While pitching in the Cape Cod League last summer, Michigan pitchers Rich Hill, Bobby Korecky and Jim Brauer got to feel like film critics for a day. The three, along with the rest of the players in the league, went to the movie theater for a sneak peak at the film "Summer Catch," a movie about baseball in the Cape.

Hill and Korecky gave it two thumbs down.

"It was kind of cool watching it and laughing together, but I've seen better movies," Korecky said.

The movie theatre wasn't the only time Hill and Korecky got together on the East Coast. They first went out to Cape Cod two summers ago, where they lived with the same host family. Hill returned to that family this past summer, and he was much more comfortable with his good-humored host the second time around.

"It's kind of awkward at first when people start joking around with you, and you don't really know if they are joking or not," Hill said of his first summer. "This past summer, we got along a lot better and sat around and watched baseball games."

Korecky has played with teammates from Michigan in each of his two seasons in the league, playing with Hill his first year there and Brauer last summer.

Of the three, Brauer was the most successful, recording the fifth-best ERA in the league and earning a spot on the Cape Cod All-Star team.

Brauer said he benefited from pitching against some of the top hitters from around the country.

"You are used to the best hitters being at the top of the lineup, but when you get to the Cape, every kid in the lineup can hit," he said.

Part of the pitchers' success might have stemmed from one specific rule of the Cape Cod League. Colleges use aluminum bats, but in the Cape, wooden bats are mandatory, just like in the pros.

"When you are throwing to a wood bat, it is easier to throw strikes. You know if you miss, you won't be hurt as much as you would be with aluminum," Korecky said.

Korecky and Brauer found that pitching against wooden bats has also helped them against aluminum bats. They both took more risks on the mound over the summer, allowing them to gain control and confidence in their pitches.

Brauer also said that one of the best parts of summer baseball was learning about other college programs. Apparently, he and Hill liked what they heard from their summer teammates. They both considered transferring.

Brauer did not say why they wanted to transfer, but said that it was for "reasons that are no longer an issue."

It may not be a coincidence that Brauer and Hill are still on the team and coach Geoff Zahn resigned last fall.

While in the Cape, players were also able to get away from baseball and familiarize themselves with townspeople and teammates.

Jeff Trzos, Michigan's No. 4 starter, was able to enjoy his summer in a different league out East, where he made new friends.

Playing in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, Trzos became popular among the local youths that attended games by selling raffle tickets during the games.

Trzos, who was a closer in the summer, was able to sell the tickets because he didn't have to be in the bullpen until the last couple innings.

The kids liked him so much that they brought him candy after the games. He became a local celebrity. They recognized him around town, even when he was working at a local grocery store.

Although the kids might have been disappointed when Trzos left the stands for the bullpen, they were always happy to see him arrive on the mound. He set a team record in saves and made the league All-Star team.

These four pitchers will all be starting for Michigan in its four-game series against Illinois this weekend. The Wolverines had a much rougher start to the season in nonconference play, but they are a game ahead of the Fighitng Illini in the Big Ten standings.