Odds of the odds mattering: Slim to None.

In our Michigan bubble, it's often difficult to remember that players named something other than Chad Kolarik or Kevin Porter score goals. The first hour and a half of the Frozen Four has hurtled the boys here at WCBN towards this realization. I want you to think of the Gerber Baby. He's cute. He has that little whisp of hair and some shiny spittle on his lip. The image he emits is harmless and innocent. Nathan Gerbe, whose name might remind one of that commercialized infant, is nothing like the Gerber Baby. Other than he will someday cash in.

It is now 6-0 in favor of the Boston College Eagles. My boys and I, like many of you may have, predicted a UM vs. North Dakota championship. This Fighting Sioux shlacking at the hands (talons?) of the Eagles, has only gone to show one thing: we don't know anything. This is why I have stuck to broadcasting rather than writing blogs or previews. Previews require a gamble and a forecast of the future, while play-by-play and color commentary only require a 3 second attention span. It happens, we say it. Done. So, why even acknowledge the difference between calling things as they are and expressing our gut instincts or stats-based predictions? Why take note of our now preposterous assumption that North Dakota would breeze past Boston College? Because we all assumed Michigan is in the championship. Crap.

I sincerely hope that the Wolverines have caught wind of the wind beneath the Eagles' wings (too much?). The ever-intimidating Fighting Sioux, led by unflappable goalie Jean-Phillipe Lamoureux, are being pounded, and anyone thinking that the Fighting Irish haven't taken note, are mistaken. The beauty of single-elimination rests in an underdog's opportunity to throw the odds aside, and screw the bracket. Boston College's scoring tonight began with a fallen defensemen whose slip directly led to a 2 on 1 goal. Michigan is no stranger to witnessing funny bounces. The CCHA semi-finals game against Northern Michigan, which saw three Michigan goals bounce off of Wildcats, serves as evidence that the Wolverines have been on the lucky side of bounces for the duration of the season. Lucky bounces help amass a spectacular record. One must remember, however, that fortune can be fickle.

Notre Dame needs one good bounce to blow up this Michigan season. It can be a redirection. It can be a stupid pinch by a defenseman. It can be an unfortunate slip. Any number of things can put an overmatched Fighting Irish team in the lead, and it can come at any time. Michigan will need to play with a sense of urgency to come even close to matching the desperation with which Notre Dame needs to play. The Pepsi Center is not a college arena. There are few fans to hate the Wolverines, but there are fewer fans to help them. Notre Dame has pushed from a near-16th seed to at least 4th place. What're two more games? Paper stats mean nothing. Ask the Detroit Tigers so far. Ask Michigan football associates for the last half decade. But more importantly, ask the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. They're rankings were as impressive if not more so than the Eagles. They were more impressive than the Eagles. But that doesn't mean they'll advance.

Six goals through two periods, I hope the Eagles throw in three more so that the Michigan Hockey team can think about the odds of a team scoring nine goals in the Frozen Four. They'd probably assume that they were pretty small. Just like the chances of beating Big Blue that we've given to Notre Dame.

As a final note, the belief is that if one game of two is a blowout such as this Boston College game, odds are that the second one will be a nailbiter. Odds are that I'm not buying into the odds. I'm just going to take my 3 second attention span, and call the game. Hopefully, we'll see Michigan on the other side.

From the Pepsi Center,

Christian "Desmond" Montgomery

Live from Denver...

We have all finally arrived here at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Michigan and Notre Dame are set to face off at 9 PM. You can hear our live broadcast on 88.3 FM in Ann Arbor or on our sports stream

North Dakota appears to have the largest fan base here as they get set to take on Boston College at 6 PM.

We will be live blogging the Michigan vs Notre Dame game and should have highlights posted as they happen. Check back during the game as the NCAA Blogging Policy that we signed only allows us to post three times per period and once during each intermission. We'll get our posts up at the 15, 10, and 5 minute marks of each period but highlights will be posted as they happen

Frozen Four preview: The Road Ends in Denver

Well, after the season started October 12th in St. Paul, MN for BC and Michigan, both teams were surprised by the results. Michigan not only beat Boston College, but then gave Minnesota all they could handle. BC, on the other hand, would come out of that weekend ready for the season to start, but would soon hit a rough patch. North Dakota would start the season with a 6-0 throttling of the defending champion Spartans, followed by split weekend series all the way until the new year. Notre Dame, the Cinderella of this ball, would start the season 16-4, with 3 of the 4 losses coming to Wisconsin, Denver, and Miami (all tourney teams), before slumping down the stretch and controversially making the tournament over Minnesota State. Now a season that has been loaded with great story lines, from Minnesota and Wisconsin barely making the field, Miami entering the fray as the team-to-beat...for a while, North Dakota, Boston College, and Boston University getting hot late to make waves (BU missed the tourney, the others...well you know about them), and finally, the resurgence of Michigan in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, wraps up in Denver. Here is what you need to know for the games this Thursday and Saturday in Denver.

• North Dakota v. Boston College (6 PM EST)

This will be the third straight year these two teams will meet in the Frozen Four, with BC winning each of the previous two meetings, only to go on to lose to MSU and Wisco in the championship game. This is Boston College's 3rd straight trip to the Frozen Four and their 4th trip in the last 5 years. So let's start with the Eagles from Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Boston College

Schedule:
BC started the season with the overtime loss to Michigan, before beating RPI to salvage the weekend in Minnesota. They followed that with a stretch where they played NoDak (we'll get to that later) and accumulated a 2-3-5 record. Yes, you read that correctly, they tied 5 of their next ten games before playing BU at the end of November in that rivalry series. That series against the Terriers seemed to revitalize the Eagles as they swept their bitter rivals and along with those wins, went on a 13-3-2 stretch to bring their season back from devastation to a very respectable 15-6-7 record. Unfortunately, they ended the season 1-6-1 to bring their record going into the Hockey East tourney to 16-12-8 and leaving BC in desperate need of a deep conference tourney run. You ask and you shall receive from this bunch with loads of postseason experience as they have reeled off 6 straight postseason victories including the NCAA regionals in Worcester. A team who knows how to win in the clutch is the best way to describe these Eagles as they pulled off victories in OT against New Hampshire (in 3OT) and Miami since the regular season has ended to ensure that they will continue playing in Denver.

