Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 90

F8 THE HAKTFORD COURANT: Friday, March 31, 1989 Central's Sciortino makes a pitch to return to form i.i ii ii i m. mi, iHLlii miiuii.iiiii..uiiiiimii! 'M ill ip rmm-'jm I 1 0 My glands swelled up so much that one day I couldn't even swallow, and I was rushed to the hospital because they were almost touching in the middle of my throat. Central's Mike Sciortino on discovering he had mononucleosis tral's 21-8 victory against Radford College (Va.) a week ago, Sciortino went 6-for-6, with two doubles and two RBI. At Trumbull High School, Sciortino was an All-State pitcher with a career record of 25-5 and a .430 batting average. Sciortino was 2-3 with a 5.86 ERA as a freshman at Central and had a .265 batting average.

"He is capable of throwing hard, but he changes speeds very well also," Central Coach George Redman said. "As he gets more experience this year, he'll be able to spot the ball better. He is still very young. Even though he is a junior, experience-wise on the mound, he is basically a sophomore." Sciortino complements his fastball with a slider and an occasional curve, a pitch he admits needs improvement. "It tends to just float in," Sciortino said.

"My freshman year against Maine, we had them beat I hung an 0-2 curve to their No. 4 hitter and he mashed it out for a three-run homer and they won. Right there I told myself you can't be getting curveballs up on college hitters." Redman believes this season Sciortino will come into his own. By ROBERTO GONZALEZ Courant Staff Writer NEW BRITAIN A month before the 1988 baseball season, Central Connecticut pitcher Mike Sciortino of Trumbull didn't feel quite right "I had no energy," Sciortino said. "I was totally drained." From there, he went downhill.

"My glands swelled up so much that one day I couldn't even swal-i low, and I was rushed to the hospital because they were almost touching in the middle of my throat. I was in the hospital for fpur or five days." Sciortino had mononucleosis. Following a month-long battle, he I tried to play at the start of the season but it soon became apparent his bout with the illness had taken toll. He played in only seven fames and had a 1-1 record, with an .44 ERA. "I was still weak," Sciortino said.

spent a lot of time sitting around watching on the bench and hating it. I knew if I go out there it will be Just hurting the team. It wasn't it." Sciortino, a 6-foot-2 junior left-hander, lost 20 pounds, but over the summer he trained heavily with weights and worked himself back Central Connecticut State University Mike Sciortino, who also plays first base, has a 2-0 Saturday's home opener doubleheader against record for the Blue Devils (9-2). He will pitch in Maine (9-19) at Beehive Field in New Britain. to 195.

This season, Sciortino, who also plays first base, has a 2-0 record for the Blue Devils (9-2). He will pitch in Saturday's home opener doubleheader against Maine (9-19) at Beehive Field. During the off-season, Sciortino also worked on his hitting, taking 150 swings a day. "My main problem was I was pulling my head up," Sciortino said. "I was thinking power, power, power, instead of hitting line drives to help the team." Sciortino's efforts have paid off.

He bats cleanup and leads the team with a .500 batting average. In Cen nificant pitching staff." Rounding out the staff is senior Al Donovan (2-0, 2.05 ERA) of Lynn, and sophomore Ed Malley of Kensington (1-1, 2.79 ERA). The Blue Devils' team ERA is 2.98. Central lost three good players from last season's 21-12 team. Catcher Ted Nevins (.378, five homers, 33 RBI) and center fielder Ken Thibeault (.365) both graduat "He can do the job on the mound, he can do the job over at first and he hits the ball with authority." Sciortino is part of a strong pitching staff this season.

The Blue Devils are led by sophomore Paul Cac-cavale of East Hartford, who is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. "Going into last season we had some good, young arms," Redman said. "Now with that added experience, I think we have a pretty sig stood by Carlesimo and his wish list for leton Hall (5)ntinued from Page Fl stijno said. "I'm not being smart. I'm nJJt being humble.

