Fox, Taylor Spark Wolverine Sweep at Bethune-Cookman

Saturday, March 1

Daytona Beach, Fla.

12:00 PM

Michigan

2-4

Bethune-Cookman

2-10

Michigan

Bethune-Cookman

3/1/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Daytona Beach, Fla. (Jackie Robinson Ballpark)
Score: Michigan 7, Bethune-Cookman 3; Michigan 14, Bethune-Cookman 6
Records: U-M (3-4), Bethune-Cookman (2-11)
Next U-M Game: Friday, March 7 -- at Oklahoma (Norman, Okla.), 3 p.m. CST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS) and sophomore LHP Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) helped spark the University of Michigan baseball team to a 7-5, 14-6 sweep over host Bethune-Cookman Saturday (March 1) at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Fox smashed a three-run homer in the opener to give the Wolverines (3-4) a 5-1 lead in the third inning, and he stroked a three-run pinch double in the fifth inning of the second game for a 7-3 lead. With six RBI for the day, Fox doubled his season total and grabbed the team lead with 12.

Taylor pitched the opener for the Wolverines and retired 16 straight batters between the third and eighth innings to collect his first Wolverine win. Taylor worked 8.1 innings, the longest stint for a Wolverine thus far in 2003, and allowed six hits and five runs with five strikeouts and no walks. Sophomore RHP Michael Penn (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian HS) replaced Taylor in the ninth and retired both batters he faced to record his first Michigan save.

Six Wolverine pitchers worked in the second game, with freshman RHP Derek Feldkamp (Adrian, Mich./Blissfield HS) collecting his first win in his team-leading fourth appearance. Feldkamp replaced starter Bobby Garza (Southgate, Mich./Anderson HS) in the fourth inning and worked three shutout innings, allowing three singles. Sophomore/freshman LHP Ali Husain (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ypsilanti HS) made his Wolverine debut in the second game and allowed one run on two hits in 1.1 innings.

The Wolverines trailed once in the doubleheader when Bethune-Cookman leadoff hitter Brad Frick homered in the bottom of the first, but the Wolverines rallied with two in the second inning on a two-run double by fifth-year senior 1B Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS). Wright's right-center shot turned out to be his second game-winner of the season.

Michigan's three-run third featured back-to-back doubles by senior RF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) and senior 2B Jordan Cantalamessa (Castle Rock, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and the long homer to dead center by Fox.

The Wolverines closed out their first-game scoring in the fourth inning, taking a 7-2 lead with senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) hitting a run-scoring double. Koman was 5-for-10 for the afternoon with one double.

The Wildcats chased Taylor in the ninth inning with a pair of bloop singles, snapping his streak of 16 BCC players retired, and a long homer by 1B Juan Figeroa.

The Wolverines jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning of the second game on a walk to Lollio, a triple by Cantalamessa and a run-scoring double by junior DH Brandon Roberts (Arlington, Texas/Martin HS). Roberts was 4-for-4 in the second game with two doubles and four RBI.

The fifth inning was key in the second game as Michigan led 4-3 when Koman singled, Roberts walked and fifth-year senior Mike Sokol (Sterling Heights., Mich./DeLaSalle) dropped a single into short left to load the bases. Sokol was 4-for-6 in the second game and 6-for-9 in the doubleheader.

First-year head coach Rich Maloney went to the bench to find Fox and the catcher responded with his three-run double. Fox was 3-for-7 in the twinbill with two doubles and a homer.

Michigan closed out its scoring for the day with a five-run seventh inning in which Fox doubled and sophomore shortstop Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) singled him in. Later in the seventh Koman singled in a run, Roberts doubled in a run and Sokol doubled in the 13th and 14th runs of the game.

The Wolverines produced some interesting statistics during the seven-game spring trip, including a .331 team batting average, 25 doubles and outscoring the opposition 63-50 while winning three of the seven games. Michigan also turned 12 double plays.

The Wolverines are slated to play three games at Oklahoma next weekend (March 7-9), with LHP Taylor (1-0, 4.50 ERA) the probable starter in the series opener.

N O T E S

Former Wolverine RHP Bobby Wood (2000-01), currently in the New York Yankees organization, met with team members on Friday after the game was rained out.

Senior 3B Brock Koman collected a double in the first game vs. Bethune-Cookman and he leads the team with four doubles in seven games. Koman's double Saturday was his 55th career two-bagger, tying him for second on Michigan's all-time doubles list with Bryan Besco (55, 1995-99). On the spring trip Koman jumped from fifth to second on U-M's career doubles list and only trails record-holder Mike Cervenak (67 doubles, 1996-99).

With five hits in Saturday's doubleheader, senior 3B Brock Koman is the lone Wolverine with hits in all seven games and he has a streak of five straight games with at least two hits. He leads the team with 13 hits on the season. Koman pushed his career hit total to 208, which is good for 10th place on the all-time U-M hit list, one shy of Tim Flannelly (209 hits, 1989-91).

Sophomore LHP Drew Taylor notched his first win as a Wolverine Saturday in the same Daytona Beach baseball stadium that his father, former Major League RHP Ron Taylor, now team physician of the Toronto Blue Jays, won his first professional ballgame back in 1956.

Michigan's hitting leaders after seven games include: junior RF Brandon Roberts at .476 (10-for-21), senior 3B Brock Koman (.406, 13-for-32), senior LF/DH Mike Sokol (.400, 10-for-25), sophomore OF Chris Burhans (.364, 4-for-11) and junior C Jake Fox (.357, 10-for-28).

Q U O T E S

U-M Head Coach Rich Maloney
On winning the doubleheader at Bethune-Cookman ... "It was a big day getting two wins. The kids have played well the entire trip and they finally had a day with some success and that is very important."

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423