Michigan steals Big Ten crown, tourney bid

Alcaraz bats in winning run as Blue celebrates, 12-11

COLUMBUS - This time not even Mother Nature could stop them.

The Michigan baseball team broke into a rousing chorus of "The Victors" at Ohio State's Bill Davis Stadium just before the rain could drive them off the field for one last time.

The Wolverines, thanks to senior Jason Alcaraz's game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning, celebrated their first Big Ten tournament championship in 12 years right in the face of the oncoming thunderstorm with a 12-11 victory over Minnesota.

AP PHOTO The Michigan baseball team celebrates after Jason Alcaraz drove in the game-winning run to defeat Minnesota and win the Big Ten tournament. The victory secures Michigan an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament - its first since 1989.

The storms that had moved Saturday's championship game to Sunday were threatening to delay the game again. But Alcaraz knocked in the game-winning run with a shot over the head of Minnesota leftfielder Scott Howard, and within seconds the Wolverines were sprawled all over the field in uncontrolled jubilation.

"We battled all year for this," Michigan second baseman Bobby Scales said. "This feels great."

But it was not easy.

Michigan opened the tournament against host and top seed Ohio State on Thursday night. After opening an 8-2 advantage over the favored Buckeyes by the fourth inning, the Wolverines failed to score another run, and faced a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the ninth. But Michigan's Luke Bonner struck out Ohio State's Matt Middleton and then got Joe Wilkens to pop up and earn the Wolverines an 8-6 upset.

"Ohio State is a great team," said Michigan coach Geoff Zahn. "We needed to have a great game to beat them, but all four teams in the tournament are good."

The Wolverines would find that out the following day with yet another difficult game - this time against Illinois.

It looked like Michigan's season might come to an end against the Illini, as they trailed 6-5 with two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the ninth.

But Michigan seniors Jason Alcaraz and Brian Bush reached base on singles to keep hope alive. David Parrish then ripped a double to send the Wolverines to the championship game as the only remaining undefeated team.

"You dream about this kind of finish on the last out," Parrish said. "He threw me a fastball and I saw it really well."

The Wolverines got all of Saturday off as rain delayed the championship until Sunday. But things must have still appeared cloudy for the Wolverines in Sunday's first game as the Gophers out- raced Michigan to a 13-10 victory and forced a final and deciding game.

In the tournament's final game Michigan jumped ahead 4-0 by the second inning behind the hot hitting of Alcaraz, Bryan Besco and the always-consistent Scales. But the Gophers climbed right back into the game, tying the score by the fourth.

The Wolverines were not to be outdone on this day.

The two teams entered the ninth inning deadlocked at 11, and Michigan's J.J. Putz never gave the Gophers another chance for a comeback by pitching a quick one-two-three inning to set the stage for Alcaraz.

"These last four games were probably the most exciting games of my life," Alcaraz said. "I was pretty nervous when I first got up there and I swung through a couple of pitches. Once I got two strikes on me I settled down though."

But the Wolverines had confidence in Alcaraz's hitting talent all along.

"He's a great hitter," tournament MVP Bobby Scales said after the game. "You can throw bottle caps at him at night, and he could be hitting with a broom stick, and he's going to hit .350."

The Wolverines will now return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1989, and they are going in with a lot confidence.

"If we keep hitting the ball like we are now I don't see how anyone can stop us," Alcaraz said.

A fact that bodes well for the Wolverines - who learned this weekend that when it rains, it pours.

05-24-99