Penciled in at the two hole, freshman outfielder Brayden Jefferis was a key piece in the Michigan baseball team’s win over Penn State on Saturday. Finishing the day 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Jefferis accounted for four of the Wolverines’ eight runs scored.
Coming off of performances against Eastern Michigan and Purdue where he garnered three RBIs in just two games, Jefferis has been seeing the ball well. Replacing graduate outfielder AJ Rausch, Michigan’s everyday center fielder, Jefferis made just his third start of the season — but the moment wasn’t too big for the true freshman.
“Just try to have fun and relax,” Jefferis said of his approach. “I wasn’t trying to do too much.”
Jefferis’ approach was simple, but it did the trick. After graduate shortstop Benny Casillas led off the game with a double, Jefferis played a ball into the opposite field, bringing Casillas around to score the game’s first run. Not forcing the ball to the pull side, Jefferis did exactly what he needed to do.
Two innings later, Jefferis put the ball in play again, but it stayed in the infield. Hustling down the line, he beat out a would-be double play to reach base on a fielder’s choice. Jefferis’ hustle ended up being crucial for Wolverines as he scored from first on junior infielder Mitch Voit’s RBI double, tying the game up in the third inning.
Even on hits where he didn’t get his A-swing off, Jefferis made an impact through aggressive baserunning and hustling down the basepaths — baseball plays that aren’t always flashy but make a difference.
But more often than not, it was his A-swing powering the Wolverines’ offense. In the bottom of the fourth, Jefferis laced one up the middle, scoring a runner from third to keep Michigan’s offense — and the freshman’s confidence — humming.
Capping off his day with two additional singles, Jefferis finished with 13 total bases and reached base safely in all five of his at-bats. While Jefferis wasn’t spraying the ball to the fence his simple approach helped him score runners and put himself in position to score. And with the heavy-hitting Voit behind him in the order, just being on base could put you in scoring position.
“If I had to sum up that guy, I’d give him the ultimate compliment which is ‘you’re just a baseball player,’ ” Michigan coach Tracy Smiths said. “Not that he’s not talented, but he’s just a baseball player.”
Smith’s praise of Jefferis as a baseball player didn’t stop on the basepaths. Placed in centerfield, Jefferis captained the outfield effectively from center field as he was a perfect four-for-four on put-outs. The southern California product dealt with the Midwest wind and rain with ease in his first start on the Wolverines’ home turf.
“Shame on me for not putting him in the lineup sooner,” Smith said. “Seriously.”
Even though Jefferis hasn’t had too many opportunities to show his skills, he has made the most of them as of late. In Michigan’s crowded outfield platoon there are a half-dozen ballplayers competing for just three spots. But if Jefferis can keep up this level of production, his five-tool capabilities will lead to consistent plate appearances.
