Michigan
Penn State
Big Ten Series Opener Against Penn State Washed Out
5/21/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A heavy downpour which started about an hour before game time forced postponement of today's (Friday, May 21) 3 p.m. Big Ten Conference baseball contest between the University of Michigan and visiting Penn State. The schedule for the four-game series has been modified to include doubleheaders on Saturday (May 22, 1 p.m.) and Sunday (May 23, 1 p.m.) at Ray Fisher Stadium.
According to Big Ten rules the games must be played in the same sequence of innings scheduled, so Saturday's doubleheader will consist of a nine-inning game followed by a seven-inning game and Sunday's doubleheader will feature a seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning game.
Michigan (29-23, 16-12 Big Ten) will send junior/sophomore LHP Paul Hammond (Mason, Ohio, Mason HS), at 4-1 with a 4.07 ERA, and senior/junior RHP Jim Brauer (Carmel, Ind./Carmel HS), at 5-3 with a 4.92 ERA, to the mound Saturday to face Penn State (27-24, 16-12 Big Ten) in the final weekend of the Big Ten regular season.
N O T E S
In Big Ten action Friday night Minnesota, the lone home team to win a game, defeated Ohio State 13-1 to lower its magic number to one for clinching the conference championship and the right to host the Big Ten Tournament at Siebert Field in Minneapolis next week (May 26-30). Northwestern stayed alive in its playoff chase with a 3-0 win at Michigan State in a game the start was delayed for 45 minutes by rain. Indiana kept Purdue from clinching a playoff berth with a 9-3 win, and Illinois beat Iowa 11-8. The Michigan-Penn State rainout kept the two teams tied for fourth and now tied in the loss column with Michigan State.
Big Ten Standings (includes games of May 21)
1. Minnesota 20-9 .690 2. Ohio State 18-11 .621 3. Michigan State 17-12 .586 4. MICHIGAN 16-12 .571 Penn State 16-12 .571 6. Purdue 15-14 .517 7. Northwestern 13-16 .448 8. Iowa 10-19 .345 Illinois 10-19 .345 10. Indiana 9-20 .310
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
