Top-Ranked Sun Devils Handle Wolverines

Thursday, February 28

Tempe, Ariz.

6:30 PM MT

Michigan

3-1

Arizona State

4-0

MICHIGAN

Arizona State

2/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Site: Tempe, Ariz. (Packard Stadium)
Score: #1 Arizona 15, #18 Michigan 4
Records: U-M (3-1), ARZ (4-0)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 28 -- vs. Portland (Surprise, Ariz.), 4 p.m.

Boxscore

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State scored six runs in the second inning and coasted to a 15-4 win over the University of Michigan baseball team on Thursday (Feb. 27) at Packard Stadium. The Wolverines, ranked 18th by USA Today/ESPN and eighth by Baseball America, struggled to find a rhythm both offensively and defensively until the latter innings when they outscored the Sun Devils 4-0 from the seventh inning on.

Freshman RHP Matt Miller(Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) had the best outing of the three Wolverine pitchers, holding the Sun Devils to two hits and two runs in three and one-third innings of work, striking out four in the effort.

Junior SS Jason Christian(Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) was the only U-M batter with a multi-hit game, slugging a pair of singles and scoring a run. Seniors 1B Nate Recknagel(Lake Orion, Mich./Lake Orion) and senior LF/1B Derek VanBuskirk(St. Clair, Mich./St. Clair), junior DH Zach Putnam(Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and sophomore PH Alan Oaks(White Lake, Mich./Divine Child) each contributed an RBI in the game.

Arizona State was able to chase junior LHP Mike Wilson(Pickering, Ontario/Pine Ridge) from the game in the third inning in the midst of a six-run frame. Wilson suffered the loss, allowing five runs in two and two-thirds innings with four strikeouts. Wilson did pull of a pick-off of the 2007 Pac-10 Player of the Year Wallace. Wilson caught the Devil Rays third baseman flat footed in the first inning, throwing to Recknagel at first base. The runner took off but was corralled back toward whence he came by Christian before Wilson was tossed the ball and applied the tag at first base.

The Sun Devils would post runs in each inning from the second to the sixth frame, carrying a 15-0 lead into the last three innings of the contest.

Michigan's offense fired up in the seventh inning, stringing together five singles to open the frame, chasing Arizona State pitcher Mike Leake. Christian led off with a sharply hit single to right field before being bumped up a base by fifth-year senior 2B Leif Mahler(Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) on the next pitch. Recknagel would push one across on a looping liner to left field, scoring Christian. Putnam hit a sharp single to score Mahler for the second U-M run of the inning. Abraham's single set up VanBuskirk to chip in a run on a fielder's choice. Oaks grounded into a fielder's choice to push across the final run of the Wolverines offensive surge

Michigan will kick-off the ASU Coca-Cola Classic Friday (Feb. 29) at 4 p.m. MST. The game will be played in Surprise, Ariz. at the Texas Rangers' spring training facility on practice field No. 2.

N O T E S

Michigan junior shortstop Jason Christian collected the first U-M hit in the fourth inning and added a single to open the four-run seventh inning. Christian has 26 career multi-hit games.

Fifth-year senior 2B Leif Mahler singled in the seventh inning to give him hits in all four games this season and it extended his hitting streak to nine games dating back to the 2006 season. [Mahler missed entire 2007 season due to injury.]

Junior DH Zach Putnam's run-scoring single in the seventh inning extended his current hitting streak to four games.

When Michigan batted around in seventh inning it marked the sixth time in four games that the Wolverines have sent at least nine batters to the plate in an inning thus far in 2008.

Michigan has scored at least four runs in an inning seven times in the first four games of 2008.

U-M freshman RHP Matt Miller worked the last 3.1 innings collecting four strikeouts giving him five strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work in his first two pitching appearances.

Arizona State's 15 runs scored are the most allowed by Michigan since Penn State's 15-5 win in the second game of a doubleheader at Fisher Stadium on May 13, 2007. The last time an opponent scored 15 runs in a U-M road game was Baylor in a 16-0 win, March 11, 2006.

Jason Kipnis became the first player to hit two-home runs against a visiting Wolverine team since Phillip Hawke at Louisiana-Lafayette did in a 16-5 U-M loss on March 19, 2004.

Three former Wolverines made the trip out to the game from Chicago Cubs Spring Training. Pitcher Rich Hill (2000-02), catcher Jake Fox (2001-03) and outfielder Bobby Scales (1996-99) were all in attendance.

FormerU-M pitcherand Seattle Mariners closer J.J. Putz (1996-99)also took in the game.

Other former Wolverines at the park included Derek Kerr (1984-86), Greg Schulte (1980-82), two-sport star Rick Leach Jr. (baseball, 1976-79; football, 1975-78) and former football player Bill Dufek (football 1974-76, 78).

Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423