Yes, it's almost Monday, but it's never too late to update Sunday's scoreboard, is it?
Michigan 27 Michigan State 6 (box)
Derek VanBuskirk clubs three homers to help power Michigan to the sweep over MSU. VanBuskirk had four hits, scored four times and had nine RBI. Jason Christian had four hits, three runs and five RBI. Leif Mahler had four hits, two runs scored and four RBI. Christian, Mahler and Nate Recknagel all left the yard for Michigan. Michael Powers posted his fourth win. MSU's Chris Roberts had a four hit game, as well.
Minnesota 4 Illinois 3 (box)
Illinois 9 Minnesota 7 (box)
The Gophers scored in the bottom of the ninth to take game one. Minnesota's Tom Steidl went 3 for 3. Jeff DeSmidt and Mike Kvasnicka both had a pair of hits. Cullen Sexton got two outs to win the opener. Illinois' Joe Bonadonna had three hits and Dominic Altobelli drove in two.
In game two, Bonadonna went 4 for 4 with a run scored, two RBI and two stolen bases. Mike Sterk gets the win in relief. The Gophers' DeSmidt homered and drove in three.
Penn State 11 Indiana 9 (box)
Seth Whitehill gives up five hits, a walk and two earned runs over seven innings to earn his fourth victory of the year. Rob Yodice's three hits led PSU. Yodice scored once and drove in another. Joe Blackburn had two hits, three RBI and a run scored. Rick Marlin had two hits, two runs and two RBI. IU's Michael Earley went 3 for 3 with two RBI. PSU swept the weekend from the Hoosiers.
Northwestern 13 Iowa 6 (box)
Northwestern 9 Iowa 6 (box)
Chris Lashmet homered and drove in five for NU. Nate Roberts had two hits and two RBI. Tommy Finn also homered for NU. Eric Jokisch improved to 4-2 with five innings of work in the first game. Kevin Hoef had three hits, a run scored and a RBI for the Hawkeyes.
Wildcats' OF Roberts had a four hit game in the finale. The freshman also drove in three and scored a run. Jake Owens, Aaron Newman and Jake Goebbert all had three hit games. Matt Havey got the W, Jonathon Purcell posted the save. Iowa's Justin Toole went 4 for 5 and Wes Freie homered.
Ohio State 8 Purdue 4 (box)
Purdue 7 Ohio State 5 (box)
Justin Miller drove in three runs for OSU in the first game. J.B. Shuck had two hits, two runs and a RBI. Cory Kovanda also had a pair of hits. Dean Wolosiansky (5-2) earned the win. Eric Best came out of the bullpen to get his fifth save. Purdue's Brandon Haveman, Jon Moore and Jonathon Lilly each had two hits.
Ryne White's three run ninth inning homer lifted the Boilers to victory in game two. White also had two hits and two runs scored. Jordan Comadena scored twice and drove in two on one hit. Josh Lindblom worked the final three frames to get the win. Ohio State's Shuck had a good start -- working seven innings while scattering four hits, two walks and one earned run. Shuck also fanned seven batters, but didn't factor in the decision. The Bucks' Miller was a perfect 4 for 4 with a RBI. Kovanda had two hits, two runs and two RBI. Kovanda also hit his first homerun of the season.
Standings
Michigan 15-1
Purdue 12-4
Illinois 9-7
Ohio State 8-7
Penn State 8-8
Northwestern 8-8
Minnesota 6-10
Iowa 5-11
Michigan State 4-11
Indiana 4-12
Wasn't I the guy who liked MSU and Indiana as sleepers? So much for my expertise. Perhaps, this lack of knowledge secures my spot as an official media member. There has to be some condolence, doesn't there?
I'm not ready to concede the regular season title to Michigan yet, but that was an impressive woodshed-style beating of MSU this weekend. The Wolverines have the ability to simply overpower teams.
I think it's safe to call Penn State resurgent. Coach Wine's side is moving up the standings. Much like Purdue, the Nittany Lions have rebounded from early season woes that I feared would be indicative of their whole season. The players and coaches -- at both programs -- deserve credit for not packing it in after rough starts.
As for the Boilermakers, their series win in Columbus has to quiet the doubters. Again, I've liked the Boilers on paper, but their performance rarely lives up to my expectations. This year, however, they look to exceed my predictions.
Because I know you are wondering, here's next weekend's schedule: Michigan @ Indiana, Iowa @ Michigan State, Ohio State @ Northwestern, Penn State @ Illinois and Minnesota @ Purdue.
The debate over the player/pitcher of the year was so good, that I'm offering up a new question for BTH readers. This week's question: Who is on your all-conference team after the first month of the season?
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11 comments:
C Phegley IND
1B Recknagel MICH
2B Caleb Curry IOWA
3B Abrams MICH
SS Wikoff ILL
OF Nohelty MINN
OF Hudson ILL
OF Shutz IND
DH Goebbert NU
SP Fetters MICH
SP Shucks OSU
SP Putnam MICH
RP O'Neil PSU
I can't help but feel like Dan Black in cheated out of this, but I had to go with Goebbert @ DH. Really, with Shucks and Putnam who needs a DH anyways?
The OF also is a crapshoot for me. I find it amazing how many catchers in the Big10 are so productive, but so few outfielders seem to be big hitters. It's mind boggling. There are a good 3-4 catchers that should just move to the outfield and save a few years on their legs.