Relevant Stats:
These Eagles are a strong team, lead by Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist junior F Nathan Gerbe (30-30-60 in 42 GP). Gerbe will be the player to watch for sure, as he has done everything in his power this season to make sure this team returns to the Frozen Four and, if not for Kevin Porter, would have a legitimate claim to the Hobey Baker trophy. Gerbe isn't the only player on this BC squad though, as Boston College scores 3.57 goals per game, ranking them as the second best scoring team in Denver this weekend, well ahead of NoDak and ND. Along with Gerbe, there is stud freshman Joe Whitney, whose 40 helpers leads the team, sophomore Ben Smith, who, like Gerbe, is well balanced with 23 goals and 22 assists, and Benn Ferriero, whose 41 points shows that Phoenix has yet another highly ranked college prospect. Those four players all have more points than Notre Dame's leading point getter, showing that BC is an offense to be feared this upcoming weekend if you are a Sioux fan. Another thing to watch is that amount of pro prospects on this team, as there are 10 drafted players on the BC roster, 8 of whom play meaningful minutes for the team. There is a lot of pro talent for the Eagles and they will use every bit of it against the Fighting Sioux. On the other hand, BC is the worst defensive team in Denver this weekend, giving up 2.36 goals against per game. They have the only starting goalie this weekend whose GAA is above 2 (John Muse has a 2.26 GAA and .920 Save%). While his stats may not look great, John Muse is a large reason for BC being here at all, as the freshman has stepped up in the absence of a second goaltender and has played in all 42 games this season for BC. Finally, watch for lots of special teams goals in the BC games, as they boast the best PP unit of any in Denver (21.7%) and the worst PK unit (83.9%).

Other Miscellaneous Stats:

• When leading after 2 periods: 18-0-3; when trailing: 2-8-1
• 15.9 PIM/G
• This season: Lost to Michigan 4-3 in OT, tied NoDak 0-0 (game called after 2 periods due to ice conditions)

North Dakota

Schedule:
North Dakota's season started out swimmingly, as they were able to dispatch of the defending national champion Michigan State Spartans in convincing fashion, 6-0, and made the statement right there that they would be a team to reckon with. Now if only they had remembered that there were more games to be played. Following that game 10/13, NoDak would spend the rest of 2007 in split series purgatory, getting a tie and a win in Boston (against BC and Northeastern, respectively) before splitting 8 straight series. After the final split series in that stretch, North Dakota's record was 10-8-1 and the date was January 5th. With half the season gone and the Sioux splitting half their series, it was anybody's guess as to where this team was headed. Well, a sweep of Michigan Tech got the Sioux headed in the right direction, and what followed vaulted North Dakota back into the national debate for number 1 team in the nation. The Fighting Sioux did not lose another game until the first round of the WCHA tournament, compiling a record to end the regular season of 14-0-3 in their final 17 games and an overall record of 23-8-4. In the WCHA tournament, NoDak struggled against the Huskies from Houghton, but were able to win the best of 3 series in 3 games. In their next game in the WCHA semis, they would lose to Denver (the eventual champs) 3-1 before beating Colorado College 4-2 to claim 3rd place in the WCHA. This team is loaded with talent that has been to this stage before, as North Dakota will be making its 4th straight appearance in the Frozen Four to try to win the school's first national title since 2000.

Relevant Stats:
North Dakota is not the scoring machine of past years (see 8 goals against UM last year in the regional) but they still have the talent to score when needed. NoDak averages 3.05 goals per game, well below both BC and UM, and most of that scoring comes from 4 players. Only four players on the Sioux roster have double digit goal totals on the season, all of which have scored 15 or more goals. The next closest on the roster is a medley of players with 8 goals a piece. The main goal scorers to watch for North Dakota are the top 3 point getters on the team in T.J. Oshie (18-27-45), Chris VandeVelde (15-17-32), and reigning Hobey Baker winner Ryan Duncan (18-22-40). These 3 make up the scoring for North Dakota, all except for the wild card, goal scorer extraordinaire Andrew Kozek (who has 18 goals but only 3 assists). While the other 3 seem to be much more rounded offensively, Mr. Kozek knows how to find the back of the net, so don't be surprised to hear his name this weekend. Defensively though is where the Sioux shine, as they allowing a minuscule 1.76 GAA. While the blueline has been particularly strong, the majority of the credit has to be given to Sioux goaltender Jean-Philippe (J-P for short) Lamoureux. This senior goaltender has taken a huge leap forward each season he has been at NoDak, going from sophomore year with a 2.61 GAA to last year, where he started 25 straight games to end the season, winning 21 games on the season and recording a GAA of 2.42. Now after getting beat up his first season, followed by becoming the starter his junior year, he skyrocketed to stardom this season, leading the nation with a 1.64 GAA and a .936 save %. This young man (who stands all of 5-8...hmmmm, short goaltender who can perplex offenses, why does that sound soooo familiar?) has put the Fighting Sioux on his back and will be the most important part of the equation once again on Thursday and, if all goes right for North Dakota, Saturday as well.

Other Miscellaneous Stats:

• Goal Differential by period: 1st: +32, 2nd: +7, 3rd: +13
  
• 18.3 PIM/G
• PP% - 19.1%; PK% - 87.4%
  
• This season: Tied BC in Boston though the game was called after 2 periods.
• Only played 4 neutral site games this year (in the WCHA tournament and the NCAA Regionals)

The Game Itself:

While both teams come into this game playing great over the second half of the season, I see this game coming down to more about in-game momentum than incoming momentum. Each team will be so experienced from previous years, not only with how to approach the Frozen Four atmosphere but also how to approach this particular opponent. You think Michigan hates playing North Dakota, imagine how North Dakota must feel about playing Boston College. In the end, the game will come down to goaltending, as this is the one area where there is a VERY LARGE advantage for one team, that being North Dakota and J-P Lamoureux over Boston College and John Muse. While Muse has done well this season, he will be put in a tough situation and will have to play the best game of his young career to get the Eagles the victory. Watch for the senior leadership of Lamoureux in net to help his team, while Muse's freshman anxiety may hurt his team. Gerbe, Oshie, Duncan, Whitney are all big names, but the biggest name for this game will be the little man in net, J-P Lamoureux.

Prediction:

Watch for both teams to come out flying, though J-P will stand tall and Muse will let in an early goal to TJ Oshie. The second period will not be much as both teams clamp down and both goalies see every shot clearly. The third period will see a bad penalty from NoDak result in a PP goal for Nathan Gerbe to knot the score up. Not long after though, Muse lets in a soft goal to Andrew Kozek and from their Lamoureux stands on his head to preserve the 2-1 victory and North Dakota is back in the championship game for the first time since 2005.

• Notre Dame v. Michigan (9:30 PM EST)

For the first time in the history of this proud football rivalry will the two teams meet on the ice in the NCAA tournament. While Michigan had dominated the series for quite some time before last year, these two teams have traded blows the last couple of years, with each not backing down from the other. Now the teams will meet for the third time this year, with Michigan trying to continue its winning ways against Notre Dame (they swept the Irish 3-2 at Yost and 5-1 at the Palace in mid-January). Notre Dame, in its first ever appearance in the Frozen Four, will try to continue its march to the top of the college hockey world with the always-amazing Jeff Jackson at the helm. So, let's start with Jeff's Irish squad.

