There was nothing sweet about the Michigan baseball team's weekend away from home in Alabama. To kick off their season, the Wolverines batted in three losses, 21-3, 19-3 and 22-7 respectively, to the 15th-ranked Crimson Tide.
"We need to get out on the field," Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said. "We're disappointed in the weekend's results and in how we played. Keeping in mind that we're coming out on the field for the first time, I like the way the pitchers threw, especially (Luke) Bonner, Cranson, (Ryan) Kelley and (J.J.) Putz."
The series began on Friday with Alabama's 21-3 drubbing of Michigan. In the game's seventh inning Alabama's right fielder Dustan Mohr hit a grand slam, his second consecutive homer of the game.
The Wolverines' pitching staff of Brian Steinbach, Brian Berryman, Bryan Cranson and Mario Garza, Jr. gave up 19 hits, while issuing four free passes and striking out seven. The Michigan defense committed three errors to Alabama's two.
Things did not get much better on Saturday. At the end of the ninth inning, the team found itself on the losing end of a 19-3 score. Luke Bonner gave up 10 hits and 10 runs in three innings of work, before turning it over to J.J. Putz, who gave up six runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings. The team was guilty of four errors.
In the weekend's second game Bryan Besco and Bryan Kalczynski went 2 for 4. Besco and Kalczynski, along with left fielder Jason Alcaraz, recorded at least one hit each in every game of the series.
Despite losing 22-7 and committing five errors, the Wolverines had their most productivity in game three. The team took its only lead of the series in the third inning. With two outs, Alacaraz hit a two-run single, while the next batter, right fielder Derek Besco, delivered an RBI single for the Wolverines.
Team captain and second baseman Kirk Beerman, who reached base in all three games, went 1 for 2, walked twice and scored three of the team's seven runs. His single in the fifth inning marked his 99th career hit.
The lack of outdoor practice combined with fundamental problems gives the team plenty of work for practice. The Wolverines beaned a number of hitters, walked 27 and made 12 errors.
"To some extent, I just think that we weren't ready to play," Zahn said. "(We weren't ready) a little mentally, but mostly physically. We need to pick apart the things we can control and get better on."
Although he does not want his team to make excuses, Zahn points out the disadvantage the Wolverines had.
"It would be as if the NCAA told (Michigan football coach) Lloyd Carr that his team could not workout outside and could not have team scrimmages," Zahn said. "But they would have to beat some of the top teams in the country on the road, like Florida or Florida State."
As the Wolverines prepare to go to Florida themselves on Saturday, Zahn is encouraged by what he saw in yesterday's practice.
"We had outstanding focus at (yesterday's) practice," Zahn said. "We realized there were some things we overlooked and that we need to go back to the basics. The guys were really intense at it."
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Junior outfielder Derek Besco - shown here in action last season - and the Wolverines couldn't slide by No. 15 Alabama this weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala. They fell three times, and the Crimson Tide scored 19, 21 and 22 runs.