Wolverines Pound Spartans to Gain Doubleheader Split

Saturday, April 20

East Lansing, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

11-21, 6-8

Michigan State

25-9, 8-5

Michigan

Michigan State

4/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Kobs Field)
Scores: Michigan State 4, Michigan 3; Michigan 19, Michigan State 4
Records: U-M (12-21, 7-8 Big Ten), MSU (25-9, 8-6 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Sunday, April 21 -- vs. Michigan State (Ray Fisher Stadium), 1 p.m.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Senior Bobby Korecky (Saline, Mich./Saline HS), shut out in his last three pitching assignments, went 4-for-4 in his first outfield start to lead the University of Michigan baseball team to a 19-4 win over Michigan State in the second game of Saturday's (April 20) Big Ten doubleheader at Kobs Field. MSU (25-9, 8-6 Big Ten) took a 4-3 win in the opener despite 11 strikeouts in six innings by Wolverine junior LHP Rich Hill (Milton, Mass./Milton HS).

Korecky, who had nine hits on the season before collecting five in the doubleheader, opened the second game with a single and junior catcher Jason Wuerfel (Cedar, Mich./Glen Lake HS) followed suit. Junior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) singled to center, driving in Korecky with the eventual game-winning hit, and the second-game barrage was underway.

Sophomore RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS) was the beneficiary of Michigan's top offensive game of the season. The 19 runs topped the previous best of 11 scored at Illinois last weekend. Brauer (2-4) fanned a career-high nine while recording his first career win as a starting pitcher. He struck out the side in the second inning and had at least one strikeout in each of his six innings of work.

Brauer and batterymate Wuerfel teamed up on a pair of "strike 'em out and throw 'em out" double plays, with junior 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) making the tag each time on the caught stealings to end the first and third innings.

The Wolverines (12-21, 7-8 Big Ten) scored three in the first inning and two in the second and then matched the season-best runs-in-an-inning total (5) twice to add to the total. Michigan batted around three times in the game and closed out the scoring with a four-run sixth inning.

Korecky had singles in the first, second, third and fifth innings, scoring twice and driving in two others. Freshman CF Matt Butler (Glendale Heights, Ill./Driscoll Catholic HS), who has made several nifty catches in the series, scored four runs in the nightcap. He had a two-run double in the third inning and he also drew two walks and was hit by a pitch. Sophomore LF Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS) had four hits in the doubleheader, including his team-leading sixth homer in the fifth inning of the second game, and he bounced a ball over the fence for a run-scoring double in the sixth inning.

In the opener Hill (2-4) lowered his team-leading ERA to 3.19 as he struck out the side in the first and second innings and had two strikeouts in the third and fifth. He failed to record a strikeout only in a 1-2-3 fourth inning.

MSU scored once in the third inning and three times in the fifth inning against Hill. It was a frustrating contest for Hill in that the only earned runs were scored as the result of a routine fly ball to right falling in for a double when junior RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) fell down. In that inning a two-out error extended the frame and allowed the third run to score, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Spartan CF Chris McCuiston, who had three hits in Friday's 11-0 win, drove in three of the four runs in the opener with a single in the third and the fly ball double in the fifth and he scored the fourth run. He is 7-for-11 in the series and has reached base 10 times.

After Lollio had started the opener with a single, MSU starter Nick Bates retired 15 of the next 16 batters, including 13 in a row, before Korecky opened the sixth inning with a pinch double. Lollio followed with a single to center, moving Korecky to third, and Koman blasted a three-run homer over the scoreboard in left to make the score 4-3. The homer was Koman's 18th career round-tripper.

Bates stopped the rally in the sixth and struck out the side in the seventh to close out the win and match Hill's strikeout total of 11. Bates had five 1-2-3 innings in the game.

Michigan (12-21, 7-8 Big Ten) hosts Michigan State in the series finale on Sunday (April 21, 1 p.m.) with senior LHP Jeff Trzos (Farmington Hills, Mich./North Farmington HS) on the mound. Trzos is 1-3 with a 5.46 ERA.

N O T E S

Senior RHP/2B/DH/LF Bobby Korecky became just the first Wolverine to start at four different positions and he made the most of his first start in the outfield, going 4-for-4 in the 19-4 win in the second game at MSU. Korecky is just the second Wolverine to gather four hits in a game this season (OF Matt Butler had four hits vs. Minnesota, 4/7/02). With a pinch double in the first game Korecky was 5-for-6 in the doubleheader, jumping his batting average 84 points from .257 to .341.

Junior SS Brock Koman scored four runs and drove in six during the doubleheader split at MSU on Saturday. Koman moved his career run total to an even 100, while he now has 110 career RBI.

Koman, who ranks eighth on Michigan's career doubles list (45), has hits in 28 of the 33 games played this season and in 70 of the 85 Wolverine games the last two seasons. Koman is two doubles shy of seventh place, currently held by Jim Paciorek (47, 1979-82).

Junior LHP Rich Hill's 11 strikeouts at MSU were the most since he fanned 15 at Texas-San Antonio earlier this season (3/9/02). Hill vaulted from 12th to eighth on Michigan's all-time strikeout list during the game, passing No. 11 J.J. Putz (185, 1996-99); Nos. 9 and 10 (tied) Jim Abbott (186, 1986-88) and Russell Brock (186, 1989-91), and No. 8 Mike Grimes (189, 1987-89). Next up is former Major Leaguer Steve Howe (196, 1977-79).

Michigan's hitting leaders after 33 games (25 at-bat minimum) include: junior 3B/SS Brock Koman (.373, 44-for-118), senior RHP/OF Bobby Korecky (.341, 14-for-41), junior catcher Jason Wuerfel (.314, 11-for-35), sophomore LF Brandon Roberts (.308, 33-for-107) and senior/junior DH Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights, Mich./DeLaSalle HS) at .301 (31-for-103).

Big Ten Standings (after Saturday's Games)

 1. Ohio State 11-4 .733 2. Indiana 10-5 .667 3. Minnesota 8-6 .571 Michigan State 8-6 .571 5. Purdue 8-7 .533 6. MICHIGAN 7-8 .467 Illinois 7-8 .467 8. Northwestern 5-9 .357 9. Iowa 5-10 .333 10. Penn State 4-10 .286

Saturday Scores
Michigan 3-19, Michigan State 4-4
Illinois 7-5, Minnesota 1-9
Iowa 9-3, Purdue 3-0
Indiana 5-2, Ohio State 4-3
Northwestern 5-4, Penn State 4-5

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423