The Michigan baseball team finished its fourth season under coach Tracy Smith with a 34-24 overall record, 17-13 conference record and a quarterfinal appearance in the Big Ten Tournament. With the Wolverines’ season over after missing the NCAA Tournament, the writers of the Michigan Daily baseball beat — Jaxson Kaplan-Rudolph, Anna Liao, Gabe Miller and Caitlin Moran — select their top highlights of the season below.
Best hitting moment?
Kaplan-Rudolph: Joonsung Park go-ahead homer vs Maryland
Junior pinch hitter Joonsung Park came up huge with game-winning and game-tying doubles on back-to-back nights in the Washington series, earning him a start at designated hitter in the series opener at Maryland. Michigan was at a 1-1 deadlock with the Terrapins heading into the top of the tenth inning, with Park leading off. Just as Anna remarked if he would hit the ball ‘out of College Park,’ he did exactly that, blasting a solo homer over the scoreboard for his third game-winner in four games.
Liao: Historic back-to-back Big Ten Tournament home runs
In two consecutive pitches, the Wolverines became just the third team to hit successive homers at the Big Ten Tournament and the third team to win in less than nine innings. Center fielder Evan Haeger and catcher Noah Miller delivered back-to-back home runs on the biggest stage of the year as the redshirt sophomores contributed three RBIs to Michigan’s 10-0 run-rule win over Rutgers. After an end-of-season slump for the Wolverines, Haeger and Miller catalyzed one final renaissance.
Miller: Colby Turner stringing together homers at the Amegy College Baseball Series
In the Surprise College Baseball Series, the Wolverines took down several ranked opponents to secure a victory in their first tournament of the season. While the team wasn’t able to maintain that level of success throughout the year, junior second baseman Colby Turner was able to do so the very next weekend at the Amegy College Baseball Series. He went yard every day of the tournament — with one homer against then then-No. 16 Florida State and another against No. 15 Louisville. While Turner wasn’t a go-to bat in the 2025 season, his performance in these initial contests painted the dominant presence in the batter’s box he would bring for the rest of the season for Michigan.
Moran: Cooper Mullens walk-off in rubber match against Oregon
After having started just two games before the Wolverines’ series with Oregon — the school where his father leads as the athletic director — redshirt sophomore Cooper Mullens started at designated hitter in every game against the Ducks. Michigan was down 3-2 in the ninth inning of the rubber match with two outs and the bases loaded when Mullens hit an RBI single to score two runs and deliver a walk-off victory — completing a fairytale finish.
Best pitching performance?
Kaplan-Rudolph: Kurt Barr carves up Nebraska in statement series opener
When Nebraska’s gung-ho lineup came calling at Ray Fisher Stadium, senior right-hander Kurt Barr met them at an impasse. He used his opponents’ strengths against them by painting the corners and eliciting swing after swing out of the trigger-happy Cornhuskers — doing so without walking a single batter. Giving up just six hits and only one run over seven innings, Barr rode his reliable curveball to strike out six batters and earn the Wolverines a marquee 2-1 win — their first conference victory of the season.
Liao: Nine innings of Shane Brinham staying hot when Michigan needed it against Ohio State
Freshman left-hander Shane Brinham’s stats in the penultimate game of the season speak for themselves. In a Big Ten Tournament elimination game, Brinham powered through 124 pitches against an Ohio State team coming off a weekend sweep of the Wolverines, never relenting from the zone. He only gave up three walks all night and threw a career — and Big Ten Tournament — high of eleven strikeouts. His approach disarmed the slugging that took down Michigan less than a week before, and even though he allowed five hits, Ohio State couldn’t seem to break through Brinham’s best night of the season.
Miller: David Lally Jr. throws a complete game to secure Michigan’s first sweep
Leading into the weekend of April 17, the Wolverines had the accolades it looked for going into the season. A walk-off clutch against now No. 15 Oregon and several knockoffs of ranked opponents before conference play started bolstered the Wolverines’ resume. However, one thing still evaded them: a series sweep. But by Sunday against Northwestern, senior right-hander David Lally Jr. delivered. Throwing a complete game, and only giving up one run in the process, Lally ensured Michigan’s first — and ultimately only — sweep became reality.
