The Michigan baseball team has found its rock in graduate shortstop Benny Casillas. His .408 batting average is not only the best of the Big Ten but it clears that gap by a wide margin. The next closest hitter trails him by more than 30 points, a gap that underscores just how dominant and consistent Casillas has been at the plate all season long.
But more than the stats, what makes Casillas so indispensable is his adaptability. One inning he’s laying down a bunt to move a runner. The next, he’s working a walk and then sprinting around the bases with relentless energy.
Casillas’ brilliance has been prevalent all season, ever since he locked down the leadoff hitter spot during the Wolverines’ series against Long Beach State. And even then, it was his versatility that secured him the job.
“He’s been able to adjust his approach based on what we need,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said after the series. “If we need him to move a runner, he can do that. If we need him to drive in a run, he can do that too.”
Since that moment, Casillas has been the engine behind the Wolverines’ offense — not with big, flashy moments, but through steady, unshakable production. He not only creates opportunities for himself, but amplifies the talent around him, advancing the bottom of the order with smart hits, sacrifice bunts and scoring off of big hits by individuals like junior second baseman Mitch Voit. In more ways than one, he makes Michigan’s lineup click.
And this weekend against Nebraska, Casillas’ versatility was put on full display. Like the rest of the Wolverines, Casillas’ hitting performance was not up to his usual par, recording only a single hit during his nine at-bats. Despite that, Casillas managed to manufacture three of Michigan’s seven runs over the weekend in ways that deviated from the norm of consistency he had established.
In game 1, Casillas drew two walks. Each time, he picked up an extra 90 feet where he could as his aggressive baserunning delivered the Wolverines their first and second runs of the day.
Then came Saturday. With his singular hit of the series, Casillas didn’t just find the grass of the field — his hit made it all the way out of the park, marking his third home run of the season.
What’s notable is that all three of Casillas’ homers have come in the last three weeks — against Iowa, Central Michigan and now the Cornhuskers. For a player known more for his contact hitting and consistency, Casillas has had no need to develop into a power hitter — and yet he has. This shift suggests not only some increased confidence but growth and the ability to tap into more power when the moment demands it.
“Casillas, to me, he’s having an All-American type year,” Smith said April 15. “Still getting on base and getting those guys in behind him.”
Casillas isn’t redefining what it means to be a leadoff hitter — he’s expanding it. His ability to shift gears between roles make him less of just a fixture in the Wolverines’ line up and more of a catalytic presence, adapting, igniting and sustaining momentum.
