the 2000 opener to Jacksonville State, 3-1. He beat Xavier 7-1 in his second start.
- Game #2 vs. Charleston Southern -- Korecky (RHP, 1-1, 2.03 ERA) pitched a complete-game, six-hit shutout vs. Duquesne in the final start of the spring trip. He lost his first start of the season vs. Western Michigan.
- Game #3 vs. Kent State -- Hill (LHP, 0-1, 9.00 ERA), fanned seven out of the bullpen in his career debut vs. Jacksonville State. He lost his first start vs. Central Michigan.
Parrish Steady As Leader
Junior All-America candidate catcher David Parrish (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) provided steady play on offense and defense during Florida action. Parrish hit .300 (9-for-30) in the nine games and he launched a pair of homers (16 career). He leads the team in runs (7) and walks (4) on offense, and on defense he leads with 44 putouts. Parrish is a major force in the fact that opponents have stolen just eight bases in 15 attempts.
"Mighty" Quinn Off to Best Start
Senior tri-captain Kevin Quinn (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) gave the Wolverines a shot of confidence with his infield play on the spring trip. Quinn with five starts (3B-3, SS-2) in Jacksonville has already matched his 1999 start total, and with five hits (.278, 5-for-18) has surpassed his 1999 hit total (3). Quinn carries a team-best four-game hitting streak into the series at Charleston Southern.
Bobeda Grabs Slugging Lead
Senior tri-captain Rob Bobeda (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt HS) has provided some pop to the Wolverine offense in the early going. Bobeda, who homered six times in 100 games heading into 2000, has belted three round-trippers in the first nine games, including the game-winning two-run blast vs. Duquesne in the 2-0 win on Sunday (March 5). In fact, with his two homers in NCAA regional action vs. Cal State-Fullerton, Bobeda has hit five of his eight career homers in his last 13 games. Bobeda enters the series in South Carolina with a .212 batting average (7-for-33), but five of his seven hits are for extra bases and he sports the team-leading slugging percentage (.545).
Michigan Marches Closer to Fisher Stadium
Nine down, six to go. Michigan's early-season schedule that put the Wolverines on the road for the first 15 games moves closer to the start of the home schedule vs. Eastern Michigan on March 22 (3 p.m.). Michigan is scheduled to play seven home games in March and will open Big Ten play against Minnesota on March 24.
Seven Wolverines Notch First Career Hit
The 2000 Michigan spring trip to Jacksonville featured seven first career hits (all singles) that included six by true freshmen and one by redshirt freshman outfielder Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS). CF Blake Rutkowski (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South HS) was the first "newbie," collecting a bunt single in the opener vs. Jacksonville State, and he added a second hit later in the game. IF/OF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) and 1B Jordan French (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto HS) also broke the ice with two-hit games.
First Career Wolverine Hits in 2000
1. Blake Rutkowski, 5th inn. single vs. Jacksonville State, 2/25/00
2. Brock Koman, 6th inn. single vs. Jacksonville State, 2/25/00
3. Jordan Cantalamessa, 7th inn. single at Jacksonville, 2/26/00
4. Alex Coleman, 7th inn. single at North Florida, 2/29/00
5. Gino Lollio, 1st inn. single vs. Central Michigan, 3/3/00
6. Jordan French, 6th inn. single vs. St. John's, 3/4/00
7. Mike Sokol, 9th inn. single vs. St. John's, 3/4/00
Colorado Newcomers Produce in Wolverine Debuts
Michigan's roster features a pair of Colorado freshmen in 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) and IF/OF Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS). Koman leads the team in hitting with a .353 batting average and has 12 hits, three doubles and seven RBI, while Cantalamessa is hitting .276 and leads the team with four doubles. They share the team lead with three multiple-hit games and Koman shares the team lead with three multiple-RBI games (3).
The third Colorado newcomer is sophomore RHP Bobby Wood (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS), a transfer from Santa Clara. Wood pitched seven innings in his first start, at Jacksonville University. He left the game trailing 5-2 in an eventual 7-2 loss.
Tousa, LaRosa Turn Double Plays
Veteran middle infielders 2B Scott Tousa (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highland HS) and SS Bill LaRosa (Rochester, Mich./Adams HS) played a major role as the Wolverine defense turned 16 double plays in Florida. The defense started slowly with two "twin killings" in the first three games, but turned 14 in the next six games, with three in a game three times. Tousa leads the team with participation in 11 DPs, while LaRosa has had his hand in nine.
Wolverines Toss Pair of Shutouts
Two of the three Michigan wins on the spring trip came via the shutout route as senior LHP Bryan Cranson (Bronson, Mich./Bronson HS) and sophomore LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) combined to blank Xavier 5-0 for the first win of the season. Sophomore RHP Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS) tossed a complete-game six-hitter to beat Duquesne 2-0 in the final game of the trip.
Michigan allowed one run in the three wins, but allowed 29 runs in the six losses. Junior RHP Vince Pistilli pitched six innings and allowed the run in the 7-1 win in the second Xavier game. Freshman RHP Tim Leveque (Northridge, Calif./Crespi HS) and junior LHP Nick Alexander (Alpena, Mich./Alpena HS) closed with three shutout innings.
Leveque fanned four in his 4.2 innings of relief and he shares the team ERA lead at 0.00 with sophomore RHP Nick Bellows (Lake Oswego, Ore./Lakeridge HS), who pitched 2.0 innings.
The last time Michigan had more than one spring trip shutout was in 1985 when the Wolverines, led by future Major Leaguers Scott Kamieniecki and Mike Ignasiak, tossed three shutouts in Texas and had eight for the season.
Wolverine Lineup Offers Versatility
After nine games in 2000, only three Wolverines have started and played in each game, but no player has started all nine games at the same position. Preseason All-American David Parrish has made eight starts behind the plate (one as DH), freshman Brock Koman has six starts at third base (three as DH) and senior tri-captain Rob Bobeda has made seven outfield starts (RF-4, LF-2, CF-1) and two as DH.
The players with the most starts at each position during the spring trip include (number of 2000 starts at position/total career starts): 1B -- Jordan French (4/4) and Jay Dines (4/24); 2B -- Scott Tousa (6/96); SS -- Bill LaRosa (6/20); 3B -- Brock Koman (6/9); LF -- Jordan Cantalamessa (6/8); CF -- Blake Rutkowski (7/7); RF -- Rob Bobeda (4/90); C -- David Parrish (8/78); and DH -- Koman (3/9). French, Koman, Cantalamessa and Rutkowski are true freshmen.
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