Notre Dame

Schedule:
Notre Dame came into the season expected to move past the powerhouse program in the CCHA, Michigan, and lead a 3 team race atop the CCHA with themselves, Miami, and Michigan State. While those 3 teams lived up to their parts, Michigan crashed the party, ruining what was supposed to be Notre Dame's official coming-out party as an official top-rung hockey program. The season that was supposed to be amazing, started slowly, with a loss to Wisconsin and a win against Mercyhurst (ugh!) in the Lefty McFadden Invitational. They followed that with a split against Denver, a win over BG, and a split with Ferris State, bringing their record to 4-3 at the end of October, not the start the Irish faithful were expecting. But the luck of the Irish picked up after that, with a 12-1 record in Notre Dame's next 13 to move the Irish to 16-4 and in great position moving into the holiday break. Unfortunately, out of those 13 games, only a split at Miami could be considered anything of significance, leading to trouble come later in the season. Heading into the holiday season with a 16-4 record and a trip to Tampa for a winter tournament made for what seemed to be a bright future for Notre Dame. In Tampa, they lost their first game to UMass before beating RPI to win 3rd place. The following stretch in the CCHA was brutal, as Notre Dame split with NMU, lost and tied to MSU, and were swept by the Wolverines. That stretch of 8 games dropped Notre Dame's record to 18-9-1 on the season and out of consideration atop the national rankings. The Irish then swept Bowling Green in convincing fashion in a series that should have gotten them back on track, at 20-9-1. Unfortunately, Notre Dame would end the regular season with a stretch, where they went 2-3-3 against the likes of WMU, OSU, Alaska, and Ferris St (Yikes!). Notre Dame followed that by winning 2 of 3 against Ferris State in the quarterfinals of the CCHA tournament before losing to both Miami and NMU at the Joe during the CCHA semis and 3rd place game. All of this put many into the frame of thought that Notre Dame shouldn't be in the tournament, especially not ahead of Minnesota State. There was an argument to be made between Wisconsin and Notre Dame, but not Minnesota State they said. So with that, Notre Dame went to Colorado Springs to try and prove doubters wrong, and did they ever, beating #1 seed New Hampshire 7-3 before beating fellow CCHA mate and defending champ MSU 3-1 to move onto to Denver and the Frozen Four.

Relevant Stats:
Offensively, Notre Dame is horrible in comparison to the rest of the teams in the Frozen Four, with an anemic 2.89 goals per game. That offense seemed to have taken a hit when the Irish lost their leading scorer, Eric Condra (15-23-38) in the CCHA tournament. Notre Dame proved that was the not the case when they put up 10 goals in the regionals against 2 of the top 4 goalies in the nation (Kevin Regan of UNH and Jeff Lerg of MSU). This team will still not be able to keep up with the Wolverines in a shootout, but if the Wolverines overlook the Irish offense (especially Ryan Thang or Kevin Deeth), they could be in deep trouble. Defensively, the Irish are one of the best in the nation, allowing only 2.04 goals against per game. With a great blue line corps (starring Brock Sheahan, Dan VeNard, and Kyle Lawson), this team has the distinct possibility of causing the Wolverines offense problems. The defense is especially great on the penalty kill, killing off 89.6% of their opponent's powerplay opportunities. Expect the Irish to play for a 1-0 or 2-1 score and if they get up early, watch out, the Wolverines could be in trouble. In net for the Irish will be junior goaltender Jordan Pearce, who touts a 1.95 GAA and .917 save percentage. The play of Pearce and the blue line corps will be important, but in the end, the integral play will be that of Deeth and Thang and whether they can outscore the amazing Wolverine offense.

Other Miscellaneous Stats:

• Goal Differential by period: 1st: +6, 2nd: +23, 3rd: +10
  
• 13.3 PIM/G
• PP% - 15.4%; PK% - 89.6%
  
• This season: Swept by Michigan in a home-and-home (with ND's home game at the Palace)
  
• Swept Michigan in the regular season last year before beating them again in the postseason (in the CCHA championship).
  

The Game Itself:
This is a second straight all-CCHA matchup for the Fighting Irish, as they beat the Spartans to get here, while the Wolverines will try to continue their winning ways against Notre Dame following last season's sweep at the hands of the Irish. Jeff Jackson versus Red Berenson; Jordan Pearce versus Billy Sauer; Brock Sheahan and Dan VeNard versus Chad Kolarik and Kevin Porter; Mark Mitera and Scooter Vaughan versus Ryan Thang and Kevin Deeth; loads of great matchups show up in this game, but the game will play out in my mind, more on the shoulders of the Michigan offense. Notre Dame cannot be expected to put up more than 3 goals, and more likely will only put up 1 or 2. Therefore, it will come down to whether the Wolverines can put goals against the strong Irish defense and the jitters of being in their first ever Frozen Four.

Prediction:

This game will probably be played much closer to the vest, as neither team has players who have been to the Frozen Four with coaches who have. Therefore, the coaches will probably try to keep things simple to make sure the players feel comfortable. Expect a lower scoring game and the team to score first to have a huge advantage. I see the Wolverines and Irish playing close for the entire first period with a 0-0 score after 1. In the second period, the Wolverines will finally get on the board, thanks to Louie "Light the Lamp" Caporusso. That leaves the score at 1-0 after 2, but then the fireworks will start. Both coaches will look at their teams and tell them that we are in for a fight, so let's go out play our hearts out over the final 20 minutes. I see plenty of scoring in the third, with the teams combining for 5 goals. The final score will be...4-2 Michigan after a late goal (EN) to push the lead back to 2.

This should provide you with all the info you need to know about the 3 teams other than Michigan in the Frozen Four, which starts on Thursday. Remember, we will be broadcasting live from Denver, CO, so listen to 88.3 FM Ann Arbor if you are in the area, or just tune into listen to us live on the sports stream at WCBN.org.

By the way, a little trivia to impress friends with: When was the last time the Frozen Four did not feature one of the following 3 teams(Michigan, Boston College, or North Dakota)? Answer: 1994 (Lake Superior State [who won while coached by Jeff Jackson], Boston U, Harvard, Minnesota)

Rock Chalking Good Time

For having two lopsided National Semi-Final games, the 2008 Men's Basketball Championship game gave people one of the most unexpected finishes in Tourney history. On the 20th anniversary of Danny and the Miracles (and the 25th Anniversary of Jim Valvano and the NC State Wolfpack), the Kansas Jayhawks made one of the most impressive comebacks in NCAA history... While Memphis made one of the all-time great collapses.

If you watched the end of this game thinking, "Great. NOW they start missing free throws. Where was this in Round 2?!"... Join the Club.

