Spartans manager Ted Mahan's blood was once oozing maize and blue.
Mahan spent the majority of his early life in Ann Arbor, both playing baseball and getting an education at Michigan.
His baseball career began as a player for the Wolverines in 1974 - the first of four years he would earn a varsity letter. As a catcher, he helped guide U-M to Big Ten titles in 1975 and 1976 and NCAA Tournament appearances from 1975-'77.
He graduated from U-M that year and later earned an American culture master's degree in 1991 - the year before becoming a Spartan assistant.
The tides have changed, and so has Mahan's loyalty. But each year, for a weekend, the rivalry tears at his heartstrings.
Or does it?
"I've done it for 12 years - it doesn't mean a thing," Mahan said. "I forgot about that a long time ago."
Mahan, who said most of his friends are U-M guys and his wife is a U-M alumna, might be forced to recollect some of his memories this weekend when the Spartans (10-21 overall, 3-7 Big Ten) and Wolverines (16-15, 4-6) meet in a four-game series. But he said it's just another weekend of Big Ten baseball.
"They're a state rivalry and it's certainly an important weekend," he said. "But they all count four in the conference."
Senior Charlie Braun said he knows when the two teams come head-to-head, his coach is gunning for a Spartan sweep - and then some.
"When we play them, I'm sure he hates them," Braun said. "He really doesn't talk about it much and I've never asked him. But, I know when we play them, he wants to kick their butt."
And in the last three years, Mahan and the Spartans have won eight of 12 games against the Wolverines. Last season, the Spartans took 3-of-4 games from the Wolverines and did the same thing in 2001. In 2000, the freshman year of this year's senior class, the teams split.
"Since I've been here, we have not lost a series to Michigan," senior catcher Brady Burrill said. "We have the incentive that we have to start winning games, or we won't make the Big Ten Tournament."
Currently, the Spartans are sitting in 10th place in the conference, just a game behind the Wolverines. However, with a big log jam in the middle of the conference, a sweep could escalate the Spartans to third.
"We're excited - not only because it's Michigan, but it's a huge weekend in general," Braun said. "It's a good chance to pick up some ground on the rest of the Big Ten. If we can get three or four, it will really shoot us up in the standings."
The Spartans will send their ace, junior right-hander Bryan Gale (4-4) to the mound for a 6 p.m. contest on Friday at Oldsmobile Park, 505 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing.
For Saturday's doubleheader in Ann Arbor, sophomore right-hander Tim Day (2-5) will start the first game while senior right-hander Pat Gill (0-5) will take the mound in the nightcap. Freshman right-hander Jeff Gerbe (1-1) will start Sunday's 1 p.m. game at Kobs Field.
"It's a lot of fun when we play," Burrill said. "That's what college baseball is all about. It doesn't get much bigger than this."
