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If they've looked at Michigan's record, the Bowling Green and Oakland baseball teams are feeling pretty giddy.

Neither school is known for its baseball and neither one plays in a powerhouse conference. But on the surface, the Falcons and Pioneers might have a shot at beating last year's Big Ten champion, Michigan in Ann Arbor this week.

After all, the Wolverines are off to a 10-15 start. They lost three of four games at Ohio State last weekend and dropped to the conference cellar.

Bowling Green, on the other hand, cruises into Ann Arbor today with a 14-9 record. The Falcons won three of four from Western Michigan and Central Michigan over the weekend. Oakland, in just its first season as a Division I team, swept Siena Heights.

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Michigan's Derek Besco and the rest of the Wolverines hope they can slide past Oakland and Bowling Green this weekend.

But that's as far as the advantages go. These are small programs coming off victories over even smaller teams. Oakland, in particular, hasn't beaten any noteworthy teams. On their spring trip, the Pioneers were demolished by the likes of Dartmouth and Harvard.

Michigan's record may appear unimpressive - especially after three losses in Columbus. But each one of those losses could have gone either way, with scores of 6-4, 2-1 and 3-2. And Sunday's 12-8 victory over the Buckeyes may have been the most significant.

"We needed that win Sunday," Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said. "Our kids responded really well to come back and win."

Sunday's game was one big irony. The Wolverines pitched their worst outing of the series, yet it was their only victory of the weekend.

Still, the quality pitching in the first three games had to be encouraging. Michigan lost three Big Ten road games for the second straight weekend, but the pitching corps allowed a whopping 45 runs in the previous series at Illinois. In light of last weekend, Michigan's early spring pitching woes look nearly over.

Zahn will throw left-handed pitcher Nick Alexander against Bowling Green today, and right-hander Mike Hribernik against Oakland tomorrow.

Alexander hasn't started a game this season, and he'll be only the second southpaw to do that for Michigan. Opponents have hit .329 off the freshman in his seven relief appearances.

Hribernik has pitched well in the midweek games lately. But he was roughed up Friday against Ohio State. The senior didn't make it through the third inning, his record falling to 2-3. He will look to get back on track Wednesday.

But Zahn finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place with his pitching rotation this week. His big guns just threw this past weekend, and they have to rest up for an extremely important series with Minnesota this weekend.

"It's a double-edged sword," Zahn said. "When you play in the middle of the week, you have to pitch the best guys you have. But you have to save some for the weekend, too."

04-07-98