Starting the season from the bench, junior outfielder Greg Pace Jr. contributions to the Michigan baseball team’s success were limited. He served the niche of a gadget-guy who could pinch run and serve as a defensive replacement, but not much else. Recently, however, Pace has served as the Wolverines’ starting center fielder and has made significant contributions at the plate.
In Friday’s 10-0 run-rule victory over Mount St. Mary’s, Pace was 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs scored and three RBIs — one of which scored the game-winning 10th run.
“We usually talk about having productive at-bats,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said. “Usually it’s moving the ball forward, moving guys up and drawing walks, but today he had the big hits.”
Pace kick-started the Wolverines’ offense in the third inning as he snuck a groundball past the third baseman. As the ball caromed around in the outfield, Pace took the extra base at second to put himself in scoring position with the top of the order coming up. With Pace’s baserunning acumen in the back of Mountaineers’ heads, a rattled starting pitcher whipped a pickoff attempt into center field allowing Pace to scoot over to third base.
“That stuff is a lot about the math,” Smith said.
While the subsequent hitters weren’t able to get Pace home, his baserunning put Michigan in an aggressive position. In fact, the math points to a 1.2866 run probability once Pace moved up to third.
Pace’s first run scored came later in the fifth inning. Pulling a double into the alley, Pace pulled into second base with ease and pushed graduate catcher Matt Spear over to third. This set up graduate shortstop and leadoff hitter Benny Casillas to play a ball to the outfield, easily scoring Spear and the speedy Pace from second.
“If you’re producing at the bottom of the order with the hitters we have at the top, you’re probably going to score a lot of runs,” Smith said.
The very next inning, Pace found himself at the plate again, this time with the bases juiced. And as he skied a ball into left-center field, it took a hop and popped over the fence for a two-RBI ground-rule double.
Pace created threatening situations with his legs, his power bat created runs. And in the field, a stellar running catch and contributed to two putouts on the day.
“Especially with Greg in center field, any ball that goes up will be caught.” Junior right-hander David Lally Jr. said. “That guy was flying around out there.”
Despite his production all day, Pace’s crowning achievement came in the game’s final moments. Up 9-0, one run away from a run-rule victory, Pace entered the batter’s box with the game winning run on second base. Slapping a hit to the opposite field, graduate two-way player Will Rogers scored easily.
“I wasn’t really aware of the situation, I just wanted to stay hot and record a hit.” Pace said. “But then my teammates all started running at me so that was a little surprising.”
Maybe if Pace knew the gravity of his at-bat, he would’ve changed his approach. But keeping with what had worked all day, he put another RBI on the board and capped off a monumental day with as exciting of an RBI single as can be.
