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8 — Friday, March 25, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Harrison Wenson 
hitting his stride 
in his junior year

Catcher has become 

a fixture in the 

Wolverines’ lineup

By COLE ZINGAS 

Daily Sports Writer

From the minute he set foot on 

campus, junior Harrison Wenson 
expected to start at catcher. 
Cracking the starting lineup 
was not a far-fetched prospect, 
and he was the frontrunner for 
the job in each of his first two 
seasons. But each time, Wenson 
couldn’t maintain his status as a 
starter. 

He graced the lineup early 

in the season as a freshman in 
2014 but soon dropped out of the 
everyday rotation. After playing 
in just 22 games that year, he saw 
even less time in his sophomore 
campaign — appearing in just 12 
contests.

In 
a 
year 
when 
fellow 

underclassmen 
Jake 
Bivens 

and Carmen Benedetti helped 
lead the team to a Big Ten 
Championship, Wenson couldn’t 
carve out a spot in the lineup, 
frustrated by inconsistency, both 
at the plate and behind it.

But it wasn’t his size and 

strength that kept him off the 
field.

Wenson came in as a 6-foot-3, 

220-pound 18-year-old, plenty 
big enough to compete for a spot 
as the starting catcher. He was 
drafted by the Detroit Tigers 
out of high school — one of just 
three players in his graduating 
class in the state of Michigan to 
be selected. Physically, the pro 
scouts thought he was ready, 
and so did Michigan coach Erik 
Bakich.

“Harrison’s a guy who has 

always 
had 
an 
outstanding 

physical skill set,” Bakich said.

In addition to an impressive 

build, Wenson had the intensity 
needed for the job.

“His motor 

never 
stops 

pumping,” 
said 
fifth-

year 
senior 

outfielder Matt 
Ramsay. “He’s 
always hitting 
in 
the 
cage 

super 
early, 

and if you’re 
not, he’s going 
to 
give 
you 

grief about it.”

Wenson has dedicated himself 

both in the cage and in the 
weight room, gaining 20 pounds 
in the last two years.

To 
him, 
life 
is 
about 

competition, which speaks to an 
innate drive he doesn’t expect to 
slow down. Wenson has always 
been an intense competitor — a 

trait instilled by his father, Paul, 
a Michigan baseball legend 
who played from 1984 to 1986 
— so his work ethic was not the 
problem, either.

Instead, the biggest challenge 

was between his own ears. 

“If you think too much, it’s 

gonna bite you right in the butt,” 
Wenson said. “In baseball, you’ve 
got 
to 
have 

consistency, 
and 
I 
didn’t 

have 
that 

whatsoever.” 

To 
gain 

the 
mental 

consistency he 
was 
lacking, 

Wenson 
took 

a 
page 
out 

of 
fifth-year 

senior catcher 
Dominic Jamett’s book. 

“Dom, throughout the last 

three years, has really helped 
me out. I’ve never really had a 
big brother, but I can definitely 
look at him like a big brother,” 
Wenson said. “Baseball’s about 
consistency, and Dom brings 
consistency in everything he 
does.”

Added 
Jamett: 
“We’ll 
be 

doing a blocking drill, and we’ll 
constantly try to one-up each 
other. There’s a lot of trash 
talking that goes on between us, 
but at the end of the day, we’re 
just happy to be teammates.”

Through a steady approach on 

the field and endless work ethic 
this season, Wenson has avoided 
the mental peaks and valleys, 
which has taken his game — both 
offensively and defensively — to 
the next level.

And 
with 
a 
consistent 

mindset has come consistent 
playing 
time. 
Wenson 
has 

started every game thus far for 
the 12-5 Wolverines, impressing 
his coaches with his bat and his 
prowess as a defensive catcher. 
Bakich 
has 
seen 
Wenson’s 

development and rewarded it 

— he moved 
Wenson 
into 

the 
cleanup 

spot, 
and 

Wenson 
has 

no intention of 
giving it up.

Wenson has 

stepped up at 
key 
moments 

this 
season 

in the middle 
of the order. 

He leads the team with a .596 
slugging percentage and has 
knocked in 16 runs — good for 
second in the Big Ten.

Against 
Hawaii, 
the 

Wolverines relinquished a three-
run lead in the ninth and were 
on their heels heading into extra 
innings. Wenson came to bat in 
the 10th with Ramsay in scoring 

position, and smashed a single 
to score Ramsay and put the 
Wolverines ahead for good, 5-4. 

In that game, and throughout 

the first stretch of the season, 
Wenson has provided an essential 
big bat behind Benedetti, a 
preseason 
All-American. 
But 

the Farmington Hills, Mich., 
native has added much more 

than power to 
the Wolverine 
lineup.

In the series 

against 
No. 

22 
Oklahoma 

State, 
with 

runs 
hard 

to 
come 
by, 

Wenson 
proved he was 
an 
exception. 

With two outs 

in the fifth, Wenson worked the 
count full. He laid off the final 
pitch of the at-bat, drawing his 
11th walk of the year. This set the 
table for the Wolverines to score 
a run, which ended up being the 
game-winner.