With about 2:30 left in the game, I (like many others) had completely written off Kansas and any hope of a comeback. Memphis was rolling, and I was just about to enjoy my newly purchased MLB Extra Innings package (which, ironically, could end up being the cause for a collapse of my own when Final Exams roll around). However, just as I was about to flip over to Indians/Angels, Joey Dorsey fouls out. At the time, I thought to myself, "OK, well they are up seven. Still not much of a chance for a comeback."

And then, the floodgates opened.

Kansas gets fouled and makes a pair to get within 5. Chris Douglass-Roberts does his best Nick Anderson impression by missing four straight free throws in the last two minutes. Derrick Rose splits a pair of free throws that would have won the game. And Mario Chalmers hits a three pointer that will be forever mentioned in the same breathe as the Laettner turn-around and the afore-mentioned NC State Wolfpack dunk to win the game.

It was as if Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS had taken on basketball form, with John Calipari playing Grady Little to Joey Dorsey's Pedro Martinez. Once Dorsey had to come out of the game, all hell broke lose. All of Kansas' points in the OT came from lay-ups or put-backs from the Jayhawk front line... all types of shots that Dorsey had either contested or routinely blocked throughout the game. It allowed KU to complete one of the all-time great comebacks in Championship game history.

Somewhere, in Memphis, the Mario "Bleeping" Chalmers T-Shirts are being printed as we speak.

When the dust from this game settles, Jayhawk fans will see that this game will have been the deciding factor in Bill Self's decision to stay at Kansas, even with a coaching vacancy at his alma mater OSU... That and, of course, the big fat check Kansas is about to write to keep the man to bring them their first Championship on 20 years. The NBA Draft will come calling for the services of Rush, Chalmers, CDR, Rose, and Dorsey, and Coach Calipari will be left wondering if this will have been the best shot for a championship at Memphis that he will get.

Programming Schedule: Week of April 7th

This is a groundbreaking week for WCBN as we will bring Michigan's Frozen Four action from Denver LIVE on 88.3 WCBN FM Ann Arbor on Thursday and Saturday, if necessary. Tony, Christian, Andrew, and Stu are making the trip out to Denver. Be sure to tune in while watching the games as this is the first time the games will be LIVE on FM radio.

Monday: Extra Points 6-6:30- Look ahead to the Frozen Four. Recap the Final Four and look ahead to tonight's championship game of Memphis vs. Kansas (which yours truly picked from the start)
Tuesday:Softball vs. Central Michigan 4 PM-Live on the sportstream through Mgoblue
Daily Sports Report 5:15-5:30
Wednesday: Daily Sports Report 5:15-5:30
Thursday: Daily Sports Report 5:15-5:30
FROZEN FOUR SEMIFINAL-MICHIGAN VS. NOTRE DAME 9PM- LIVE ON 88.3 FM and
WCBN.org!!!- Sports talk after the game until 1 AM
Friday: GOTW 7-10 PM
Saturday: IF NECESSARY (Michigan advances)- FROZEN FOUR FINAL 7PM- LIVE ON 88.3 FM

We also have NCAA permission to blog live from the Frozen Four (3 posts per period) so you can keep up on the games through our blog.

Enjoy the big week! We certainly will as we have plenty of firsts for you with the Frozen Four LIVE!

Little Brother Grounded

News from over the weekend over at Michigan State isn't good. Apparently police had to break up a party which ended in a riot with 52 arrests. Michigan State students used facebook to organize the party but surprise, surprise it got a little out of hand. When the police stepped in to restore order, the students decided to pelt them with beer bottles. Way to go, Sparty. The Detroit News has the full article.

ok, now i'm really going to class

Michigan Softball Sweeps Illinois

Michigan picked up a pair of shutout victories on Sunday over Big 10 foe, Illinois. Michigan took the first game 8-0 in five innings and then rode the arm of Freshman, Jordan Taylor to a 5-0 win in the second game. Taylor and Nemitz were both outstanding in the circle as each threw complete game shutouts allowing just two hits. Taylor was dominant as she struck out a career-high tying 14 batters for the second day in a row. Here are some highlights from both games. *Note we do not have a highlight of Maggie Viefhaus's mammoth homer in the first game because somebody forgot to hit the record button. How's it going Jeremy?

Game #1
Roya St. Clair's 2-run double
St. Clair's RBI Single

Game #2
Dorian Shaw's RBI Single
St Clair's RBI Double
Nikki Nemitz RBI Double
Taylor's 14th Strikeout

Taylor's 14k's to come...I've gotta get to class

Ok, I'm back and here are Taylor's 14 Strikeouts set to Cheap Trick's "Surrender"

Michigan Softball Salvages Split vs Iowa

Michigan Softball (30-4, 5-1) earned a split in their home opening series against Iowa behind a lights-out performance in the circle by Freshman, Jordan Taylor. Taylor fanned a career-high 14 Hawkeyes as she hurled a complete game shutout.

Nikki Nemitz led the way from the plate with a pair of singles, including a 2-run single in the third inning that gave the Wolverines the 3-0 lead. Angela Findlay plated Allesandra Giampaolo with a double in the first inning and that would be all that Michigan needed as the Hawkeyes never advanced a runner past second base.

I'm headed out to Relay for Life, but if they have wireless, we'll get you some of the highlights from today's game later on.

UPDATE: Thanks to the wonderful University of Michigan Housing Wireless Network, here are some highlights from the softball game today

Jordan Taylor's 14 Strikeouts
Angela Findlay's RBI Double
Nikki Nemitz's 2-Run Single

Zach Putnam Lights Out Yet Again

Well, it's official. Something has clicked and Michigan opponents better beware. Zach Putnam is back and better than ever. Here are the stats from his last three starts:

2-0; 0.37 ERA; 0.71 WHIP; 22.1 IP; 34 K's; 4 BB; 13 Hits

WOW

Michigan beats Penn State 3-2 behind Putnam's stellar performance and Nate Recknagel's team-leading 8th home run. Softball wasn't as fortunate as they fell in their home opener 2-1 to Iowa. Michigan was able to load the bases in the 7th, but Maggie Viefhaus struck out to end the game.

Weekend Programming Schedule

Here is the WCBN Schedule for this upcoming weekend:

Friday 4/5
Softball vs Iowa 4:05 PM: listen here
Extra Points 7-10 PM: listen here
We will be discussing the Ann Arbor news series on Academics and Athletics at U of M, along with some NCAA Final Four and Frozen Four coverage. You can IM us during this broadcast using the AIM screename WCBNSports883.
Saturday 4/6
Softball vs Iowa 12:00 PM: listen here
Sunday 4/7
Softball vs Iowa 12:00 PM: listen here
Softball vs Iowa approximately 2:00 PM listen here

We'll see if the weather cooperates and we get some softball in this weekend. I was just walking back from work and it seems to have been raining for awhile as it is extremely wet and muddy outside. Hopefully U of M invested in a tarp for Alumni Field, otherwise it's not looking good for tomorrow's game.