Everybody tells their kids the same things, but net everybody has our kids." And not everybody has endured as much as Carlesimo to get here. $5eton Hall was a charter member dthe Big East only because Rutgers ttiHed down an invitation from Big East Commissioner Dave Gavitt. then athletic director fQchie Regan told me about the Big I told him it was great for the school but it wasn't great for me," said television analyst Bill Raftery, wild had a 154-141 record as Seton Hall's coach from 1970-81. "We Weren't prepared for it. We were going into the heavyweight division and we were operating on a different level.

We could get by playing those he Frieder's move spurred shouldn't even be in the Big East. We had to fight that, too." When Seton Hall started playing its home games at Brendan Byrne Arena in the Meadowlands, people said the building was too big for the Pirates. Carlesimo may have gotten his biggest thrill this season when nearly 20,000 people turned out for the Georgetown game in January. They came to see the Pirates not Georgetown. "I remember years ago, doing one of their games and there was nowhere near the enthusiasm there is now," said television analyst Dick Vitale, a Seton Hall alumnus.

"Now it's a big-time atmosphere and the Meadowlands are rockin' and rollin'. They used to say, 'Here's another game, let's see how close we can Michigan blew teams away. He lost every guy but one and the next year he won the state championship again. He won by scores like 39-38. He completely changed his style of play.

"They Michigan would have done just as well if Bill had been coaching them." Frieder had a 191-87 (.688) record at Michigan, including two Big Ten titles and an NIT championship. The move to ASU prompted Michigan AD Bo Schembechler to indignantly order Frieder out immediately. That Frieder took a $350,000 pay cut (down to $150,000) to go to ASU says something about how anxious he was to get out of an increasingly uncomfortable situation in Ann Arbor. Orr said Frieder is hoping Michigan wins the whole thing. "I am extremely happy for Steve Fisher and the entire Michigan basketball team," Frieder said in his prepared statement.

"I'm happy for all the players. This is the type of thing we have been talking about since they came to the Michigan campus. What is happening to this team is the result of a lot of hard work over the years." Frieder's departure probably has gotten his former top assistant the job. It's unlikely Michigan would not hire the guy who has taken over and coached the Wolverines to the national semifinal game Saturday against Big Ten rival Illinois. "I am very hopeful Steve Fisher becomes the next basketball coach at Michigan," Frieder said.

The media has made a sentimental favorite out of Fisher, who has handled the situation with tact and humbly pointed out what North Carolina Coach Dean Smith said after his Tar Heels had been beaten by Michigan in the Southeast Regional: "It is still Bill Frieder's team." How soon we forget what hurts him to remember. teams once a year, but not twice. When P.J. walked in there in 1982, really had an empty situation." When Seton Hall hired Carlesimo away from Wagner College, the Pirates were playing in antiquated Walsh Gym, complete with 3,000 seats and its high school-inspired stage at one end. "It was like the league had started for everybody but us," Carlesimo said.

"We were happy just getting side baskets in our gym, a secretary and two full-time assistants." The Pirates went 6-23 in Carlesi-mo's first year, 9-19 in the second. "That really hurt," said Central Connecticut Coach Mike Brown, who was an assistant under Carlesimo until this season, "because P.J., the staff, and the players put in so much time and wanted to win. And then there were those who said we Orr's 76 club 1 of 'quickest' The Michigan team that went to the Final Four in 1976 was, "one of the quickest teams ever in college basketball and probably one of the smallest," said Johnny Orr, who was the coach. Orr, now the coach at Iowa State, had two great players in Rickey Green and Phil Hubbard, who was the tallest Michigan player at 6-foot-7. It was Michigan's misfortune to run up against Indiana in the championship game at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

"We led them at the half 35-29," Orr said. "We just ran out of gas." TERRY PRICE him? As Orr's top assistant, Frieder was instrumental in recruiting explosive guard Rickey Green and slippery forward Phil Hubbard, the aces of Michigan's 1976 trip to the Final Four. That year the Wolverines got to the championship game, but lost to Indiana's undefeated team with Scott May, Kent Benson, Quinn Buckner and Bobby Wilkerson. Frieder's reputation for recruiting overshadowed his coaching after he took over at Michigan when Orr went to Iowa State in 1980. But Orr doesn't agree with those who feel Michigan might not have gotten to the Final Four if Frieder had not left.

