Putnam, Wolverines Defeat Oakland in Home Opener

Friday, March 23

Ann Arbor, Mich.

3:00 PM

Michigan

7-6

Oakland

6-11

Oakland University

Michigan

3/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -C The University of Michigan baseball team used a season-high 16-hit attack, along with the pitching and hitting of sophomore RHP Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS), to beat Oakland University 9-2 in U-M's home opener under the lights in Ray Fisher Stadium in the Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex on an overcast Friday afternoon (March 23).

Putnam hit 2-for-4, driving in a career-best four runs. On the mound, he collected five strikeouts and allowed six hits and two runs.

The win gives Rich Maloney a perfect 5-0 record in his five home openers as Michigan's head coach. Putnam (3-2) pitched the first five innings to record his ninth career win as a Wolverine. It is the second straight year Putnam recorded a win over Oakland -- which is coached by Putnam's brother, Dylan -- in Michigan's home opener.

Putnam's two-run single with two outs in the third inning was his second career game-winning hit, giving Michigan (7-6) a 3-2 lead. The Wolverines scored six more runs in the next six innings for the final 9-2 margin over the Golden Grizzlies (6-11).

Putnam hit 2-for-4, driving in a career-best four runs in the game to push his RBI total to 11 on the season; on the mound, Putnam allowed six hits and two runs, while collecting five strikeouts. He leads all U-M pitchers in strikeouts, throwing 25 Ks in 29 innings.

Sophomore SS Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland), U-M's leading hitter at .412, junior catcher Doug Pickens (West Bloomfield, Mich./Brother Rice) and senior co-captain CF Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield) paced the Wolverine offense in the home opener, each collecting three hits. Rose, who was 3-for-3, scored twice and also collected his 61st career stolen base in the sixth inning.

Junior first baseman Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion), who was a freshman All-American at Oakland in 2005, was 2-for-4 and notched his 36th career double, while recording his 50th career multiple-hit game.

The Michigan bullpen chipped in with four scoreless innings as junior/sophomore Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS) worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning, senior/junior LHP Brad Seddon (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair HS) allowed two hits while pitching the seventh and eighth, and freshman LHP Eric Katzman (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan HS) closed the game as he faced four batters in the ninth.

The Wolverines face Oakland in a doubleheader Saturday (Mar. 24, 1 p.m.) with senior RHP Andrew Hess (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central) pitching the opener. Hess is 1-0 with a 3.28 ERA. Junior/sophomore Chris Fetter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) will start the second game; he is 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA.

N O T E S

The 9-2 win over Oakland in the home opener Friday (Mar. 23) gives Michigan a 29-3 home-opening mark since losing to Bowling Green in 1975. U-M won 17 straight home openers from 1976 through 1992.

Freshman RF Alan Oaks (White Lake, Mich./Divine Child) became the fifth Wolverine to collect his first-career hit this season when he doubled in a run in the fourth inning.

Junior 1B/OF Derek VanBuskirk (St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair), who missed the first 12 games due to injury, made his season debut as a pinch hitter. He hit a deep fly ball for the final out of the eighth inning.

Michigan's leading hitters after 13 games are: SS Jason Christian (21-for-51, .412), P/OF Zach Putnam (19-for-56, .339), 3B/P Adam Abraham (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich./South HS) at .333 (17-for-51), OF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) at .302 (16-for-53), C/2B/OF Doug Pickens (15-for-53, .283) and 1B Nate Recknagel (15-for-55, .273).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423