UPDATE: Michigan is set to play their home opener today at 4:05 and the weather forecast for tomorrow is 60 and sunny!

WCBN Broomball Reaches Elite 8

Ann Arbor -- WCBN rode a second consecutive shutout in as
many nights from unanimous All-American goalie, Jon "Iron Curtain" Moore (Searsport, ME / Searsport District High School) to a 1-0 victory over One. WCBN was able to overcome their lowest goal output thanks to sensational saves by Moore.

Once again, Ben "Big Bomber" Betzler (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) provided all the offense on the night, scoring at the 3:04 mark in the second half. Controversy ensued as the ball appeared to deflect off the broom of Chelsea "Superwoman" Slater (Cincinnati , OH / Turpin High School). Video replay did not provide conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the ice, so the goal was credited to Betzler. Co-captain, Andrew "Anger" Seid (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) picked up his second assist of the season.

For the first time all season, WCBN had to overcome some internal turmoil as Kevin "Hulk Hogan" Gregus (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge High School) had to be separated from an irate Seid during halftime. Rachel Burns was able to hold back the Hulkster to prevent further injury to Seid who suffered a vicious slash to the right hand earlier in the game.

While Moore got the player of the game award, honorable mention goes to Tony "Don't call me Michael" Bolton (Canton, MI / Salem High School) as he and captain, Stuart Zaas (Solon, OH/ Solon High School) anchored the strong defensive effort despite being matched up against the strongest slap-shot WCBN has seen to date.

X-rays were taken of Seid's hand at halftime which turned out negative. Claire Otwell (Traverse City, MI / Traverse City High School) sat this game out with a sprained right ankle. Zaas played again despite extreme sleep deprivation. Zaas is not expected to recover by tomorrow as he is up at 3 AM writing this recap instead of sleeping, but is likely to play anyways.

Next up for WCBN will be an elite eight matchup versus #1 seeded Black Ice(6-0) at 11:20 PM at Yost Ice Arena. This game may be viewed on MD (moderate definition) on ESPN Classic Canadian 8 - Da Eight Eh?

Game One Recap
Game Two Recap
Game Three Recap
Game Four Recap (Playoffs Round 1)
Game Five Recap (Playoffs Round 2)

Co-Rec B Novice Level A Playoff Bracket

BOXSCORE:
Goals-Assists-Points
Betzler 1-0-1
Seid 0-1-1
Moore 8 Saves, 100% save percentage

Season Leaders:

Points:
1) Slater 14
2) Zaas 10
3) Gregus 6
3) Seid 6

Goals:
1) Slater 12
2) Zaas 6
3) Betzler 4
3) Seid 4

Assists:
1) Gregus 4
1) Zaas 4
3) Slater 2
3) Otwell 2
3) Seid 2

Goalie:
Jon Moore .912 save percentage; 0.67 Goals Against Per Game

GAME NOTES:

• With the win, WCBN Sports is on a franchise high six-game winning streak.
• This is the first appearance for WCBN in the elite eight
  
• Otwell, Zaas, and Slater are all listed as probable on the official injury report
• Seid is listed as questionable, pending a visit to UHS in the morning
  
• Player of the game: Jon Moore - allowed 0 goals
  
• Game Time: 33 minutes
  
• Attendance: 4
  

Media Contact: Stuart Zaas (440-227-5897)

Michigan Baseball/Softball's Rough Day

Michigan Baseball fell 7-3 to Central Michigan in a weekday road contest. The second inning saw Central Michigan follow the Wolverines' 3-run top of the inning with a 5-run response en route to the 4-run win.

Michigan Softball had their would-be-home-opener against Bowling Green postponed due to "wet grounds." Well, Tony, Stu, and I were all there, and although it may have been the "wet grounds" that caused this game to be postponed, given the fact that the team was practicing on the field before the game, I'm going to guess that there is a better chance that the ongoing construction on the stands and the outfield may have prompted the cancellation.

Softball is scheduled to play against Iowa on Friday at 4 p.m., pending the "drying speed" of the "wet grounds." They are also scheduled to play the Hawkeyes Saturday at noon before a noon twlight doubleheader on Sunday rounds out Michigan's first home series of the year.

Baseball is in Penn St. this weekend for their second Big Ten series. They play at 6:35 p.m. on Friday night, and they have a doubleheader starting at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday before the series finale on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

And Then There Were Four....

The 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball tourney has now been cut from 65 to 4, and if you are like me, you couldn't be more disappointed with the way it turned out. This is the first year in the history of the tournament that all 4 of the No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four. It means that all those people who filled out a bracket and played it conservatively ended up making out like a lotto winner. It also means that those people who actually watched the regular season games, put some thought into their bracket, and did a little reading up on the mid-major teams had already set fire to their precious picks at the end of Round Two. You might say I'm a little bitter... but wouldn't you be bitter if you were losing in a family pool to people twice your age who didn't see a single game all season? (No offense, Grandma!)

However, as the tourney always does, it gave us some great moments. Stephen Curry went from relative unknown to household name overnight, Tyler Hansborough proved why he is one of college basketball's all-time greats against Louisville, and Xavier showed that there is no substitute for senior leadership. And it also gave us a Final Four that we might one day look back on as the greatest of All-Time. It's like getting to see the Rookie/Sophmore challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend 2010 before it happens. Now, I know that is putting a lot of pressure and hype on this group of four. But when you put these rosters together on the same table it is a scout's dream. Two top 5 picks (Rose and Love) headline the bunch, while at least 5 other players (Rush, Collison, Lawson , Douglas-Roberts, Mbah-a-Moute) look to be first round picks.

Note on Lawson: If not this year, he is a definite first rounder in 2009

Starting with the Kansas/UNC match-up: As I said earlier this month, this match-up defines the phrase "heavyweight bout." Both teams are so deep, with NBA type talent at all positions. UNC has Hansborough, but KU can counter with Jackson, Arthur, and Kaun in the front court. UNC can throw Ty Lawson (arguably the quickest end-to-end guard in the country) at KU, but they counter with Mario Chalmers. These teams do a fantastic job of mirroring each other till about the 8th roster spot, which is absurd. I like the depth of KU, but they were almost beat by a much undersized and outmatched Davidson team. Davidson played on the same level with KU for 39 minutes in the Elite 8. UNC's pace will present more problems for KU than did Davidson's, so I like UNC in this game to beat KU.

