Tracy Smith may have traded in his red and gold jersey for maize and blue four years ago, but his name still carries weight in the desert.
Freshman catcher Cooper Clouser is set to transfer to the Michigan baseball team from Arizona State, where Smith spent seven seasons as head coach from 2014-2021. Clouser will follow in his new coach’s footsteps from his hometown Tempe, Ariz. to Ann Arbor.
A highly-touted prospect out of Corona Del Sol High School, Clouser was ranked as the second-best backstop in the state of Arizona and 39th in the nation by Perfect Game. Although he was named a top-50 incoming Big 12 freshman in the preseason, Clouser did not feature prominently for a deep Sun Devils squad that featured six players selected in the first 10 rounds of this year’s MLB Draft.
Clouser played in just seven games for Arizona State, primarily in its series with Oklahoma State. The left-handed hitter showcased discipline in the batter’s box during his limited runouts, reaching base five times in eight total plate appearances.
In the NCAA Tournament, the Sun Devils eliminated host Nebraska from the Lincoln Regional as the No. 3 seed before falling to eventual College World Series qualifier Ole Miss. Clouser will now be afforded an opportunity to make an impact with the Wolverines, whose 2026 season was ended by the Cornhuskers in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal.
Despite minimal collegiate experience, Clouser offers a plus arm and untapped potential behind the plate. With redshirt junior catcher Noah Miller heading to the Houston Astros, Clouser could immediately compete for Michigan’s starting backstop slot.
Related articles