"Don't let anybody tell you that he isn't a good coach," Orr said. "The reason I hired him was I saw him win the Michigan state championship with a Flint Northern team that just ed. Mark Meier, who batted .378 and stole 13 bases as a freshman outfielder, left school because of personal problems, Redman said. Sciortino, senior outfielder Bruce Ferrone (.488) and sophomore catcher Brian Massey (.371) are the offensive leaders. "We look solid all over," Sciortino said.

"And I think we have the best pitching staff in New England." success was coaching at Wagner and Krzyzewski was at Army. "One of the things we have in common is the commitment from our universities," Krzyzewski said. "It took me a few years to get my program established without the fear of being fired like there is in college basketball today. P.J. came in in the same situation.

It took a little bit of time. Now we both have outstanding basketball programs." Nobody can plan on being a Final Four regular, but Seton Hall wants to make sure it doesn't fall back to where it used to be. "The next thing to do is to make a new list," Keating said. "A list of things we have to do to keep it at this level without getting it out of perspective. After Tuesday, we're back to dreaming again." Three-point line may be moved back By KEN DAVIS Courant Staff Writer SEATTLE College basketball coaches want the three-point line moved back.

Notre Dame Coach Digger Phelps, chairman of the National Association of Basketball Coaches rules committee, said Thursday the coaches will recommend to the NCAA rules committee the three-point line be moved back 9 inches to the 20-foot, 6-inch distance used in international competition. The NCAA rules committee will meet Sunday and Monday. Ed Steitz, athletic director at Springfield College and secretary-editor of the rules committee, said Wednesday any change to the three-point line is unlikely. Steitz said teams shot 37.6 percent from behind the line (19 feet, 9 inches) this season, down almost one percent from 1987-88. "ESPN did an interesting survey during the first week of the NCAA tournament," Phelps said.

"Some 12,000 fans responded by calling in their opinion. Some 8,300 people want the line moved. "The NABC board recommended Wednesday night that we move it to the international distance. And we understand that may be moved back even further. I think this is the most drastic change that might be discussed this year." Colonial Realty enlists Calhoun Staff reports WEST HARTFORD University of Connecticut basketball Coach Jim Calhoun has signed a contract to provide motivational clinics with Colonial Realty's sales force, acquisitions department and key executives.

Calhoun also will represent Colonial at sporting events, schools and hospitals. "We saw a way to create a partnership with someone who was in the leading edge of his field, aggressive, positive and motivated," Colonial partner William Candelori said. "Coach Calhoun symbolizes all that we strive for team spirit, hard work, and a winning attitude." UConn has won 38 games, including the 1988 NIT title, the past two seasons under Calhoun. Colonial, a real-estate development and management company based in West Hartford, has property holdings nationally in excess of $1.5 billion. Colonial is a partner in the Whalers' ownership.

a pit" school, until last year, that it did take six years to do it," Keating said. "Every time a guy is hired at a program that's really down, they say, 'We gave him a five-year contract and it's going to take that Then, all of a sudden, after three years, everybody gets antsy." As Carlesimo heads into Saturday's semifinal game against Duke, he is using his experience to make a statement about all the firings in the college coaching ranks. He realizes he is here this week because Keating and Monsignor John J. Petillo, Seton Hall's chancellor, stood by him and were patient. "What's happening in college athletics is wrong and it's very alarming," Carlesimo said.

