Michigan
11-10, 3-1
Iowa
7-9, 1-3
Koman Leads Power Attack as Michigan Pummels Iowa
3/31/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Senior 3B Brock Koman (Pueblo, Colo./South HS) had two doubles and a homer to spark the University of Michigan baseball team's 20-4 Big Ten win over Iowa Monday afternoon (March 31) at Duane Banks Field. The Wolverines (11-10, 3-1 Big Ten) took three of four from the Hawkeyes (7-9, 1-3 Big Ten) in the weekend series to pull into a tie for second place in the conference standings with Penn State behind Minnesota (4-0).
The Wolverines scored early and often and used a season-best nine-run third inning to make the score 12-0 after three innings. Koman had a run-scoring double and a long grand slam homer to drive in five runs during the nine-run rally.
The Wolverines powered four homers in the contest, with fifth-year senior Nate Wright (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew HS) starting it off with a two-run shot in the second inning, followed by Koman's slam in the third. Junior catcher Jake Fox (Greenfield, Ind./Indianapolis Cathedral HS), who extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a single in the third, hit his team-leading eighth homer in the sixth and senior OF Gino Lollio (Cape Coral, Fla./Mariner HS) homered in the ninth inning.
Sophomore SS Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) provided his own spark from the second spot in the order with two singles and a walk in the first three innings and he scored three times. He extended his hitting streak to 11 games with the first of his two third-inning singles.
Sophomore RHP Phil Tognetti (Newhall, Calif./Hart HS) worked 6.2 innings to record his second win in seven days. Tognetti (2-1) dropped his ERA to 5.79 and he fanned a career-best seven while not allowing a walk.
Michigan hosts Eastern Michigan on Wednesday (April 2) before the first place Golden Gophers of Minnesota arrive at Fisher Stadium for a four-game Big Ten series (April 4-6). Minnesota swept Michigan State last weekend in Minneapolis, Minn.
N O T E S
Michigan's nine-run third inning vs. Iowa is its biggest inning of the season. The Wolverines scored eighth runs in the seventh inning at Oklahoma in the 16-12 win on March 7.
Michigan's 20 runs are the most since scoring 21 vs. Eastern Michigan (May 1, 2002) and the most in a Big Ten game since scoring 21 vs. Michigan State (May 5, 2001).
Brock Koman's third-inning grand slam homer was the first for the Wolverines on the road since Brandon Roberts hit one at Illinois last season (April 13). Koman's slam was the second of the year for the Wolverines as Nate Wright hit one vs. Rider (Feb. 23) in a neutral-site game in Savannah, Ga.
Junior catcher Jake Fox extended his career-best hitting streak to 17 games, matching the team best set earlier by Brock Koman, when he singled during the nine-run third inning. Fox added his team-leading eighth homer in the sixth inning.
Sophomore SS Nick Rudden, with two hits in each game of the Iowa series, extended his hitting streak to 11 games with the single that started the nine-run third inning.
Koman's two doubles Monday push his career total to 64, leaving him three shy of Mike Cervenak's Michigan career record of 67 set in 1999.
Koman moved his career hit total to 233, seven shy of Casey Close (240, 1983-86) for fifth on Michigan's career hit list.
Michigan's hitting leaders after 21 games include (35 plate appearances minimum): sophomore SS Nick Rudden (.486, 17-for-35), senior 3B Brock Koman (.409, 38-for-93), junior C Jake Fox (.367, 29-for-79), senior DH/OF Mike Sokol (.338, 25-for-74) and senior OF Gino Lollio (.326, 29-for-89).
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tognetti, Phil (2-1)
L: Chris Maliszewski (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Koman, Brock 2 ; Kunkel, Jeff 1 ; Cantalamessa, Jordan 1 ; Sokol, Mike 1 ; Burhans, Chris 1
HR: Lollio, Gino 1 ; Koman, Brock 1 ; Fox, Jake 1 ; Wright, Nate 1
RBI: Lollio, Gino 2 ; Rudden, Nick 1 ; Koman, Brock 5 ; Fox, Jake 1 ; Kunkel, Jeff 1 ; Cantalamessa, Jordan 1 ; Sokol, Mike 2 ; Schmidt, Mike 1 ; Butler, Matt 1 ; Wright, Nate 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Lollio, Gino 2 ; Rudden, Nick 3 ; Scheidt, A.J. 1 ; Koman, Brock 3 ; Fox, Jake 2 ; Kunkel, Jeff 2 ; Cantalamessa, Jordan 1 ; Sokol, Mike 1 ; Burhans, Chris 2 ; Wright, Nate 1 ; Wuerfel, Jason 2
HBP: Wuerfel, Jason 1
Batting:
3B: Chris Steele 1
HR: Lance Guyer 1
RBI: Lance Guyer 3 ; Luis Andrulonis 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nate Yoho 1 ; Chris Steele 1 ; Lance Guyer 1 ; Mike Best 1
PO: Nate Yoho 1
