For the majority of the season, graduate first baseman Jeter Ybarra has slotted in at the fourth or fifth spot in the lineup and has maintained about a .270 batting average. Of the other four batters on the Michigan baseball team that Ybarra has consistently hit behind or just above, he has held the lowest batting average. In short, Ybarra’s offensive presence thus far has been mild as he hasn’t had stellar performances nor made egregious errors.
But in the Wolverines’ series sweep against Ohio State, Ybarra flipped the script and illustrated the offensive depth that Michigan has begun to unlock.
“We were just trying to be really selective with the pitches we were swinging at,” Ybarra said Saturday after the Wolverines’ Game 1 win. “We noticed they weren’t throwing a lot of strikes, so it was just a matter of being patient and allowing them to do something before we did something. That with some timely hitting really worked out well for us.”
As the season has progressed, Ybarra’s offensive production has remained relatively consistent. Sitting next to one another in the lineup, Ybarra and senior third baseman Cole Caruso have mirrored each another’s offensive growth. Caruso’s offensive production has grown immensely, as his batting average has swelled from .238 in week two to .287 entering week 13. But just as Caruso is stagnating slightly at the plate, Ybarra’s productivity is only emerging.
Prior to the series against the Buckeyes, Ybarra averaged one hit per game. But in his 12 at-bats against Ohio State, Ybarra recorded eight hits and was responsible for bringing home seven of Michigan’s runs. And Ybarra’s offensive firepower only increased during the series against the Buckeyes.
In Game 1, most of the offensive production came at the hands of Ohio State itself. But when timely hits did occur, they were often from Ybarra’s bat. It was Ybarra’s single in the second inning that set him up to be the first runner brought home and kick off scoring for the Wolverines. But Ybarra’s most impactful appearance came in Game 3 against the Buckeyes, where he was responsible for almost one-quarter of Michigan’s runs. Reaching base in as but two at-bats, Ybarra’s impact at the plate was constant for the entirety of the competition.
“Our approach was really good,” Ybarra said Sunday after the Wolverines’ Game 3 win. “We knew what we wanted to get in terms of pitching and where we wanted to hit the ball in the zone. I thought we stuck really well with that and it worked out for us in the long run.”
With Ybarra’s recent performances, Michigan has secured a newfound well-rounded lineup. It’s top of the order continues to be dependable as graduate shortstop Benny Casillas and junior second baseman Mitch Voit continue to provide powerful at-bats. Ybarra and Caruso round out the middle of the lineup and supply a grounded and growing presence in the cleanup spot.
Finally, the bottom of the Wolverines’ lineup has seen exponential improvement as standout performances from junior center fielder Greg Pace Jr and sophomore designated hitter Keegan O’Hearn give Michigan a spark in the bottom third.
“Everyone’s been saying ‘go compete, give us a chance to win, don’t roll over, don’t lose’ because we’ve got a solid one through nine,” pitching coach Brock Huntzinger said Sunday after the Wolverines’ Game 2 win. “Or more than that, because we have guys coming off of the bench like Keegan O’Hearn and Robbie Hamchuk coming in to hit. We’re super offensive.”
After the series against Ohio State, Ybarra’s batting average has improved to .304 on the season and he now holds the fourth-best average of any Michigan qualified hitter. While Ybarra’s success may seem recent, his growth has been a season-long trend. If this trend persists, he will likely only continue to flourish for the Wolverines. And with his development, Michigan has unlocked the top-to-bottom batting order that it has been searching for.
