U-M Seals Sweep of Bucks With Hot-Hitting Pair of Wins

Sunday, April 15

Columbus, Ohio

1:05 PM

Michigan

21-6, 7-0

Ohio State

18-8, 4-5

Michigan

Ohio State

U-M Seals Sweep of Bucks With Hot-Hitting Pair of Wins

4/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Site: Columbus, Ohio (Bill Davis Stadium)
Score:Michigan 6, Ohio State 3; Michigan 13, Ohio State 3
Records: U-M (22-6, 8-0 Big Ten), OSU (18-9, 4-6 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Apr. 18 -- DH vs. Eastern Michigan (Ray Fisher Stadium), 3:00 p.m.

• Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Junior 1B Nate Recknagel (Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) and senior RF Brad Roblin (Wayland, Mass./Rivers School) each had four hits to score a combined total of nine runs, as the University of Michigan baseball team swept Ohio State 6-3 and 13-3 in a Big Ten doubleheader Sunday afternoon (April 15) in Bill Davis Stadium.

The doubleheader sweep gives the Wolverines (22-16, 8-0 Big Ten) a 16-game winning streak. U-M remains unbeaten in Big Ten play, while Ohio State drops to 18-9 (4-6 Big Ten).

Sophomore LHP Mike Wilson (Pickering, Ont./Pine Ridge Secondary) collected his team-leading fifth win and dropped his ERA to 0.58 in the opening win. Junior/sophomore RHP Chris Fetter (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) notched his fourth win, pitching seven innings in the nightcap. Wilson and Fetter did not allow an earned run in Sunday's sweep.

Recknagel was 7-for-14 in the series with the game-winning three-run double in the fourth inning of the opener Sunday. He was 4-for-6 with two doubles, scoring four times and driving in four runs in both games combined.

Roblin was 3-for-3 in the second game and scored the winning run in the first inning on a single by sophomore DH Zach Putnam (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS). Michigan scored in five of the first six innings in the second game.

The Wolverines had 26 hits in the Sunday sweep, which gave Michigan nine consecutive wins over Ohio State in the past two years. The streak has come in consecutive four-game sweeps.

OSU held a 1-0 lead after four innings of the opener, but Recknagel's drive cleared the bases in the fifth inning. U-M scored four in the fifth and two in the sixth for a 6-1 lead, and junior/sophomore RHP Michael Powers (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake HS) hit the mound for the save in the seventh.

Michigan scored twice in the first, third and fourth innings of the second game and blew the game open with a six-run fifth inning.

The Wolverines are scheduled to play a doubleheader Wednesday (April 18) against Eastern Michigan. The first game is slated to be carried by Comcast Local, with Ben Holden (play-by-play) and former Wolverine pitcher and baseball coach Geoff Zahn (color analyst) calling the action.

Usual Wednesday starter freshman LHP Eric Katzman (Harrington Park, N.J./Northern Valley Old Tappan HS) should start one of the EMU games.

Notes

In Big Ten action Sunday afternoon Michigan remained unbeaten in conference action sweeping the doubleheader at Ohio State, 6-3 and 13-3, while Minnesota swept Iowa, 3-2 and 9-6. Northwestern topped Illinois 6-5 in 10 innings to wrap up that series. In the marathon at Purdue it was Indiana winning 11-3 to complete the second game of the series and then the host Boilermakers won 13-2 and 11-7 to take three of four from the Hoosiers. Michigan State split two games with Penn State winning the opener, 4-1, before PSU took the nightcap, 6-5.

Updated Big Ten Standings (as of 4-15-07):

 1. MICHIGAN        8-0  1.000
 2. Minnesota       5-1   .833
 3. Illinois        6-4   .600
    Michigan State  6-4   .600
 5. Purdue          6-5   .545
 6. Penn State      4-5   .444
 7. Ohio State      4-6   .400
 8. Indiana         4-8   .333
 9. Iowa            3-7   .300
10. Northwestern    3-9   .250

The 16-game winning streak for the Wolverines is the career best for head coach Rich Maloney at Michigan. It is the longest U-M winning streak since 1988, when the Wolverines' won 18 games in a row. It is just the second 16-game streak in U-M baseball history (1985 and 2007).

Co-captain Eric Rose (Blissfield, Mich./Blissfield) collected his 13th and 14th stolen bases of the year in the second game at Ohio State on Sunday. He now has 70 career steals. Rose ranks second in career steals at Michigan, and he is inching closer to the U-M career record of 74 stolen bases held by Jim Durham (1986-89).

Junior catcher/2B/of Doug Pickens had his team-leading hitting streak snapped at 15 games in the opener. CF Eric Rose and SS Jason Christian (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) extended their hitting streaks to 14 games with hits in both games.

Michigans leading hitters after 28 games are: P/OF Zach Putnam (40-for-105, .381), SS Jason Christian (43-for-116, .371), 1B Nate Recknagel (36-for-101, .356), C/2B/OF Doug Pickens (38-for-109, .349), 2B Kevin Cislo (22-for-64, .344), OF Brad Roblin (37-for-111, .333), 3B/P Adam Abraham (37-for-113, .327) and OF Eric Rose (33-for-102, .324).

Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423