Now with UCLA and Memphis: Earlier this year I didn't think anyone on Memphis could hit a free throw to save their lives. Turns out Coach Calipari was just to hustling Conference USA and all the other teams in the field, as if to say "Free Throws? Yeah, I was just saving that skill for a good time." And now is as a good a time as any. The Tigers shot over 70% against MSU and Texas and cruised to a Final Four appearance on back to back MOP type performances by Derrick Rose. UCLA, on the other hand, struggled in the early rounds but really turned it on against Xavier and Western Kentucky. Kevin Love is the real deal, averaging over 20 pts and 10 boards for the Tourney. Both Love and Rose are as good as gone at the end of the season, headed to glory as NBA Lotto Picks (helloooo, Miami!). But I believe it is Rose and the free-wheeling style of Memphis Coach John Calipari that gets the job done against an experienced UCLA team. Three straight Final Four appearances are all well and good, but I got a feeling Love and Co. are going to be sucking wind, playing defense against Calipari's Shuttle Run Offense.

In any event, these teams (statistically speaking, with the exception of maybe Tennessee) have been the four best teams all year. I doubt I could've asked for better match-ups than the ones coming up this weekend.

... Even if that means Grandma takes down the pot in my pool.

WCBN Broomball Advances to the Sweet 16

Ann Arbor, MI -- WCBN Broomball (5-0) hopped on the broom of blueshirt senior, Ben Betzler (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) as his hat trick carried WCBN to victory over Smoke on the Water 3-0, advancing to the sweet sixteen of the Co-Rec Novice B Level A playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Betzler put WCBN ahead 1-0, launching an on the glide slap-shot that sizzled past the right shoulder of the Smoke on the Water netminder. Claire Otwell (Traverse City, MI / Traverse City High School) and Rachel Burns picked up assists.

Holding a 1-0 lead at the intermission, WCBN played a conservative second half, only allowing Smoke on the Water one shot on goal. Tony "Don't call me Michael" Bolton (Canton, MI / Salem High School) led the way for WCBN defensively. Jon "Brick Wall" Moore (Searsport, ME / Searsport District High School) continued his career season posting his third shutout of the season.

Betzler gave WCBN an insurance goal early in the second half when he knocked in a centering pass from Chelsea Slater (Cincinnati , OH / Turpin High School). WCBN missed a scoring chance when Kevin "Hulk Hogan" Gregus (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge High School) drew a penalty giving WCBN the one-man advantage. Andrew Seid (San Antonio, TX / Ronald Reagan High School) sent a pass through the crease for Stuart Zaas (Solon, OH/ Solon High School) whose one-timer attempt clanged off the left post. Betzler's hat trick came at the 13:11 mark in the second half as he blasted a slap-shot past an out of position goalie from center ice.

WCBN battled through injuries as Otwell toughed out a low-moderate inversional ankle sprain and Slater suffered a knee injury as she wiped out while on a breakaway. Seid and Zaas played well despite extreme sleep deprivation.

Next up for WCBN will be a sweet sixteen matchup versus One (4-1) at 10:40 at Yost Ice Arena. The game had originally been scheduled for 11:20, but ESPN Classic Canadian 8 - Da Eight Eh? decided to move the game into their primetime slot.

Game One Recap
Game Two Recap
Game Three Recap
Game Four Recap

Co-Rec B Novice Level A Playoff Bracket

BOXSCORE:
Goals-Assists-Points
Betzler 3-0-3
Burns 0-1-1
Otwell 0-1-1
Moore 2 Saves, 100% save percentage

Season Leaders:

Points:
1) Slater 14
2) Zaas 10
3) Gregus 6

Goals:
1) Slater 12
2) Zaas 6
3) Seid 4

Assists:
1) Gregus 4
1) Zaas 4
3) Slater 2
3) Otwell 2

Goalie:
Jon Moore .880 save percentage; 0.8 Goals Against Per Game

GAME NOTES:

• With the win, WCBN Sports is on a franchise high five-game winning streak.
• The line of Seid-Slater-Zaas were held scoreless for the first time all season
• Zaas and Slater did not score for the first game this year
  
• This is the first appearance for WCBN in the sweet sixteen
  
• Otwell, Zaas, Seid, and Slater are all listed as probable on the official injury report
  
• Player of the game: Ben Betzler - Scored three goals
  
• Game Time: 33 minutes
  
• Attendance: 3
  

Media Contact: Stuart Zaas (440-227-5897)

More Attrition for Michigan Football

Apparently, Zoltan Mesko has also decided that the family values aren't good enough. Mesko punted in every game last season. No word yet on whether Mesko plans to transfer to another university. A press conference will be held this Friday to discuss this latest loss. Michigan will certainly miss their special teams standout.

Michigan Hockey Highlight from NCAA Regionals

Click here for the much anticipated highlight from this past weekend's regional games!

Destination: Denver!!!

Michigan will face off against Notre Dame at 9PM EST on Thursday, 4/10

thanks for the photo, Greg

Michigan Baseball Sunday Doubleheader vs. Iowa

The second day of the Big Ten schedule for the Michigan Wolverines features another doubleheader, as the Iowa Hawkeyes look to avoid a sweep after losing two to Michigan at the Fish yesterday. You can listen to the WCBN crew LIVE on MGoBlue.com. Continue to check here for updates on the game and live in-game highlights.

Mike Wilson starts for the Wolverines today against Nick Erdman.

A Nate Recknagel single down the left-field line has plated Kevin Cislo and given Michigan their first run. They now lead 2-0 after a 6-4-3 DP off the bat of Zach Putnam scored Derek VanBuskirk. Click HERE to hear Stu Zaas' call of the Recknagel RBI single.

Michigan now leads 5-0, with VanBuskirk singling in Chris Berset and Recknagel doubling in Leif Mahler and Kevin Cislo.

Web Gem nominee here from Ray Fisher Stadium courtesy of SS Leif Mahler as he flashes the leather turning the 6-3 double play.

We apologize for the lack of live blogging, but we only have Mike and I in the booth, so we're relegated to the broadcast. Michigan won the first game of this doubleheader 6-3, and we are about 5 minutes away from game time of game two. Go Blue! Listen to the audio recap of the game by clicking HERE.

Michigan and Iowa are tied 2-2 in game #2 of this Sunday doubleheader against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Travis Smith, the freshman starter, gave up 2 runs in the 1st but has settled down since. Alan Oaks drove a 3-2 pitch over the right-field wall to tie the game off of Tony Manville in the bottom of the 4th, and we now head to the 6th after a rain delay tied at twos.

Michigan wins! Nate Recknagel singled in Leif Mahler to give Michigan a 3-2 lead in the 7th and Ben Jenzen made it stand, providing three innings in relief of Travis Smith, with Jenzen picking up the win. Go Blue!

Rich Rodriguez Responds to Boren's Family Values Claim

At yesterday's press conference, Rich Rodriguez defended his program against claims made by departed O-lineman, Justin Boren. Rodriguez cut off the reporter who asked him what he thought about the statement that Boren released, saying, "That's just ridiculous."

