Seniors lead Michigan to rst playoff title in 12 seasons

All season, the Michigan baseball team has counted on the outstanding play and leadership of its 14 seniors to guide it to victory.

Never was that more evident than in the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament yesterday as the seniors guided the Wolverines to their first Big Ten Tournament title since 1987.

Five different Wolverine seniors were named first team all-tournament.

Senior second baseman Bobby Scales was also named outstanding player of the tournament thanks to a .471 batting average, two doubles, a triple and four RBI.

In the first game of the doubleheader yesterday, he was a perfect four-for-four, scoring three times and driving in one run.

Michigan received timely hitting through the championship game from its seniors.

First baseman Bryan Besco drove in four of the team's 12 runs with a double in the first and a homer in the third.

Right fielder Jason Alcaraz also hit five singles in the Wolverines' victory, driving in two, including the game-winner with bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

Throughout the season, this class of Wolverines made their mark on Michigan history. Whether it was third baseman Mike Cervenak setting the Michigan career hits record with a homerun against Indiana, or Scales posting an 18-game hitting streak, the longest in Michigan history, these seniors will be remembered as one of the great classes in Michigan history.

But what these Wolverines may be remembered for most is their resiliency when faced with adversity. After losing four-run leads three different times in the championship game, the Wolverines finally put the Gophers away in the bottom of the ninth.

"I couldn't ask for a greater group of guys," Michigan coach Geoff Zahn said. "This is their team, and we are going to go as far as they take us.

"We had a lot of things that could go against us, but this group of guys doesn't give up."

After their 13-10 loss in the first game yesterday, the Wolverines looked like a beaten team as Minnesota carried all of the momentum going into the championship game. Had Michigan failed to win the tournament, its season would have ended right there on the field. But the seniors refused to go down without a fight, knowing they could be playing their final game in a Michigan uniform.

"We talked about it at the banquet, and we didn't want to end it this weekend," Besco said. "We wanted to end it with a win because this is it for the seniors."

05-24-99