Postgame Notes: Kentucky 12, #17 Michigan 6

Second-seeded Michigan (46-14) closed out the 2008 season with its 12-6 loss to Kentucky in NCAA Regional baseball action at Fisher Stadium in the Wilpon Baseball Complex on Sunday. Top-seeded Arizona captured the championship with a 5-3 win over Kentucky on Sunday night. Arizona advances to super-regional action next weekend against No. 1 Miami (Fla.). Sunday's attendance was 3,859.

The Wolverines had four players earn five positions on the regional all-tournament team, including 3B Adam Abraham, SS Jason Christian and OF Ryan LaMarre while Zach Putnam was named to the all-tournament team as both a pitcher and as the designated hitter.

Junior 3B Adam Abraham, who was 3-for-4 in the regional-opening win over Kentucky, was 4-for-6 in Sunday's final game of the season. For Abraham it was his team-leading 21st multi-hit game of the season and his second four-hit game of the year. Abraham, who led the team with 82 hits this season, has 53 career multiple-hit games with 14 three-hit games and four four-hit games. One of three Wolverines to start all 60 games, Abraham, closed out the season second on the team with a .352 (82-for-233) batting average with 14 doubles, three triples, seven homers and a career season-best 54 RBI. He has 130 career RBI.

Junior shortstop Jason Christian was 2-for-3 in the season-ending loss to Kentucky on Sunday, and he reached base five times with three walks to go with his two singles. Christian hit .500 (5-for-10) in the regional with an on-base percentage of .688 as he drew five walks and was hit by a pitch. Christian closed out the season hitting .330 (64-for-194) with 13 doubles, six triples and seven homers with 48 RBI from his leadoff position.

Freshman OF Ryan LaMarre, who reached base six times in his first two starts in NCAA regional action, closed out his rookie season by going 2-for-5 in Sunday's loss to Kentucky. He hit .500 (5-for-10) in the regional, scoring three runs and hitting his third career homer. LaMarre had hits in the last seven games of the season and in 16 of his last 17 games. LaMarre hit .305 (43-for-141) for the season with five doubles, three homers, 23 RBI and eight stolen bases.

Junior P/DH Zach Putnam, who pitched the first five innings of the regional opener for the win against Kentucky on Friday night, hit his 11th home run of the season, a three-run shot, in the loss to Kentucky on Sunday. Putnam finished the season with a 9-0 record, a 2.58 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 76.2 innings on the mound, while at the plate Putnam hit .307 (61-for-199) with 13 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 51 RBI.

Senior tri-captain LF Derek VanBuskirk, one of three Wolverines to start all 60 games in 2008, closed out his Wolverine career by collecting one hit in the loss to Kentucky on Sunday; it was his 200th career hit. VanBuskirk hit .294 (65-for-221) for his senior campaign with 10 doubles, one triple and 10 homers with a career-best 44 RBI. He finished with 50 career multi-hit games.

Fifth-year senior 2B Leif Mahler, one of three Wolverines to start all 60 games in 2008, had a hit in each of U-M's regional playoff games this weekend, including a 3-for-4 game to close out his career Sunday vs. Kentucky. Mahler recorded his 20th multi-hit game of the season in the finale, and he added his team-leading 17th double. Mahler closed out his career with 57 multiple-hit games along with 37 doubles. Mahler led the team with 13 sacrifice bunts, giving him 34 for his career, and he led the team with 162 assists. Mahler finished fifth on U-M's all-time list for games played with 219.

Senior/junior RHP Michael Powers, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten Tournament last weekend (May 22-24), worked the final 2.2 innings vs. Kentucky on Sunday. Powers finished the season with a 6-4 record with a 2.60 ERA, and he was third on the team with 62 strikeouts in 62.1 innings. Powers has 13 career wins and 12 saves, and he ranks fifth on U-M's all-time saves list after recording his fourth save in the last two weekends in the NCAA regional-opening win vs. Kentucky.

The pitching appearance for Powers vs. Kentucky on Sunday was his team-leading 28th of the season. Powers is the active career leader with 71 appearances, and he ranks sixth on Michigan's career pitching appearance list, just two behind Greg Everson (73 appearances, 1985-87) for fifth place.

Senior 1B/C Nate Recknagel, who was injured in the sixth inning of the regional-opening win over Kentucky and missed the last two games, closed out his Wolverine career with hits in 46 of the 58 games he played in 2008 and in 145 of the 181 games he played in his career at U-M. Recknagel led the Wolverines in hitting at .368 (77-for-209), home runs (23), RBI (68) and slugging (.751). Recknagel closed out his career ranked sixth on U-M's career RBI list (165) and seventh in career hits (238).

Junior CF Kevin Cislo, who finished the season third on the team in hitting with a .348 (62-for-178) average, reached base twice with walks in the season finale vs. Kentucky on Sunday. Cislo, who led the team with 18 stolen bases in 2008, reached base in his final 45 consecutive games.

Sophomore RHP/1B Mike Dufek closed out 2008 season by going 3-for-5 vs. Kentucky on Sunday for his eighth multi-hit game of the year. Dufek, who saw action in 41 games, hit .324 (35-for-108) for the season while going 1-0 in eight pitching appearances.