{"id":5334,"date":"2026-05-29T07:49:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T07:49:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/michigan-had-the-tools-for-its-playstyle-it-just-failed-to-use-them-consistently\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T07:49:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T07:49:10","slug":"michigan-had-the-tools-for-its-playstyle-it-just-failed-to-use-them-consistently","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/29\/michigan-had-the-tools-for-its-playstyle-it-just-failed-to-use-them-consistently\/","title":{"rendered":"Michigan had the tools for its playstyle, it just failed to use them consistently"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Exiting the field after the Michigan baseball team\u2019s defeat to No. 20 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/no-7-seed-michigan-exchanges-blows-with-no-2-seed-nebraska-falls-short-late-in-big-ten-tournament-quarterfinal-6-4\/\">Nebraska<\/a> in the Big Ten Tournament, Wolverines coach Tracy Smith had no problems with the game his team played.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI will sleep peacefully tonight knowing my guys played hard and battled all the way to the end, and even made some really nice plays at the end,\u201d Smith said May 23. \u201cIf you\u2019re in sports, you\u2019ve got to take the good with the bad. As disappointing as it is, I\u2019m very proud of this group.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following that, Smith was asked to make a case for Michigan getting a berth in an NCAA regional bracket.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a good conference,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI get asked all the time about the addition of schools, and I think it\u2019s played out and spoken for itself. This is one of the top three conferences in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, Smith\u2019s pleas weren\u2019t heard. Selection Monday came and passed, and the Wolverines went unsummoned. But it wasn\u2019t for lack of skill, as they\u2019ve proven time and again that they can compete in the ever-strengthening Big Ten in their own way. Through relying on defense, Michigan can go toe-to-toe with the upper echelons of the conference. But to be a contender, the Wolverines needed to bring their A-game against every opponent, no matter what game \u2014 and they failed to do so.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan is a team that ranks toward the bottom of the conference in the majority of offensive statistics. In the <a href=\"https:\/\/bigten.org\/base\/stats\/?category=team&amp;section=batters&amp;teamValue=all\">Big Ten<\/a>, it\u2019s dead last in homers and OPS, and third to last in runs. The only statistic the Wolverines don\u2019t rank in the bottom seven is walks. They are, by all metrics, an underpowered team, turning to other measures for wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Opposing this, Michigan makes up for it on the defensive side of play. It ranks sixth in ERA and seventh in strikeouts, and the Wolverines\u2019 staff has thrown five complete games \u2014 just shy of a third of all complete game performances in the Big Ten. Freshman left-hander Shane Brinham is also the only pitcher in the conference to throw two shutouts, displaying the skill Michigan has on the mound.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cushioned by this elite pitching, Smith often employs small-ball tactics. Stifling their opponents in the box and then inching their way around the diamond for minute wins, the Wolverines have lived through this method \u2014 often dying by it too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOf our few losses, we\u2019ve had, what \u2014 four walk-off (losses)?\u201d Smith said March 18 after a narrow 2-0 victory over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/michigan-mound-handles-msu-offense-for-2-0-shutout-win\/\">Michigan State<\/a>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The volatility of Michigan\u2019s strategy is evident in these last-minute defeats. Staying ahead by just a pinch of runs means the Wolverines\u2019 lead could come crashing down at a moment\u2019s notice. One read sign, one wild pitch or one fielding error would give them a mountain to scale. While most other teams can launch a homer at any notice, Michigan can\u2019t, and when it needed to scrounge up a spur-of-the-moment run, it failed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s nothing wrong with leaning on defense. In fact, as a top-50 team in the NCAA in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/stats\/baseball\/d1\/current\/team\/212\">fielding percentage<\/a>, it\u2019s almost expected. One Big Ten team that mirrors the Wolverines\u2019 strategy is USC, and with a top 15 fielding percentage overall and three pitchers that own top-10 ERAs in the Big Ten, it\u2019s easy to imagine why. The Trojans share Michigan\u2019s model and run with it, using pitching and defense to win games. USC has demonstrated it will make its opponents fight for every run, no matter if it\u2019s a low-stakes conference series or a duel with a ranked team. While the Trojans possess superior bats to the Wolverines\u2019, USC is still a team defined by its defense \u2014 a defense that obtained a No. 4 seeding in the Big Ten Tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trojans were the pinnacle of this strategy because of their consistency. They ended the regular season 32-1 at home, and no matter what day of the week it was, they were a monstrous threat. Michigan possessed many aspects of this success during its season, owning one of the most competent staffs in the conference. But the Wolverines failed to be as consistent as USC, and are now suffering the results of it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being dismantled by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/michigan-snaps-26-year-unbeaten-run-with-home-series-loss-to-ohio-state\/\">Ohio State<\/a> at the end of the regular season is an easy finger to point against Michigan, but it slipped several times throughout the season. Dropping Quad 1 games to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/michigans-loss-to-miami-ohio-baseball-slugfest-loss\/\">Miami (Ohio<\/a>) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/michigan-sunk-by-kent-state-homers-in-5-3-loss\/\">Kent State<\/a> in midweeks left a blemish on the Wolverines\u2019 record. And their comeback victories \u2014 a burst in a season of miraculous walk-off performances \u2014 didn\u2019t reflect as well as Michigan would\u2019ve liked on its postseason chances.