Wolverines Open Campaign with Loss to No. 25 Gators

Wednesday, February 25

Gainesville, Fla.

6:30 PM

Michigan

0-1

Florida

7-3

Michigan

Florida

2/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Site: Gainesville, Fla. (McKethan Stadium)
Score: #25 Florida 9, Michigan 4
Records: U-M (0-1), Florida (7-3)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Feb. 26 -- at Florida (Gainesville, Fla.), 6:30 p.m.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- After a one-day weather delay, the University of Michigan baseball team opened its 2004 season Wednesday (Feb. 25) at Florida and dropped a 9-4 decision to the 25th-ranked Gators at McKethan Stadium.

The Wolverines (0-1) knocked out 10 hits -- all singles -- in the loss. Junior/sophomore catcher Jeff Kunkel (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest HS), junior outfielder Chris Burhans (Alpharetta, Ga./Marist School) and freshman outfielder Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) -- operating out of the 7, 8 and 9 spots in the batting order -- collected two safeties apiece.

Junior lefthander Drew Taylor (Toronto, Ontario/Upper Canada College) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs (one earned) in the first inning and two hits to open the second. Michigan's four pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts, with junior Phil Tognetti (Newhall, Calif./William S. Hart HS) and freshman Mike McCormick (Grand Blanc, Mich./Goodrich HS) logging three each.

Ben Harrison, C.J. Smith and Justin Tordi had three hits each to lead Florida's 15-hit attack. Harrison, who hit a two-run homer in the first, had three RBI and three runs scored, Smith hit a solo homer, and Tordi drove in four runs.

Florida (7-3) used two U-M errors, two singles, a walk, a hit batsman and a home run to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. In the third inning the Wolverines loaded the bases when Roblin reached on an infield single and moved to second on an error, sophomore second baseman Chris Getz (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS) walked and junior Nick Rudden (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) was hit by a pitch. Another error by the shortstop allowed Roblin to score U-M's first run of the season.

The Gators scored a single run on Smith's homer leading off the bottom of the third and added three in the fourth to take an 8-1 lead, but the Wolverines dented the scoreboard with three runs in the sixth with Burhans, Roblin and Getz collecting RBI singles. Florida added a single run in the seventh to close out the scoring.

The teams will play again Thursday (Feb. 26) at 6:30 p.m. in a makeup of Tuesday's game that was postponed due to inclement weather.

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423