Moran: Shane Brinham spins a gem in run-rule win over Oregon
Brinham had never lasted more than three innings in a single game before his Thursday start against the Ducks, but he dominated against Oregon’s powerful lineup and earned National Pitcher of the Week honors. In a seven-inning run-rule victory, Brinham threw 96 pitches and struck out seven batters. He didn’t concede a single run, retiring 16 consecutive Ducks through the first six innings against a lineup with five batters hitting over .300. The outing cemented Brinham as the Wolverines’ Saturday starter for the remainder of the season, and set Michigan up for an eventual series win.
Best fielding play?
Kaplan-Rudolph: Josh Campbell flashes glove against Toledo in sibling rivalry
Freshman left fielder Josh Campbell, who is four years younger than Toledo graduate center fielder Saborn Campbell, had never shared a baseball field with his older brother. Josh finally got the chance after earning his second career start in a home midweek against the Rockets — and his quality outfield play added a family dynamic to the non-conference contest. Starring in the 5-2 win, Josh flexed his speed and athleticism while laying out for a pair of brilliant diving catches.
Liao: Evan Haeger robs home run from Minnesota
The Wolverines lagged 5-2 behind Minnesota the day after a brutal run-rule loss, and the Gophers showed few signs of stopping after catcher Weber Neels swung for the fences in the bottom of the fourth inning, nearly making it over. But Haeger tracked the hit through the warning track and leapt with his arm extended out of the park to make the catch. If Haeger hadn’t been in the right place at the right time, the solo homer would’ve swung the game — an eventual 9-8 win for Michigan.
Miller: Dane Morrow turning a foul ball into a crucial double play against Ohio State
In Game 3 against the Buckeyes, the Wolverines had everything to play for. With postseason possibilities on the line, Michigan needed to stay sharp no matter what — and redshirt freshman right fielder Dane Morrow did. After a ball was sent deep down the right-field line and veered off into foul territory above Ohio State’s bullpen, Morrow acted. He caught the ball a good foot or two beyond the wall for the flyout, and catapulted it toward Turner to force out a runner tagging up to second. Against the dominance the Buckeyes brought that series, every out counted, and Morrow made sure to deliver key outs for the Wolverines.
Moran: Greg Pace Jr. makes a leaping grab to save Washington home run
In Michigan’s second game of the Big Ten Tournament, the Huskies opened strong. Washington shortstop Sam DeCarlo launched a threatening ball toward the right-field wall, but Wolverines junior right fielder Greg Pace Jr. handled it with a jumping catch. The grab was a bright spot in an otherwise lacking performance against the Huskies, preventing a 7-1 loss from being even more devastating for Michigan.
Best series?
Kaplan-Rudolph: Oregon
The Oregon series had it all: A breakout performance from Brinham in the series opener, an emphatic Ducks reply to even the series and a stunning walk-off to cap a vintage Wolverines weekend victory. The phrase ‘How can you not be romantic about baseball?’ came to mind when Cooper Mullens, son of Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens, clinched the series at the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 rubber-match triumph.
Liao: Oregon
Michigan welcomed its highest-ranked opponent in Ann Arbor with its best baseball of the season. In the series opener, Brinham’s first complete game held the team with the most home runs in the Big Ten scoreless. The Wolverines punctuated their highest-ranked series win with a rubber-match masterclass in small ball. It didn’t take much — just two infield singles — for Michigan to keep pace with the Ducks. When it came time for a decisive finish, it was only fitting that Mullens got his fairytale ending to match the poetic upset.
Miller: Washington
Washington was a scary opponent throughout the regular season, far more terrifying than its 25-32 final record presented. Shutting out No. 1 UCLA in Game 1 of their series, the Huskies have shown they fight to the bitter end — and it was no different against the Wolverines. Going into the ninth inning, Michigan found itself down by one in both Game 1 and 2, but this is when Park worked his magic. Helping to walk off Washington in back-to-back contests, Park spurred the Wolverines into a magical series win.
Moran: Oregon
In the second series of a seven-weekend win streak, Michigan defeated its highest-ranked home series opponent, the Ducks. They started the series with a statement, earning a run-rule victory over Oregon behind a breakout performance on the mound by Brinham. While the Wolverines dropped the second game of the series to the Ducks, stifled by Oregon’s dominance on the mound, they hung with the Ducks Saturday. Executing its playstyle, Michigan stayed in the game through situational hitting and got the timely hit from Mullens to take the series.
