San Diego Starting Pitcher Shuts Down Wolverine Bats

Saturday, March 2

San Diego, Calif.

11:00 AM PT

Michigan

1-7

San Diego

15-3

Michigan

San Diego

3/2/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- University of San Diego ace RHP Tom Caple held the University of Michigan baseball team scoreless in his seven innings of work and the Toreros, 24th-ranked by Baseball America, beat the Wolverines 9-4 Saturday (March 2) at Cunningham Stadium.

USD (15-3) scored three runs in the first sparked by a two-run homer by LF/1B Jason Marian and added four runs in the second paced by DH David Bagley's three-run homer to vault to a 7-0 lead, and Caple fanned 10 Wolverines in his seven-inning start as he recorded his third win of the season (3-0).

Sophomore RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) worked six innings for the Wolverines and he took the loss (0-1). Brauer leads the Wolverines in innings pitched (12) in his first two starts of the season. Brauer retired nine straight after Bagley's homer and allowed just two runs in his last four innings of work. The homer was Bagley's sixth consecutive hit in the series.

Wolverine freshman RHP Matt Collins (Bloomfield Village, Mich./Country Day) allowed one hit and fanned three batters while working two scoreless innings vs. USD.

The Wolverines reached the scoreboard off USD's bullpen, scoring three runs in the eighth inning on a run-scoring single by senior/junior DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) and a two-run single by junior reserve catcher Jason Wuerfel (Cedar, Mich./Glen Lake HS). Wuerfel is hitting .667 (2-for-3) in limited action with three RBI and he chipped in defensively with three putouts behind the plate, while Sokol has grabbed the team lead in RBI (9).

Junior/sophomore OF Eric Esper (Grand Ledge, Mich./Grand Ledge HS), who walked twice and scored twice in his two innings of action, walked in the ninth and scored on a double by junior 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS). Cantalamessa has four hits in the series.

Junior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) continues to lead the Wolverine offense as he went 2-for-4 with a walk against the Toreros. Koman has five hits in the series in San Diego and he moved his team-leading batting average to .406.

Senior LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) is slated to make his second start of the season in the Sunday's (March 3, noon PST) spring trip finale at USD. Trzos (0-1, 9.53 ERA) took the loss in his first career start vs. Oregon State (Feb. 25).

N O T E S

Junior 3B Brock Koman collected his fifth multiple-hit game of the season in Saturday's (March 2) contest at San Diego, the 39th career multiple-hit game of his career.

Junior/sophomore OF Eric Esper has walked three times as a pinch hitter in 2002.

Michigan's hitting leaders after the eight games (10 at-bat minimum) include: 3B Brock Koman (.406, 13-for-32); senior RHP/2B/DH Bobby Korecky (.389, 7-for-18); senior/junior 1B Mike Sokol (.303, 10-for-33); sophomore catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) at .286 (6-for-21); junior IF/OF Dan Augustine (Wausau, Wis./West HS) at .273 (3-for-11) and sophomore RF/DH Brandon Roberts (.269, 7-for-26).