After Friday night, the Michigan baseball team looked completely out of ammo.
The Wolverines aimed to conquer Minnesota the same way they’d defeated their last six Big Ten opponents: with timely hitting and solid defense. But the Golden Gophers pummeled Michigan 13-1 in Friday’s series opener, seemingly sending the Wolverines back to the drawing board.
In both Saturday’s comeback win and Sunday’s rubber-match victory, Michigan stuck to the approach that’s lifted it over its last seven conference foes. Instead of seeking to emulate the successes of its opponents, the Wolverines (32-18 overall, 17-10 Big Ten) held firm to their own gameplan and out-executed Minnesota (30-20, 11-16) to keep their conference win streak alive.
“We knew they were going to make a run and that they’re dangerous top and bottom,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said. “But we talk to our guys all the time, it’s not about the opposition. It’s about executing your job.”
The Gophers rank third in the Big Ten in ERA and fourth in slugging, and they showcased their power on both sides of the ball. Minnesota right-hander Isaac Morton pounded the zone Friday and allowed just three hits over 83 pitches — and over the first two games, the Gophers’ lineup tallied 12 extra-base hits to the Wolverines’ two.
After beating senior right-hander Kurt Barr for two doubles and a pair of home runs Friday, Minnesota ramped up steam early and never looked back. Saturday started with more of the same as Gophers center fielder Easton Richter blasted a three-run shot in the third inning to give his team a five-run lead.
“Now, I’d love to tell you we’re gonna be a big home run (team), but we’re not,” Smith said. “We just gotta throw together the bags and do what the situation calls for, and you can still win baseball games doing that. You don’t need a three-run homer, and we’ve proven that time and time again this season. We’re just gonna stay with who we are.”
This time, Michigan wouldn’t let Minnesota out of its sight. The Wolverines reclaimed control from the mound, holding the Gophers to just a pair of runs over the next five innings. And Michigan’s lineup never matched its opponents’ firepower, but it did find its own way to get runs on the board.
The Wolverines’ two best hitters — junior second baseman Colby Turner and sophomore third baseman Brayden Jefferis — combined for a pair of singles at the top of the fourth inning to get the ball rolling with a Turner run. Michigan went on to draw level through four unearned runs, including an error-induced score and three sacrifice flies.
A Turner double in the ninth was the only extra-base hit the Wolverines recorded all day, but they didn’t need to overpower Minnesota to come out on top. Redshirt sophomore catcher Noah Miller hit a RBI bunt single in the eighth inning to tie the game at seven and put Michigan ahead in the ninth when a Richter error sent two baserunners home for the Wolverines.
Michigan ended up squeezing by for a 9-8 victory Saturday — but it couldn’t rely on another three-error day from the Gophers to carry it through the series. So when Sunday came calling, the Wolverines focused on their own approach: solid defense and timely hitting.
Sophomore left-hander Michael Quedens did just that in the rubber match, keeping Minnesota out of sync over a stellar six innings. Redshirt freshman right fielder Dane Morrow and graduate catcher Elie Kligman complemented the approach, giving Michigan an early second-inning lead with another pair of sacrifice flies.
“It’s not a hit, it goes against your batting average, but guys are doing it willingly, because they know it gets the guy to third base with less than two outs,” Smith said about sacrificing at-bats. “And the sac fly scorched them. I was really pleased with our philosophy to get (runners) on, get them over and get them in, and that requires everybody buying into the team concept. And we did a really, really good job of that the last couple days.”
By the time Morrow returned to the plate in the third and dialed up yet another successful sac fly, the Wolverines boasted a six-run advantage. They never relinquished it and slowed down the remainder of the contest to their own tempo on the way to an 8-5 victory.
The Gophers’ lineup packed a punch all weekend, and Michigan was anything but bulletproof. But the Wolverines ensured that their own offensive playstyle was the one that dictated the series.