“If he’s starting an inning, 

he does a great job of drawing a 
walk and seeing pitches for the 
rest of the guys hitting behind 
him in the order,” Ramsay 
said. “He does an absolutely 
wonderful job of setting the table 
when he needs to and driving in 
runs when he needs to. Having 
someone like that in the middle 
of the lineup is crucial.”

And beyond his patience and 

toughness in the batter’s box, 
Wenson has proven himself a 
leader.

His coaches, as well as his 

teammates, have recognized a 
huge step up in his voice within 
the locker room. His desire to 
succeed extends beyond himself, 
and Ramsay pointed out that 
Wenson is always trying to 
push his teammates to their full 
potential.

“He’s always got your back,” 

Ramsay said.

Wenson has always had a 

strong personality, and now, as 
an upperclassman, he is making 
that strong voice heard. His 
leadership, along with a clear 
mind and a hot bat, bodes well for 
Michigan. The Wolverines hope 
Wenson’s growth will eventually 
translate into improvement for 
the team in the postseason — 
which means building on a 2015 
Big Ten Tournament title.

The last time the Wolverines 

went to the College World Series, 
it was 1984 and Harrison’s father 
was on the roster. It took 30 
years for another Wenson to join 
the roster and two more for him 
to get comfortable. But now, as 
Harrison Wenson hits his stride, 
he’ll hope to help Michigan 
recapture the same success his 
father had.

AMANDA ALLEN/Daily

Junior catcher Harrison Wenson (far right) is finally starting to gain consistency and realize his potential this season. 
Now, as an upperclassman, he hopes to become a leader of a team on a Big Ten title chase after an NCAA berth in 2015.

“If you think too 
much, it’s gonna 
bite you right in 

the butt.”

“His motor never 
stops pumping. 

He’s always hitting 

in the cage.”

Newsome settling in

Sophomore ready to 
step in at left tackle 
after learning from 
Mason Cole in 2015 

By KELLY HALL 

Daily Sports Editor

Last 
season, 
as 
a 
true 

freshman, offensive lineman 
Grant 
Newsome 
had 
some 

misgivings about his ability to 
face a true Big Ten defensive 
line during a game.

But in his first appearance 

against Minnesota, he realized 
that his daily combat with the 
nation’s fourth-best total defense 
was enough to prepare him for 
game time. This offseason, he 
still gets to go up against what 
he thinks is one of the best 
defensive lines in the country.

“We get to practice, as an 

offensive line, against one of 
the best defensive lines, if not 
the best defensive line, in the 

country every day,” Newsome 
said. “Football-wise, it was a 
great experience to get that 
learning experience on the field. 
At the same time, it wasn’t as big 
of an adjustment as I thought it 
would probably be just because 
of how great our defensive line 
is, and that was positive.”

Now, Newsome frequently 

lines up across from Chris 
Wormley and Taco Charlton in 
practice. Newsome says he can 
hold his ground, but against 
a defense that’s so stout, he’s 
always going to be battling in 
practice.

“Who aren’t some of the 

toughest guys to block out 
there?” Newsome said. “They’re 
just so talented, we’re so deep. 
We’re going to have two or three 
lines defensively who are just 
absolute studs.”

Furthering 
Newsome’s 

comfort on the field is the 
constant 
direction 
he 
has 

received 
from 
offensive 

lineman 
Mason 
Cole. 
Cole 

has two years of starting 

experience as a junior, and 
following 
offensive 
lineman 

Graham Glasgow’s graduation, 
Cole is expected to take over 
at center after playing two 
seasons at left tackle. As the 
natural successor as left tackle, 
Newsome has a true mentor in 
Cole.

Throughout this offseason, 

Newsome has gone to Cole for 
any question he might have, 
even likening Cole’s football 
knowledge to that of Glasgow’s. 
It also doesn’t hurt that of the 
five 
offensive 
linemen 
who 

played regularly last season, 
four will be returning, including 
fifth-year seniors Kyle Kalis, 
Ben Braden and Erik Magnuson.

“There’s 
definitely 
some 

pressure (this season), but I 
think it’s more pressure I put on 
myself to keep up the standard 
that Mason set,” Newsome said. 
“It’s definitely been good, but 
there’s definitely a long way 
to go. … (Cole) is so football-
smart. He’s just got it all down. 
Whenever I can tap his brain, I 
love doing that.”

In 2015, though Newsome 

enjoyed 
receiving 
playing 

time, he valued his bench 
time reviewing the starting 
offensive line’s dynamics. The 
combination of playing and 
studying helped Newsome, and 
now he feels more than ready 
this offseason.

Last summer was his first 

offseason experience, and after 
hustling to keep up with some 
of his early-enrollee teammates, 
the first three months felt like 
a whirlwind. This time around, 
though, he knows what it’s like 
to play under the lights and 
won’t be anxious about getting 
his first game under his belt.

“It was nice that I had 

that buffer year to get that 
experience and, at the same 
time, watch Mason,” Newsome 
said. “I really got to understand 
the tools of the trade through 
him and (offensive coordinator 
Tim Drevno).”

Now, with the spring season 

reaching its peak at the Spring 
Game next Friday, Newsome 
will be able to showcase his 
freshly 
honed 
abilities 
and 

confidence on the field to try to 
win the job.