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski has known Carlesimo since Carlesimo fr" "I Associated Press "The biggest thing P.J. did was he never panicked under the fear of the heavyweights up at the top of the Big East." As Keating dealt with the problems on that list, Carlesimo could show recruits changes were being made. When he signed Mark Bryant, a first-round NBA draft pick last year, Carlesimo felt things turning. Then, Seton Hall reeled in John Morton, Gerald Greene and Daryll Walker three New York City recruits who are seniors on this Final Four team. "For the first time, we saw that we might be able to go head-to-head with the Johnnies St.

John's," Carlesimo said. All it took was time. "I don't think anyone fully understood, especially the people at the Road to Seattle '71 Continued from Page Fl NCAAs might now feel proven right. But the folks at ASU don't feel they've made a mistake in hiring Frieder. ASU is drooling at the thought of having Frieder bring in the terrific talent that has gottten Michigan to the big dance.

A tremendous distance shooter like Glen Rice. Another in Sean Higgins. A point guard like Rumeal Robinson and wide bodies like Terry Mills, Loy Vaught and Mark Hughes. "The community around here has been tremendously receptive to him," ASU sports information director Mark Brand said. "The atmosphere is just excitement.

We haven't had a winning season since 1982. Since Michigan's success everyone knows it's Frieder's team. We broke our attendance record at our basketball banquet Tuesday night." I Even so, Frieder's Michigan roots run deep. He was a high school coach in Flint, and was hired as an assistant coach in Ann Arbor when he doggedly refused to accept "no" as an answer. The way the story goes, Frieder approached then Michigan Coach Johnny Orr at a golf tournament and asked him to hire him as an assistant.

Orr put him off. Later that day, Frieder made another pitch. Again Orr tried to discourage him. Then, figuring Orr had to stop someplace to stay that night on the way home, Frieder followed him and collared him in the lobby. Eventually, Frieder was told by the Michigan athletic director that he couldn't hire him because he wanted to save the position's $14,000 salary.

Frieder responded, "You have to give me a better reason than that because I'll work for nothing." What could Michigan do but hire Spirit of 76 lives in UConn's annals By TERRY PRICE Courant Staff Writer has in the Final Four for the first time tMUVIIlguu fsince 1976. The year has significance because the door Princeton played the perfect game that Saturday afternoon against Rutgers and nearly upset an undefeated team that would eventually wind up in Philadelphia in the Final Four. With 4 seconds remaining, Princeton's Pete Molloy stood at the free-throw line with a one-and-one opportunity to win the game for Princeton. He missed and Rutgers escaped, 54-53. UConn's best chance ever to get to the Final Four died with Molloy's miss.

If Rutgers had been eliminated, UConn would have played Princeton at a weak East Regional that also included VMI and DePaul. Instead, a superb UConn team with Tony Hanson, Al Weston, John Thomas, Jeff Carr and Whelton were outrun and outgunned by an outstanding Rutgers club with Phil Sellers, Fast Eddie Jordan, James Bailey, Hollis Copeland, Mike Dabney and Abdel Anderson. Rutgers went on to lose in the national semifinals to Michigan. UConn hasn't come close since. to the unai our was open jusi a cracn uui ye iui 1 UConn's Huskies.

uConnmadeagoodrunatitltbeatUMasson Joey "JWhelton's jumper with seconds remaining and defeat-' ed Providence in the ECAC New England champion-! ship game to end PC's reign as top dog in the region. In the NCAAs at Providence, UConn gained a spot in the Sweet 16 by coming back from 15 points down with if 9 minutes left in the second half to score an 80-78 overtime victory over Hofstra. And it was in Providence that the door to the Final Four fleetingly opened for the only time in UConn "history. It came in a game between Princeton and Duke's Robert Brickey smiles at some well-wishers as the Blue Devils boarded the team bus for the airport in Durham, N.C. Duke plays Seton Hall in ono of Saturday's national semifinals In Seattle..