Notes & Quotes: Michigan State 3, Michigan 1
4/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Three of the five Wolverines who have their number retired were on hand at Ray Fisher Stadium in the Wilpon Baseball Complex on Saturday (April 18) as Jim Abbott's jersey No. 31 was retired during pre-game ceremonies. The three included Abbott (1986-88) and former U-M player/head coaches Moby Benedict (No. 1, player 1954-56, head coach 1963-79) and Don Lund (No. 33, player 1943-45, head coach 1959-62).
Former U-M head coach Bud Middaugh (1980-89), Abbott's head coach, was at the game as was former Wolverine head coach Geoff Zahn (player 1966-67, head coach 1996-2001) and Abbott's former U-M baseball trainer Rex Thompson. Former Wolverine baseball players at the game Saturday included Allan Levy (1955), Rick Leach (1976-79), Jim Berra (1975-78), Mike Parker (1976-78) and former Abbott teammates Kourtney Thompson (1986-89), Scott Kamieniecki (1983-86), Mike Ignasiak (1985-88), Stacey Katlin (1987-90), Jeff Tanderys (1988-91 and Kirt Ojala (1988-90).
Michigan (20-16, 4-7 Big Ten) dropped into eighth place in the Big Ten standings with the 3-1 loss to Michigan State (14-21, 5-6 Big Ten).
Having dropped the first two games of the three-game series with Michigan State, 8-7, in 11 innings and, 3-1, today marks the first time the Wolverines have dropped three Big Ten series since 2003 when U-M lost weekends to Minnesota, Illinois and Purdue.
Junior catcher Chris Berset was 2-for-4 with a double and had the lone RBI in the 3-1 loss to Michigan State on Saturday. Berset, who returned to the lineup against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday (April 15), has a pair of multi-hit games in the weekend series vs. MSU, and he has a three-game hitting streak. Berset, who is hitting .286 (10-for-35) in 12 games this season, has five doubles and a homer among his 10 hits.
Junior RHP/OF Alan Oaks worked a career-best 7.2 innings in his first career start as he took the loss to Michigan State on Saturday. Oaks, who entered the game with eight career innings pitched in his U-M career, nearly doubled his career output. Oaks is 0-2 with a 4.61 ERA and nine strikeouts in his 13.2 innings this season. Oaks has five homers while also seeing action in the outfield and as a DH this season, and he has 13 career home runs.
Junior/sophomore DH Jack McLouth, with a sixth-inning single, and freshman 3B John Lorenz, with a fourth-inning single, joined Berset as the lone Wolverines with hits Saturday vs. MSU.
Senior co-captain 2B Kevin Cislo matched his season high as he drew three walks; he also walked three times vs. St. John's on Feb. 22. Cislo has nine multi-walk games this season. He leads the team with 26 walks and 40 runs scored and ranks second on the team with 10 stolen bases.
Senior OF Kenny Fellows, who had his career-best hitting streak snapped at seven games collected a pair of stolen bases to move his team-leading total to 11. Fellows has hits in 18 of his last 22 games.
Q U O T E S
Former Wolverine Jim Abbott
On his emotions during the pregame jersey retirement ceremony... "It was incredibly special. When the blanket fell down off the number I got a little emotional thinking about all the people who helped me along the way to realize this dream. It is one of the most special days of my life."
On having his former coach Bud Middaugh in attendance..."Anything I was able to accomplish after my days here was because of what Coach Middaugh taught me here and because he took a chance on me coming out of high school. It was so special to have he and some of my former teammates here today to celebrate this moment but especially to have coach here is just great."
On his pregame talk to the team... "Coach Maloney told me they have been going through some ups and downs lately, and I told them that there are always ups and downs, but it is how you respond to that adversity that makes you who they are. I told them that they have the talent and the ability to turn things around and that they have to continue to believe in who they are and trust their ability, and things will turn around for them."
On his first impressions of the new facility... "It is indescribable. When I walked through it yesterday, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. It has come a long way from my days as a player with wire lockers and iron stools. I have been in a lot of major league locker rooms and facilities and this is as good as any of those. I don't know how a recruit could visit here and not want to immediately be a Michigan Wolverine, and that is how it should be."
Michigan Head Coach Rich Maloney
On not capitalizing on opportunities... "Yeah, we had a lot more chances than they had, or it sure seemed that way. We didn't get the big hit. The few times they had chances they got the big hit, and that really was the difference in the game. Timely hitting is -- you can't teach it. It just has to happen. When guys are going well, it seems to happen. When guys aren't, it seems not to work out for our team and things have not gone real well"
On being held to only one run in the contest... "Well they gave us a lot of opportunities. They gave us a lot of walks and it seemed like a lot of walks, especially early in the game. We had many opportunities, but I am definitely not going to take anything away from their pitchers because they shut us down. We had our moments and we didn't come through in those moments. Their few moments, they did and that is how they won the game."
On junior pitcher Alan Oaks... "I was hoping that he would give us a chance to win and he did more than that. I thought he was great and that was very encouraging to see him pitch so well and give our team a lift. He gave us a chance like I said and, unfortunately, we didn't get the big win."
On retiring Jim Abbott's number this afternoon... "Jimmy is a very special person and was a great player for us. This honor is very well deserved and puts him in a very unique class of people and we are thankful for everything that he has contributed to our program being a player and being how he represents the university. He is just a great person to have as a fixture in your program."
On injuries affecting the team... "You play nine different guys, so there is no question, but I try not to dwell on that. We started off gang-busters at the beginning of the season and then as we played, we had a couple injuries that really hurt us that were untimely. Losing Chris Berset was a really bad injury for our team. Then when we lost Tyler Burgoon -- I think it doesn't even hurt now, but even though he is healthy, he is out of rhythm. We've let some games escape. I don't take any games for granted. I never have, even when we had the teams that were dominant. I never take things for granted. It is the great game of baseball and any team can win any given day, and unfortunately for us, we hit a rut that we hadn't had. These kids have never experienced that and it is hard for them. They are trying so hard, but you just have to keep playing your way through it."
U-M Junior Pitcher Alan Oaks
On his reaction to the loss... "I would say this one hurts a little bit more because we were right there the whole game. We just couldn't get the key hit. Also, it is against Michigan State, which it never feels good when you lose to them."
On pitching seven-and-two-thirds inning this afternoon..."Well actually coming into the year, I really didn't know how much I was going to pitch. I pitched a little bit this summer, and our team needed a lift and they threw me out there last week for just one inning. Last Sunday, I came in relief and threw four innings and they said 'Okay, you earned the start this weekend.' I think with a couple of the pitchers struggling, it is definitely a plus for a team to be able to go that long and save some of our other pitchers."
On the team struggling at the plate today... "It is frustrating. You have got to give credit to their pitchers; they only gave up four hits. Sometimes the bats just aren't hot and other days they are. It is really a team thing. It is a matter of getting good pitching and good hitting on the same day, and so far we haven't been able to do that."
