The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • Page 9

lO) Prep baseball, B-2 Seeds of Conflict, B-5 Tuesday, April 4, 1989 Aknairfa Dails Zmn talk HflSODTl Michigan wins national title in OT SBIB SEATTLE (AP) Rumeal Robinson championship in three title-game appearances Michigan lost to UCLA 91-80 in 1965 and to Indiana 86-68 in 1976. Rice opened the overtime with a jumper that was answered by Andrew Gaze's 3-pointer, his first field goal of the game. The teams exchanged leads three more times, with Seton Hall's final lead coming on a 3-pointer by Morton with 2:41 to play. Morton scores 22 Morton scored 22 of Seton Hall's last 28 points in regulation, including a 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining to tie the game 71-71 Michigan led 59-49 on a 3-pointer by Rice with 8:26 to go. Seton Hall ran off eight straight points, Morton scoring the last six.

And after an exchange of free throws, Rice hit a 3-pointer that gave him the NCAA tournament scoring record and the Wolverines a 64-59 lead with 6:05 to play. With Michigan leading 66-61, Morton scored six straight points as Seton Hall's defense came away with two steals, and the Pirates had their first lead of the second half with 2:14 to play. Walker's free throw gave the Pirates a two-point advantage and Rice once again got the lead back for Michigan with a 3-pointer with 1:03 to play. After Morton's airball with 53 seconds left, Michigan ran the clock down to 34 seconds before Sean Hig-gins made two free throws for the three-point lead that was erased by Morton's 3-pointer. Michigan had a chance for victory in regulation, but Rice missed a long jumper with two seconds to play.

Higgins added 10 points and nine rebounds for Michigan, 30-7. Rice added 11 rebounds. Walker and Greene each finished with 13 points for Seton Hall, 31-7, which was making its first Final Four appearance in just its second NCAA tournament. Seton Hall stayed outside in the first half with 14 of its 32 field goal attempts coming from 3-point range, while Michigan decided to test things inside. The problem for the Pirates, who averaged 14 3-pointers per game in the regular season, was that they made only four of the long jumpers.

The last two by Greene and Morton capped a 12-0 run that turned a six-point deficit into a 26-20 lead with 6:48 left in the first half. Michigan replies Michigan answered with an 8-2 run to tie at 28 with 4:12 to play as Rice surrounded two driving hoops by Robinson with two free throws and a jumper. Ramos gave the Pirates their final lead of the first half with one of their few drives of the half, made two free throws with three seconds left in overtime Monday night to give Michigan its first national championship and cap the improbable ride of interim head coach Steve Fisher with an 80-79 victory over Seton Hall. Fisher had taken over the Michigan team just two days before the NCAA tournament began and coached them to the six victories needed for the national title. The championship game was the fifth to go into overtime and the first since Loyola, 111., beat Cincinnati 60-58 in 1963.

Glen Rice was the player who carried Fisher and the Wolverines to the title with 31 points in the final, giving him an NCAA tournament record 184, breaking the 24-year-old mark of 177 set by Bill Bradley of Princeton Robinson, who finished with 21 points and 11 assists, got his chance to Please see Final Four related stories, B-4 be the hero when he was fouled by Gerald Greene, who had missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:17 remaining and Seton Hall leading 79-76. Terry Mills made a turnaround jumper with 56 seconds left to bring the Wolverines within one. Seton Hall worked the 45-second shot clock down and John Morton, who finished with 35 points, tossed up an airball with 11 seconds left. Michigan brought the ball down-court and Robinson began a drive to the basket when he was fouled before shooting. Robinson nailed the free throws and, after two Pirate timeouts, Daryll Walker's final desperation 3-pointer banged off the glass and rim and Michigan had its first national in' ose finds i i i 4 If fans friendly, hitting timely Reds down Dodgers 6-4 Brrm I "Hill Sf't, 1 7 r- 1 di i A Rose probe figure faces drug charges CINCINNATI (AP) A man who has been identified as a key figure in an investigation that led to a gambling probe of Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose announced Monday his intent to plead guilty to federal drug and tax charges Ronald Peters, 31, owner of a restaurant-bar in Franklin, Ohio, told U.S.

Magistrate Robert Steinberg he will plead guilty to a charge of cocaine distribution and of making a false statement on his 1985 income tax return. The U.S. attorney's office brought the charges against Peters in a bill of information. In agreeing to plead guilty, Peters informed the court he was waiving his right to have his case sent before a federal grand jury. The FBI said Peters arranged a July 22, 1988, meeting at a Middletown, Ohio, restaurant, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati, where his alleged source of cocaine, Darrell Cope of Franklin, sold an ounce of cocaine for $1,600 to an FBI informant who wore a microphone so federal agents could listen Informant ID The government did not identify the informant, but the Dayton Daily News has identified him as Paul Janszen, a Cincinnati body-builder who in the past reportedly helped Rose in physical training.

Janszen is serving a six-month sentence in a Cincinnati halfway house after pleading guilty in January to a charge of evading income taxes from the sale of steroids Janszen's lawyer, Meryln Shiverdecker of Cincinnati, would not comment on the report. "We're not going to get involved in the melee and confirm or deny the accuracy of those reports," Shiverdecker said. Cope is serving a four-year term in the Marion, 111., federal penitentiary for a cocaine distribution conviction, federal authorities said. Major league baseball said last month it was investigating Rose. Baseball officials have refused to disclose the nature of the investigation.