Previously, Rodriguez had refused to comment on the Boren situation, saying he only talks about players who play for Michigan. Apparently that policy changes when those former players decide to bash the program. ""Family is pretty important to all of us, and every coach can tell you that, just ask anybody who has played for me in the last 15 years. Don't ask somebody that's left with a different agenda."

Michigan v. Clarkson: Game 2 from Albany

--9:30--

MICHIGAN IS HEADING TO THE FROZEN FOUR! Billy Sauer’s incredible goaltending allows the Wolverines to keep their 2 goal lead. Michigan fans are going nuts as the band plays “The Victors” and the Michigan players mob Billy Sauer at the net. Michigan will go to the Frozen Four for the 23^rd time, more than any other school. I will wrap things up shortly.

--9:28--

Billy Sauer is playing out of his mind, making save after save to deny the 6 on 3 attack by Clarkson, as they have pulled Leggio in favor of another attacker. He continues to dive all over the place and denies Clarkson any chance to place the puck in the back of the net.

--9:25--

Steve Kampfer gets called for tripping in front of the Michigan net, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. He bails out Billy Sauer, who nearly gives up a shorthanded goal.

--9:23--

Things are getting crazy in Albany, with the Clarkson attack becoming more frantic. Thankfully, Clarkson’s Tim Marks just got called for slashing with 3:50 left in the period. This is a real backbreaker for the Golden Knights

--9:12--

The linesman has called another penalty, this time on Brandon DeFazio for interference. As I just finish typing this, Chris D’Alvise gets called for a slash, giving Michigan a 5 v. 3 advantage. This is a big momentum gain for Michigan as they can add another goal.

--9:07--

At the beginning of the third period, we were handed a ballot for the 2008 Ice Hockey Championship All-East Regional. Here is how we filled ours out (we promise it’s not too biased):

F- Kevin Porter, Michigan

F-Chad Kolarik, Michigan

F- Matt Beca, Clarkson

D-Mark Mitera, Michigan

D- Travis Anderson, Niagara

G- Billy Sauer, Michigan

MOP: Kevin Porter, Michigan

--9:04—

The announcer, who has a heavy New York accent, has just announced the final of the Wisconsin-Denver game, with Wisconsin winning 6-2. Thankfully, this is not Michigan’s fate, as they were sent to Albany instead of Madison.

--9:00--

The penalty fest continues as Matt Beca is called for roughing. Michigan will have the man advantage once Naurato returns to the ice.

--8:59--

Unfortunately, Brandon Naurato gets called for slashing about a minute into the Michigan power play. It was a silly decision by Naurato right in front of the ref and we will play 4 on 4 hockey. Billy Sauer stands on his head shortly after to keep the 2 goal advantage.

--8:57--

Chris D’Alvise will be called for high sticking, sending the Wolverines back on the power play. The Wolverines are 1-3 on the PP tonight.

--8:53--

GOAL MICHIGAN! The third period starts out with a bang as Porter puts in a backhand goal from beautiful passing from Chad Kolarik and Max Pacioretty. The first line continues to dominate and Kevin Porter now has 5 goals in this regional. With the majority of the third period remaining, the Wolverines can enjoy a 2 goal cushion.

--8:35--

The final minute of play sees the Wolverines take advantage of Clarkson getting caught out of position twice with Kolarik getting stuffed by David Leggio twice, the first on a one on none with the goalie only to beat, the second on a 2 on 0 with Porter hitting Kolarik for the shot. David Leggio just kept Clarkson in this game by himself and a one goal lead going into the 3^rd is very dangerous for the Wolverines. Shots after 2: Clarkson 17, Michigan 14

--8:31--

Another great penalty kill by the Wolverines, Billy had a couple nice saves, and Clarkson is now 0-6 on the power play. The Wolverines are starting to get frustrated by the amount of time they are spending on the penalty kill and it can be seen in their offense.

--8:26—

Both teams saw the penalties go by the wayside, but immediately afterwards, Tristin Llewellyn is hit with a penalty which, was in this humble man’s opinion, a terrible call. This ref unit has worked its way out of the Frozen Four, unless the NCAA wants to see its refs get ripped for terrible officiating on national television. The NCAA chose a terrible set of refs for this weekend and hopefully, they wake up before they cost the Wolverines the game with another horrible call.

--8:19--

Chad Langlais has been hit with a cross-checking penalty, which the ref declined to call but the linesman made from VERY FAR AWAY. Clarkson has followed the penalty with a great attack and a couple good scoring chances, before Nick Dodge is hit with a penalty on his takedown of Tim Miller.

--8:14--

The Wolverines kill off another penalty, pushing Clarkson to 0-4 on the power play tonight. The game has turned into a grind fest with a lot of shoving and very little offense.

--8:09--

Tristin Llewellyn has received a two-minute minor for cross-checking with 13:43 left in the period, the Wolverines go back on the penalty kill, where they are 3 for 3 on the night in successfully killing the Golden Knight’s power play. The penalty was a result of a scrum in front of Billy Sauer as Clarkson had a great attempt at a goal.

--8:05--

Not much going on in Albany as both teams have skated full bore for the first five minutes of the 2^nd period, and have created a combined total of zero good scoring chances. The closest for Michigan was a 2-1 for Tim Miller and Danny Fardig which resulted in Fardig having an open net, but whiffing on the attempt. Clarkson’s closest was a slap shot set up for Detroit Red Wings prospect Bryan Rufenach, but he whiffed on his attempt.

--7:42--

The first period has come to a close here in Albany, with Michigan leading 1-0 thanks to Palushaj’s wraparound goal. The shots on goal are tied at 10. Billy Sauer has made some great saves to keep the Wolverines in the game. The play is much more physical than it was last night as the Golden Knights look to slow down the powerful Michigan offense. They remind Tony, Andrew, and I of Michigan State’s trap style. We also agree that Clarkson fans are as obnoxious as all get-out. Michigan will be on the PK once play resumes.

--7:40--

25 seconds from the end of the period, Kampfer goes back into the box for holding. The penalty seemed to come out of frustration, as the play since the Michigan goal has been in the Michigan zone.

--7:35--

A questionable tripping call comes to Steve Kampfer, putting Clarkson back on the power play. Fan rain down “Worst Ref Ever” onto the referee tonight. Keep in mind that these are the same fans that have put up with Shegos all year.

--7:30--

GOAL MICHIGAN! Freshman Aaron Palushai took the puck from behind the net and made a nice wraparound goal, catching Leggio out of position and putting the Blue ahead 1-0 on the power play. Assists were awarded to Mark Mitera and Kevin Porter and the goal came about 15 minutes into the first. Just like last night, Michigan scores first, which will hopefully give them some momentum to carry to the end of the period.