If you don't mind me braggin a tad, PSU and Purdue are surely coming along. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes it was them that Purdue took 3/4 from, but White & Black are studs. And you'd think very maketable with their names and school colors.
So can someone provide a run down of just exactly who and how many HR's Michigan hit this weekend?
I'd feel unjust if I gave an all Big Ten team right now, without seeing all the teams. However with Shuck's performance yesterday, he is doing his job, the rest of the Buckeyes not so much.
Michigan homeruns:
Friday -- Abraham
Saturday #1 -- Recknagel
Saturday #2 -- Abraham, Putnam, Recknagel, VanBuskirk
Sunday -- Christian, Mahler, Recknagel, VanBuskirk x 3
Thanks. It must be quiet the luxury having 4th year players in VanBuskirk and Recknagle. I know they weren't drafted so that is why, but I wish our 04 guys Angle, Fryer, Luebke that were drafted and left were around. Would make a heck of a difference.
I'm really intrigued by the Ill/PSU series this weekend. I was a little turned off by our rocky start, but seeing them beat IU this weekend gave me back some confidence in coach Wine. I only wish this was a home series for PSU so I could see Illinois play.
That series as well as Northwestern/Ohio State will tell us a lot about how the top half of the conference is going to wind up, IMO.
I too am interested in seeing how Northwestern does against Ohio State. The middle of the pack will start to get sorted out this weekend.
Hope Ohio St. shows up at NW this weekend.OSU has to score more runs. Their are no easy Big Ten games on the Road. Purdue really beat us up good this past weekend. Osu is very young in the bullpen and has had it problems closing games.
Dan Black and Ryne White are studs at the plate for Purdue. They have a good 1,2 punch with Haverman and Wolgamot in the lineup.Jon Moore made some great plays in CF this past weekend too.
Don't know much about NW. looking at some stats, Era 6.11,.311 team BA.,47 Errors and 1B Jake Goebbert is leading the team .394. 17 2B,7 HR, 36 RBI,30 R
Might make the trip over this weekend to Evanston. Never have been their for any games.
I also will be watching that PSU-ILL series too. When PSU came to Columbus, i was very impressed with Stobart and Wanamaker on the hill. They both pitched well vs. OSU. With Ernst,Blackburn and Cory Wine they should score some runs vs. ILL
Northwestern's a funny team. They can hit the ball for sure, but they really have no pitching outside of their closer, Harvey. I know you mentioned Goebbert, but watch out for Kalina as well, the kid can flat out rake. I watched them when they came here to PSU last year and their hitting was pretty impressive. It should be an interesting series that I'll be keeping an eye on all week.
Wannamaker and Stobart have been really good for PSU this year, ad Wannamaker has done a great job filling in for departed ace Craig Clark. I just wish Whitehill would remember how he pitched during the Big Ten season last year. Also, the hitting is finally starting to come around, as well. Blackburn was killing the ball this weekend. Rick Marlin was hot this weekend, as well, raising his average to near .300. It'd be nice if we had some power in the lineup somewhere, that seems to be the only thing that's keeping this team from being a top-tier team.
Ohio State's pitching really impresses me, they may have the best overall staff in the Big Ten. However, they seem to have the same problem as PSU with power. I think OSU has a good core of overall hitters, though. I was really surprised when PSU split with OSU @ Columbus earlier this year.
Sorry to focus on PSU, but I've really only followed Big Ten baseball for 3 years now and it pretty much all boils down to what I've seen at Medlar Field.
I hadn't ventured outside of the Fish at Michigan until this last week either. I ramble around everyone else's sites the last few years as I almost started a Michigan baseball blog when I was still on campus. Pesky engineering classes killed that effort real fast.
I'll probably head up to Northwestern this weekend for the Saturday pair. Finally done with the road trips for work (at least for the most part).
No offense but it was about time, and am so glad they renovated the Fish. Having traveled up there a lot of the last 2 seasons, with a trip next weekend, for a program like Michigan it was pathetic to have the wooden, paint chipping blue bleachers.
I would be at Northwestern this weekend, but have tickets to Indians-Yankees Friday, will actually be in Bloomington for Indiana-Michigan, then Sunday OSU alum Matt Angle is playing down in Charleston, his Delmarva Shorebird play against the WV Power.
Speaking of stadiums, I'm very confused as to why Michigan State spent the money, time, and effort they did into giving Kolbs a facelift, which was needed, but stil play quite a few games at Oldsmobile park? They do the stupid home-home-home thing with Michigan, and we (OSU) had to return to Oldsmobile like we did in 06. I kinda wanted to play on campus, but Oldsmobile is literally 5 mins away fro my fathers house in Lansing so I shouldn't complain too much?
They had to do something with Kobs, rb. If you didn't like the old Fish, you could not have embraced Kobs. There were a number of high schools in Michigan with better on-campus yards.
I haven't made it out to the updated venue, but even with updates, I suspect Olds Park still offers better overall facilities than Kobs does.
As for The Fish, yes, renovation was long overdue. Although, I would still maintain building an entirely new ballpark would have been a better idea. That, however, is a story for another day.
Nonetheless, the stadium accurately reflected the university's commitment to the baseball program. As the program went down, so did The Fish.
kowisja, it's never too late to begin blogging.
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