One year ago, the Michigan baseball team was reeling from its 2-2 opening series against Western Michigan. The Wolverines’ lack of pitching depth cost them at the start of the series, a pattern that was unknowingly indicative of their issues at the following weekend’s College Baseball Series — the rest of the season.
This time around, the season is looking different for Michigan. Going 4-0 and taking out then-No. 2 Virginia to kick off, it displayed the prowess of its expanded pitching staff and the might of its bats at the inaugural Puerto Rico Challenge this past weekend. Now, the Wolverines are looking to ride their momentum into Arlington, Texas this weekend at this year’s College Baseball Series.
“Leaving Puerto Rico 4-0 is really big for us,” graduate catcher Matt Spear said Monday. “Everyone’s kind of looking forward to staying healthy and on the same page.”
Friday through Saturday, Michigan will face three opponents, No. 13 Texas Christain, Kansas State and No. 4 Arkansas. To start the series, the Wolverines first take on the Horned Frogs, who also went 4-0 in their opening series against San Diego, backed by an explosive offense that produced 34 total runs across the games.
For Michigan, the key to its success will be capitalizing on TCU’s lack of dominance on the mound. Having just confirmed the loss of their star pitcher Junior Ben Abeldt to a UCL injury this past Thursday, the Horned Frogs struggled to produce out of their bullpen, conceding 17 runs.
Amongst those projected to start for the Wolverines are Spear, junior outfielder Jonathan Kim and junior pitcher Mitch Voit, who had batting averages of .357, .500 and .471, respectively — formidable stats against a team searing for stability on the mound. Their ability to maintain these high averages will be a crucial test of their dependability and important in setting the tone for the games to come.
When it isn’t playing its key starters, this weekend will serve as an opportunity for Michigan to continue the development of its underclassmen, who put on a strong performance last weekend. The Wolverines were able to debut eight freshmen in Puerto Rico, including Grant Bradley who struck out a batter against Virginia, and Tate Carey who threw three strikeouts in his innings against Villanova.
“We’re going to let guys spread it around a little bit,” Wolverine coach Tracy Smith said Monday. “Let guys earn opportunities and earn positions.”
On Saturday, Michigan will face off against Kansas State and its 1-4 record. While a less daunting opponent than the others in the series, the Big 12 school’s 9-12 loss to No. 6 North Carolina this past Tuesday shows what it can do offensively when not kept in check. If the Wolverines’ freshmen can continue to produce on the mound like they did in their first series, they will be able to complement the much more experienced players on the squad, and potentially solidify Michigan’s defense against the Wildcats.
The final and most foreboding game for the Wolverines is against No. 4 Arkansas, who are also unbeaten coming into the matchup. The Razorbacks dominated against Washington State on all fronts, tallying 34 runs while only allowing eight. Leading the charge for Arkansas is infielder Brent Iredale, whose two home runs and nine RBIs over the four games propelled the Razorbacks to their victories all weekend.
For Michigan, this means all hands on deck. Consistent batting performances from Kim, Voit and Spear are a given if it wants a chance. And if sophomore designated hitter Cade Ladehoff can produce a performance evocative of his success against Villanova and Stetson, where he gave the Wolverines five runs, the Wolverines may be on the warpath yet.
This weekend hinges on the Michigan producing with precision, and while its undefeated start is promising, the road ahead is anything but easy. The Wolverines will need every ounce of their depth to prevail, and must play the solid baseball they have shown they’re capable of.
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