Postgame Notes: Pittsburgh 9, Michigan 8
2/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2012
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• Michigan is 4-6 in the four years of the Big Ten-Big East Challenge. U-M was 3-0 in 2009, 1-2 in 2010, 0-3 in 2011 and 0-1 in 2012.
• Michigan had three players make collegiate debuts. Freshmen Will Drake (LF), Kevin White (DH) and Dylan Delaney (2B) each started for the Wolverines.
• O'Neill hit his third career home run. He also had at least one hit for the second straight season opener.
• Brandon Sinnery made his 51st appearance and 21st start.
• The Michigan-Pittsburgh game did not start until 9:23 p.m. after rain delayed the start of play at Florida Auto Exchange Field.
• On the first day of the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, the Big East won 6 of 8 games. Michigan State and Iowa won games for the Big Ten Conference.
• Head coach Rich Maloney's record in season openers at Michigan drops to 5-5. Maloney had a four-game opening game winning streak snapped by Louisville to open 2011.
• Freshman LF Will Drake collected his first career hit with a third-inning single and it was the first Wolverine hit of 2012. Drake, who is hitting .600 (3-for-5), reached in each of his first four at-bats as a Wolverine with a walk, two singles and a double. Drake scored twice and collected he two stolen bases in his U-M debut.
• Sophomore RF Michael O'Neill, the team MVP in 2011, was 2-for-5 with a double, a homer and three RBI. O'Neill has a four-game hitting streak and his home run was the first of the season for Michigan and it was his third career round-tripper.
• O'Neill has hits in 45 of his 55 games as a Wolverine, with 17 career multiple-hit games.
• Senior catcher Coley Crank reached base four times, going 1-for-2 with a double, three walks and two runs scored. Crank has a three-game hitting streak and now has 37 career doubles and has scored 89 runs as a Wolverine.
• Senior co-captain 3B John Lorenz was 2-for-4 with a run-scoring double. Lorenz has 34 doubles and 38 career multi-hit games as a Wolverine.
• Freshman C/DH Kevin White collected his first career hit with a two-run single in the sixth inning.
• Junior co-captain CF Patrick Biondi opened the season going 1-for-6 with his 19th career double.