--7:27--

Michigan just had their best scoring opportunity turned away by Leggio. Chad Kolarik got the puck near the Clarkson net, made a nifty move to go high, but it was saved by the Clarkson netminder. After the play, Kolarik was interfered with by Clarkson defenseman Phil Paquet, but Chad helped it with a dive. Once the penalty was called, Paquet grabbed Kolarik’s cage and pushed it down. Kolarik was called for “embellishment,” the first time I have heard that called, and Paquet will be penalized 2 minutes for interference and 2 minutes for roughing after the whistle. Michigan will go back on the power play to try and get a goal here in the first.

--7:20--

Billy Sauer just made two great saves to keep this game scoreless, one on a point blank one-timer. This is reminiscent of the CCHA championship round, where Billy had a slow first night and had to play well against Miami in the title game.

--7:14--

Matt Rust gets called for interference to put the Golden Knights on the power play for the first time. Michigan has yet to find the tempo they set up last night and they are looking to keep up the solid penalty kill they maintain in their game versus Niagara.

--7:08--

The first penalty of the night comes as Brandon DeFazio takes a contact to the head penalty. Both teams have been back and forth early in this first period and neither have been able to set up a good scoring chance. Hopefully this power play will give Michigan some momentum early in the game. On a side note, there is a good showing by Clarkson fans and they have not been silent since the puck dropped. We aren’t near the Michigan fans, but they are awfully hard to hear.

--7:04--

Let’s Play Hockey! The puck is dropped and Michigan tries to continue their season. Clarkson gets a quick shot of on Billy Sauer, but he makes the save. Below are the starting lineups for each team. Scooter Vaughn is dressed for this game and will play alongside Mark Mitera on the blue line.

Clarkson -> LW – Chris D’Alavise
D - Steve Zalewski
RW – Matt Beca
D – Grant Clitsome
D – Phil Paquet
G – David Leggio

Michigan -> LW – Max Pacioretty
C – Kevin Porter
RW – Chad Kolarik
D – Mark Mitera
D – Chris Summers
G – Billy Sauer

--6:40--

We have settled in for the East regional final and a set to watch our Wolverines take on the #3 seed Clarkson Golden Knights. These two teams have not played each other since 1962 when Clarkson defeated Michigan in the Frozen Four. Red Berenson was at this game, but was a player instead of a coach. Michigan fans continue to stream in to root on the #1 ranked Wolverines. We won’t be able to blog live again, but will have our posts and final thoughts after the game.

Michigan Takes on Iowa in Michigan's Big 10 Baseball Opener

Listen to the Michigan baseball doubleheader against the Iowa Hawkeyes with the WCBN crew LIVE on MGoBlue.com.

Zach Putnam is on today as he has tied a career-high by striking out 10 Hawkeyes through five innings of work. Here are a few of the strikeouts

Strikeout #6
Strikeout #7
Strikeout #9

And Putnam's career day continues from the plate as he just parked one onto the softball field, giving Michigan a 3-0 lead. Adam Abraham followed hitting the next pitch off the "Brick" Monster out in left field for a double.

Putnam's Solo Homer
Abraham's Double
Strikeout #11 (sets career high)

Putnam lost the no-no on a 7th inning single by Justin Toole, and after three unearned runs crossed the plate in that 7th inning, Michigan found themselves in a brand new ball game.
Michael Jacobs' day is done, after going 7.1 IP, giving up 3 runs (2 earned), 7 hits, 2 Ks, and zero walks on the day. Jacobs is responsible for Nate Recknagel, who singled with one out in the bottom of the 8th. Putnam is now up with Andrew Porter pitching for Iowa -- 1 on, 1 out, 3-3 ballgame.

8th inning

Zach Putnam's fantastic day on the mound is over as he is replaced by Tyler Burgoon here in the top of the 9th inning. Here is the line for Putnam:

8 IP 3 H 3 R 0 ER 0 BB 12 K

Michigan was unable to push across a run in the 8th after a 1 out single from Nate Recknagel. Kenny Fellows came in to run for Recknagel and has stayed in the game as a defensive replacement, with Derek VanBuskirk moving over to 1st base.

9th inning

Tyler Burgoon continues the dominance of this Iowa Hawkeye lineup as he sets them down 1-2-3 with a called third strike to end the inning.

In the bottom half Jeremy predicted another game-winning home run from Alan Oaks (see Vanderbilt in last year's NCAA Regional). Unfortunately Oaks came up about 15 feet short as he flew out to left. On another note, with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning Chris Berset has drawn the first walk of the game, and he has now advanced to second on a wild pitch before being replaced by Nick Urban as a pinch runner. After a seven pitch walk to Ryan LaMarre Kevin Cislo has beaten out an infield single, and Derek VanBuskirk will bat with the bases loaded and two outs. Unfortunately VanBuskirk popped out to second. Extra innings here we come.

10th inning

1-2-3 in the top half of the inning, as Iowa should be used to this by now, as they have been set down in order for the 9th time in 10 innings so far.

Kenny Fellows leads off the inning with a strikeout, however third-string catcher Kody McManis can't hold onto the pitch and Fellows reaches first safely before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Jeremy thinks Putnam should lay down a bunt here, but Zach has never laid down a bunt at Michigan and I think Jeremy is a little crazy, and I am vindicated as Putnam smashes a double off the Blue Monster to drive in the winning run, capping off a fantastic game for him as Michigan takes game 1 4-3 in 10 innings. Game 2 will start in about half an hour, and we will work on getting game 1 highlights up for you. GO BLUE!

Here's the highlight of Putnam's game-winning double.

The second game is underway -- click on the link at the top of this blog post to listen to Matt Boyer, Stu Zaas, Jeremy Kreisberg, and Michael Tobin call Chris Fetter's first home start of the season.

Iowa is up 1-0 in game 2 on a Hoef triple, followed by a Cataldo sacrifice fly. Fetter has settled down since, striking out three of the last five batters he faced, including this one on Matt Mossey.

Iowa now leads 3-0, as Chris Fetter balked in a run and Justin Toole hit a sacrifice fly to score two runs in the 3rd inning. Michigan looks to be going through the motions so far in this game, and, in a 7-inning contest, they'll have to turn it on soon if they hope to win the 2nd game of this double-dip.

Michigan has tied it up here in the bottom of the fifth so it's a case of de-ja-vu as we're tied 3-3 again.

WOW! Zach Putnam has given Michigan the 5-3 lead with a no-doubt home run onto Alumni Field. His monster day continues ashe now has two homers for the doubleheader.

Michigan wins 5-3 and sweeps the doubleheader on the first day of Big Ten action at the renovated Fisher Stadium! Go Blue!