[batted balls]

August 31, 2006

Minneapolis, Minn.--A three-run seventh inning lifted Minnesota to a 4-2 victory over Michigan and out of last place in the All-American Baseball League East.

The Golden Gophers' win, coupled with a Michigan State loss to Ivy, improved their record to 49-83. Minnesota is a respectable 22-29 since the All-Star break.

"We've made strides, there's no doubt," said Minnesota manager Dick Siebert (shown below). "We want to finish strong and build for next year."

Lead-off hitter J.T. Bruett drove in the tying and lead runs with a single off Michigan starter Lary Sorensen. Dave Winfield then doubled home Bruett with an insurance run.

Siebert then used four relievers to nail down the victory. Jeff Schmidt (5-4) earned the win while Bill Davis picked up his second save. Sorensen (11-9) took the loss.

"To other teams this may not seem like a big deal," said Breutt, who was 3-for-4 in the game. "But to us, this is huge. We don't want to turn around and fall back into last again."

Minnesota has won four straight games and is 7-3 in its last 10.

East Standings
Ivy 88-47 --
Miami 81-51 -4
Illinois 80-52 -5
Florida State 69-63 -16
Mississippi State 69-63 -16
Michigan 63-69 -22
Notre Dame 59-73 -26
Louisiana State 57-75 -28
Minnesota 49-83 -36
Michigan State 48-84 -37


Player of the Month: Mike Piazza, Miami
Pitcher of the Month: Fred Beebe, Illinois

Player of the Week: Alex Fernandez, Miami

Stat of the Week: Three of Ivy outfielder Doug Glanville's eight home runs have come in the last week.

Key Series: Illinois at Miami & Ivy at Michigan State

Team-by-Team August Review

Ivy: After stumbling in a three-game series with Miami, the Eagles appear to have righted the ship. First baseman Lou Gehrig (.326-18-100) leads the East in all three Triple Crown statistics. Sam Mele (.315-9-96) has also been dangerous. Pitchers Pete Broberg (16-9, 2.71 ERA), Jim Beattie (14-6, 2.12), John Milligan (15-8, 3.36) and Ron Darling (9-4, 2.36) continue to shine. The bullpen has been shaky at times. Closer Dave Sisler (21 saves, 2.53) has been strong however.
Miami: Ron Fraser's Hurricanes have been the AABL's hottest team in the second half (36-15). Strong pitching has been the key. Alex Fernandez (18-5, 3.03 ERA) and Warren Bogle (17-6, 2.65) are Golden Arm candidates. The bullpen features three solid closer-types in All-Star Oscar Munoz (18 saves), Danny Graves (16) and Kurt Knudsen (11). Jorge Fabergas (.302-10-62), Pat Burrell (.250-10-53) and Mike Piazza (.293-8-33 in just 174 at-bats) spearhead the offense.
Illinois: Starters Carl Lundgren (17-6, 2.01 ERA), Fred Beebe (14-7, East-leading 1.45 ERA) and Jeff Innis (12-8, 2.13, East-leading 168 strikeouts) set the tone. Stopper Donn Pall (28 saves, 1.88) closes the door. Longball artists Lou Boudreau (17 home runs) and Don Lenhardt (16) spark the Illini offense.
Florida State: The Seminoles have dropped into fourth place by going 21-30 since the break. All-Star closer Craig Skok (35 saves, 1.41 ERA) has been lights out. John Wasdin (14-9, 2.64) has been the best of the starters. All-Star Mark Gilbert (.303-11-66) leads a slumping offense.
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have pulled into a fourth-place tie with Florida State. Pitchers Jeff Brantley (10-8, 3.03 ERA) and Bobby Thigpen (24 saves, 2.19) have given manager Ron Polk hope for next season. Will Clark (.318-14-71), Rafael Palmeiro (.271-8-60) and Adam Piatt (.288-5-57) are the Bulldog offensive threats.
Michigan: The Wolverines continue to be one of the East's biggest puzzles. Lary Sorensen (11-9, 2.73 ERA) is the lone starter with double-digit wins. Opponents are hitting just .230 against closer Steve Howe (23 saves, 2.00). Barry Larkin (.283-9-41) and Chris Sabo (.243-4-48) are tops on offense. Pitcher Scott Kamieniecki (3-5, 3.34) is on the disabled list with back ailments.
Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish are batting just .217, 19th in the AABL. Notre Dame averages just 2.93 runs per game. Cap Anson (.323-3-43) continues to contend for the East batting crown. Carl Yastrzemski (.277-10-55) and Red Murray (.264-13-55) have shown promise but the rest of the offense has been poor. Starter Ed Reulbach (11-12, 2.43 ERA) has struggled since returning from the disabled list. Norwood Gibson has the East's second-best ERA (1.91) yet is just 11-11 on the year.
LSU: The Tigers are a team of streaks. LSU will win seven of 10, then turn around and lose seven of the next 10. Closer Chad Ogea (27 saves, 2.74 ERA) has emerged. All-Star picks Warren Morris (.280-14-63), Joe Adcock (.278-11-59) and Buddy Blair (.256-8-65) comprise the heart of the lineup.
Minnesota: The Golden Gophers have been quite respectable since the All-Star break. Starter Steve Comer (7-11, 2.79 ERA) has been Minnesota's best pitcher. Stopper Gregg Olson (15 saves) has struck out a batter per inning in 78 frames. Paul Molitor (.273-4-54) has become the team's most dangerous hitter. All-Star catcher Dan Wilson (.284-5-33) is batting .300 on the road.
Michigan State: The Spartans remain last in every major offensive category. Michigan State averages just 1.75 runs per game and has been shut out a league-high 24 times. Mark Mulder (7-6, 2.99 ERA) is the only Spartan starter with a winning record. All-Star selection Dick Radatz (24 saves, 1.40) has saved just three games in the second half. Starter Robin Roberts became a 20-game loser this past week.