'M' in critical condition

Midweek frustrations leave Blue in confusion

Bruised by a weekend of abuse doled out by Big Ten leader Ohio State, this week, the Michigan baseball team looked for redemption in its own backyard.

What it found in back to back games against southeast Michigan neighbors, Oakland and Eastern Michigan, was a pair of teams that weren't intimidated by the Wolverines and were undaunted by seasons full of lopsided losses.

Whatever resolve Michigan had to turn its season around after three losses to the Buckeyes last weekend faded about as quickly as Eastern's ten minute trip from Ypsilanti on Tuesday.

The Eagles, eager to avenge a 12-3 drubbing a week earlier, roared out to score eight runs in the game's first two innings before Michigan was able to take control of the situation and carve out a 10-8 win.

Though the Wolverines were able to slide past their upset-minded Washtenaw County rivals, in yesterday's match-up with Oakland, they were not as successful. The Golden Grizzlies effectively mauled Michigan to earn their first-ever win over the Wolverines, 12-4.

Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said he couldn't take anything away from Oakland - they outplayed his club.

"We were flat today, there's no question about it," Zahn said. "... Oakland was just the better team today."

Both Zahn and his team realize Oakland shouldn't have been.

Desperately hoping to capitalize on strong midweek showings against teams they should have steamrolled, Michigan is now forced to stumble into Minnesota.

It will do battle with the Gophers this weekend reeling on the heels of the midweek split.

But more than simply coming up short in what could have proved to be a moral-building midweek stand, the Wolverines showed the dangers of complacency.

More frightening, though, for a veteran team eyeing a post-season berth, once rattled, the squad failed to show the resilience that defined them as a team earlier spring.

Oakland stormed out of the gates to grab a 4-0 lead yesterday, and from there, the Wolverines simply watched the Grizzlies pick them apart tallying seven runs in the ninth inning.

In underestimating the strength of the Oakland attack, Michigan was forced to hopelessly try to dig itself out of a hole it couldn't surmount.

"Our guys kind of sat back and said 'oh well we'll win this game'," Zahn said. "We were a little slow, we waited around and it just didn't happen. We know that you can't play that way."

And hopefully for Zahn and his club that's the silver-lining in this week's painful lesson - that they realize they can't play with such apathy and hope to compete.

More than anything though, Michigan proved it hasn't earned the ability to take anybody for granted.

"Oakland isn't that bad a team that you can just go out and throw your gloves out on the field and win," Zahn said. "If you throw the ball over the middle of the plate somebody's going to hit it."

Zahn's description of his team's mental preparedness and lack of intensity is more than a sad description of a team in the midst a struggle - its nothing short of a challenge to an uninspired club.

Michigan's showing yesterday boldly proclaimed the need for revitalized leadership to rekindle the flame that lit the Wolverines to a solid conference start.

"We're a senior laden team and we're going to rise and fall with our seniors," Zahn said.

This week, Michigan showed it may be content to do the latter.

04-15-99