CINCINNATI (AP) Manager Pete Rose got the hero's welcome, and outfielder Paul O'Neill played the hero's role Monday in the traditional National League opener. O'Neill went 4-for-4 with a three-run homer Monday to carry the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-4 victory over the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. "We rode O'Neill's bat," Rose said. "I've never had an opening day like that, and I can't remember (anyone else having) one for a few years Rose, under investigation for alleged gambling, received a one-minute standing ovation before the game from the crowd of 55,385 at Riverfront Stadium. Several banners of support fluttered in the spring breeze, including one that said, "We Bet We Back Pete." Rose was touched.

"I've been through that quite a number of times," Rose said of the reception. "I don't think it ever gets to be old hat. I got goosebumps." While his manager was getting the goosebumps in the 103rd opening day in Cincinnati, O'Neill was fighting a shaky stomach. "You get so anxious to get going on opening day, there's so much adrenalin, you've got to hold yourself back," O'Neill said. "I wanted to get through the game without being sick because I was so nervous He calmed his nerves with a double to start a three-run rally in the second inning, and hit his three-run homer in the third off Tim Belcher as the Reds won their seventh straight season opener.

O'Neill also had a pair of singles to extend his success against the Dodgers. He hit .322 and had five of his 16 homers against Los Angeles last season. 1 Please see ORIOLES, related stories, B-4 "We weren't able to contain O'Neill," Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda said. "Did he surprise me? He surprised himself with a 4-for-4 day. He always hits us well." The Reds displayed some opening day jitters after former Reds catcher Johnny Bench, newly elected to the Hall of Fame, threw out the ceremonial first ball.

The Reds made three errors in the first inning that helped the Dodgers score a pair of unearned, runs off Danny Jackson, who got the win despite giving up four runs and four hits over five innings Kirk Gibson, whose game-winning homer in the first game of the World Series sparked the Dodgers to the championship, got off to a good start in 1989. He singled home a run in the first inning, stole a base, and hit a solo homer in the fifth. Gibson played in just six spring training games because of a sore knee and shoulder. No sympathy sought "When I'm on the field I'll play hard. I'll force myself," he said.

"When I go on the field, I don't ask for a get well card. We start out equal on the field. When I'm in the lineup I want no sympathy." He got none in the eighth from John Franco, who struck him out to begin his two perfect innings of relief for the save. Franco led the National League with 39 saves last season in 42 opportunities. Gibson's first-inning RBI single was set up by a pair of errors on one play.

Third baseman Chris Sabo, Please see ROSE, B-4 -i i I' 1 1 2 Associated Press Cincinnati's Paul O'Neill is safe at home ahead of Dodger Mike Scioscia's tag. ASH star accepts Padres' changes to do is get a good season under man who is slow, but has a big i in the 1 This is the first in a series of three stories on Alexandria men who are in baseball's minor leagues. By John D'Aquila Staff reporter William Taylor went to the San Diego Padres organization as a right-handed hitter, center fielder and speedster. Now he is Will Taylor, switch-hitter, left fielder and still speedster. Taylor, a former Alexandria Senior High star, has, again, been assigned to Riverside of the California League, the Padres' Class A affiliate.

He batted .183 and stole 31 bases in 112 games last year at Riverside. The low batting average can be attributed to deficiencies from the left side of the plate. He was batting around .300 right-handed when the switch was made. "I didn't understand it (the switch), but now I do," said Taylor, whose speed makes it necessary to try the switch-hitting experiment. "Last year I had a lot of ups and downs, but now I'm making contact every time up Tom Romenesko, Padres minor league director, is not concerned about Taylor's batting average.

my belt switch hitting they talk about having good things ahead of me," said Taylor. "I think I'll be there. I'm looking at a couple more years. I just turned 20 and I'm the youngest outfielder here." Though he did not make the jump from Class A to Class AA, Taylor is not discouraged Playing every day "They wanted me to go somewhere where I would play every day," he said. While in spring training, Taylor fell into good hands.

Former major leaguer Brian Little helped him become a more proficient bunter, and, through the Padres' "adopt-a-minor-loaguer" program, he was adopted by Gwynn, who quickly influenced Taylor with his good attitude, work habits and sense of humor. "He and I are pretty tight," said Taylor. "He tells me all the time that I'm not going to take his job. "But I have a few years before I worry about that." Who's joking here? Tomorrow! Marvin Cole. bat; and one of the game best hitters, Tony Gwynn, a right fielder all his career, but recently moved to center.

Last year, Stanley Jefferson, a speedster acquired in a trade with the Yankees, failed to hold the center field job, as did Shane Mack and Marvell Wynn, a former starter. Hence, Gwynn's move to center. If things work out, Taylor can one day have a shot at left field, even though he was a little surprised to find himself there when spring training started. "When I came to spring training they told me 1 was a left fielder," Taylor said. "Why, they didn't say." "He seems to be more comfortable there," says Romenesko.

"He's had a big smile on his face every day." One reason Taylor has been moved to left is to take the pressure off his arm, not considered of big-league quality yet. The ability to hit from either side of the plate and throw effectively from the outfield is all that stands in Taylor's way. Time is on his side "The way they (the minor league coaches) talk, all I have p'P "I'm not interested in stats," he says. "Will is making great progress. He's doing much better from the leftside.

"He's doing the little things that will help him become an effective major leaguer." With the Padres, Taylor has an excellent chance to one day make it to the big club and crack the starting lineup. The Padres' current outfield is comprised of Carmelo Martinez, a good-hit (he hasn't really hit yet) no-field player; John Kruk, a converted first base Michael Meeks Staff photographer Will Taylor: has had ups and downs in the pros..