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outside of their pair of Quad 1 wins against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/stalemate-ends-in-4-3-walk-off-win-for-michigan-in-series-over-no-15-oregon\/\">Oregon<\/a>, many of the Wolverines\u2019 most powerful games were against teams that didn\u2019t help their postseason chances. Two Quad 4 walk-offs to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/defense-gives-breathing-room-for-michigan-to-clinch-washington-series-with-4-3-walkoff-win\/\">Washington<\/a> and a Quad 2 comeback against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/michigan-sticks-to-its-guns-rallies-past-minnesota-for-seventh-straight-series-win\/\">Minnesota<\/a> felt resounding, but that\u2019s ultimately all Michigan gained: the feeling of victory. It didn\u2019t follow through when these results mattered most, demonstrated by its Big Ten Tournament run.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-3    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moments of lights-out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/michigan-ace-kurt-barr-excels-in-relief-role-despite-loss-to-nebraska\/\">pitching<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/shane-brinham-stays-in-the-zone-as-michigan-outduels-ohio-state\/\">performances<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/told-you-noah-miller-pulls-through-for-michigan-with-timely-hitting-in-elimination-game-win-over-ohio-state\/\">timely<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/no-7-seed-michigan-gets-off-to-explosive-start-run-rules-no-10-seed-rutgers-in-first-round-of-big-ten-tournament\/\">hitting<\/a> and masterful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/no-7-seed-michigan-gets-over-the-hump-shuts-out-no-6-seed-ohio-state-3-0-to-advance-to-big-ten-tournament-quarterfinals\/\">fielding<\/a> were all facets of the Wolverines\u2019 run. But if even one aspect of Michigan\u2019s playstyle was lacking, it fell short. If pitching falls short, as it did against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/no-7-seed-michigan-lets-comeback-chances-slip-in-big-ten-tournament-loss-to-no-11-seed-washington\/\">Huskies<\/a> in the tournament, extra-base hits overwhelm the Wolverines. When the hits aren\u2019t synchronized with one another, like against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/michigans-loss-to-miami-ohio-baseball-slugfest-loss\/\">RedHawks<\/a>, runners are left stranded in situations where any score is a huge gain.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan cannot afford to allow these deficiencies, costing it dearly whenever it does \u2014 once again preventing it from a postseason run. Smith has been unsuccessful in bringing his teams to the next stage of play during his tenure over the Wolverines, but this year is the closest they\u2019ve come. Unfortunately, though, Michigan was unable to maintain the level of play its strengths call for.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been struggling a little bit offensively, but our thing is, we can still scratch and claw and find ways (to win),\u201d Smith said March 24 after being bested by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/sports\/baseball\/michigan-cant-overcome-slow-start-in-7-6-defeat-to-oakland\/\">Oakland<\/a>. \u201cBut when we play the game the way we played it tonight: no execution, very little passion, it doesn\u2019t matter. You\u2019re probably gonna come out on the losing side.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is depth in the Wolverines\u2019 dugout. There is talent, skill and sometimes sheer luck. But Michigan was unable to maintain those facets through the season, and now it is back in Ann Arbor early because of it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If just one aspect of the Wolverines\u2019 game faltered, it fell short. And over the season, these lackluster performances piled up and sank them.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-4    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan dropped many games during the season by just a hair, and it has now missed the NCAA Tournament by inches as well \u2014 as one of the first four <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/news\/baseball\/article\/2026-05-25\/michella-chester-breaks-down-2026-di-baseball-tournament-bracket\">teams out<\/a>. Falling just short of the goalpost, the Wolverines claimed to have the perfect playstyle to edge themselves ahead of the competition, but they simply couldn\u2019t execute all aspects often enough.<\/p>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Related articles<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exiting the field after the Michigan baseball team\u2019s defeat to No. 20 Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament, Wolverines coach Tracy Smith had no problems with the game his team played. \u201cI will sleep peacefully tonight knowing my guys played hard and battled all the way to the end, and even made some really nice [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[4806,3237,222,4805,606],"class_list":["post-5334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-consistently","tag-failed","tag-michigan","tag-playstyle","tag-tools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5334"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5336,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5334\/revisions\/5336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}