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Michigan searching for leadoff hitter

From the results Michigan has been getting lately, it might come as a surprise that there is a weak link in the offensive chain.

The Wolverines -- who have won 10 out of their last 13 -- are having problems getting production out of their leadoff hitter.

Since the beginning of the season, coach Geoff Zahn has given a number of players the first chance at bat, including Chuck Winters, Brian Bush, Bobby Scales, Brian Kalczynski and Jason Alcaraz.

Zahn attributes the lack of results partly on the fact that Michigan hasn't had enough games in which to tinker with the lead spot.

"There's no question we're looking for someone to lead off," Zahn said."

"What we haven't been able to do is play the mid-week games to try different combinations out."

Michigan has had mid-week contests against Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Western Michigan postponed or canceled due to inclement weather.

"Hopefully we can play this week and do some things," Zahn said. The Wolverines have games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, home against Hillsdale and at Detroit-Mercy, respectively and, of course, weather permitting.

C'MON C'MON WILD THING: In this weekend's four-game series, Michigan and Minnesota combined to throw 16 wild pitches.

Minnesota junior righthander Justin Pederson exhibited the least control, getting wild five times in Saturday's first game.

And costly it was for the Gophers, as Michigan scored twice amidst the wildness. Both runs came in the third inning on three wild pitches. The Wolverines won the game, 7-3.

Gopher senior Brad Kearin was luckier with his wild pitches. He tossed three in Sunday's second contest, but none of them came back to haunt him, and he came away with a complete-game shutout of the Wolverines.

Michigan's Brian Steinbach had two wild pitches, coming in the yesterday's first game. Fortunately for him and his teammates, neither ended up doing the Wolverines any lasting damage, as they won, 4-2.

Minnesota's Mike Diebolt hurled two such pitches while taking the loss in Saturday's second game. Not that it should cheer the junior southpaw up any, but at least he gave up fewer wild pitches than home runs. He gave up three dingers, including two to Wolverine third baseman Mike Cervenak.

Also tossing wild pitches over the weekend were Minnesota's Joe Westfall and Michigan's Mark Temple, Mike Hribernik and John Arvai.

CATCHING WOES: In addition to all the wild pitches, the two teams also combined for five passed balls.

Most of those can be chalked up to Michigan's Mike Haskell, who had four in Saturday's second game. Unlike wild pitches, however, passed balls are counted as errors by the catcher. Ultimately, though, the errors mattered little in the Wolverine victory.

A passed-ball error didn't hurt Minnesota's Matt Skovran in yesterday's second game, either, as the Gophers shut the Wolverines out.

Skovran played this weekend in the place of regular backstop Bryan Guse. Guse has been suspended indefinitely by the University of Minnesota for an offense termed only "violating team rules."

Guse was fourth on the team with a .351 average before the suspension, and was leading the Gophers with 22 runs batted in. He had played in 22 of Minnesota's 23 contests.

Skovran, meanwhile, had all of two at-bats going into the weekend. The Gopher freshman acquitted himself decently in Guse's stead, collecting three hits in nine trips to the plate while playing in all four games.

THE LEADER OF THE PACK: Zahn said he is pleased by the leadership junior shortstop Kelly Dransfeldt has been showing of late, on the field, at the plate and in the clubhouse.

"He's providing good leadership out there," Zahn said. "We have a young team, but the young guys are coming along (behind Dransfeldt)."

Dransfeldt acknowledges his role on the team. "Basically, the other guys look up for leadership on the field," he said.

"You don't really have to say a lot, because if you play hard on the field, they're going to play hard behind you. That's basically the leadership you need."