COLUMBUS — Bounding down the field in the second inning was freshman right fielder Brayden Jefferis. With the Michigan baseball team up just two runs against its rival, every moment counted — the lead could evaporate at any given moment. With one foot in front of the other and eyes in the sky, Jefferis ran all the way onto the warning track, seemingly set on a collision course with the wall. And then, in the hidden corner of the field, the ball fell into his mit.
“I thought it was a home run, and then Braden just kept running down,” Wolverines coach Tracy Smith said. “Excellent play for a guy that hasn’t been out there a lot.”
Michigan’s first matchup against Ohio State was a quality outing in a plethora of ways. Amid the sea of stellar performance however, the Wolverines’ outfield shined. Their quality production and play in high-stakes moments allowed the rest of the team to cruise to victory.
After stalled first inning at-bats, Michigan’s fielders quickly got to work tallying three flyouts to close out the inning. And when the Wolverines took a two run lead just an inning later, it was the outfield who fished out another two outs thanks to a particularly impressive running grab by junior center fielder Greg Pace.
Jefferis, who’s heroic warning track sprint gave Michigan that second fly out, was a crucial part of the team’s outfield and his spirit was put on display once more in the third inning. For the first time in the game, the Wolverines found themselves in hot water with two runners on base. But once more, Jefferis sprinted straight back for a running catch just left of the warning track’s foul line to dam off the Buckeyes’ offensive momentum and close the inning.
“BJ with a couple grabs down the line was huge,” graduate first baseman Jeter Ybarra said. “… To have some guys come out and make some defensive plays is huge for us, especially with the rain going on.”
Meanwhile, Ohio State’s fielders were slipping and sliding in the downpour, as a litany of mistakes gave Michigan an 18-0 lead after the top of the fourth inning. With a lead so vast, the Wolverines got comfortable, testing the waters with a nearly entirely different lineup including a new outfield. While they weren’t the same defensive barrier as the team’s starters, leaking a few hits and a run before the end of the game, the damage was negligible. The tone had already been set.
With 23 runs scored in just seven innings, it’s obvious that it wasn’t just the strength of the outfield that carried Michigan to victory. But, they were the anchor that allowed the Wolverines to hold steady. While a great day at the plate and the mound, a team seeking consistency found a well-rounded victory among defensive consistency.
“It was key at that time because who knows if that ball goes down, maybe they get the momentum going, they use a different pitcher, and the score is not that.” Smith said of Jefferis’ earlier catch in the second inning.
On a day when everything clicked, Michigan’s outfield provided more than a win — it provided both stability and a spark to a team that found its rhythm.
