The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Friday, March 31, 2017 — 7
2017 Position-by-position breakdown
The No. 22 Michigan baseball
team’s lineup was not yet set
in stone when it traveled to
California for a 13-game road trip
over spring break. After losing
former pitcher Brett Adcock, first
baseman Carmen Benedetti and
pitcher Evan Hill to the MLB,
there seemed to be multiple
voids the Wolverines would have
trouble filling.
What
Michigan
did
not
know,
though,
was
that
it
would fill those positions with
incredible ease, recording 238
hits, 165 runs and a .387 on-base
percentage so far this season.
Just as the Wolverines have had a
consistently high-octane offense,
their defense has had ice in its
veins.
Posting a 19-6 record with
a cumulative 3.16 earned-run
average and seven saves, the
Michigan pitching rotation has
outperformed
expectations.
Backing the pitchers up is a
veteran fielding squad that has
given up just 18 errors so far this
year.
The
Daily
breaks
down
the
Wolverines
position-by-
position in order to anticipate
the solidifying starting lineup
approaching
Michigan’s
long
home stand, starting with a three-
game matchup against Penn State
this weekend.
Pitching:
With two of four starting
pitchers
returning
from
last
year’s squad, the battle for the ace
job ensued immediately from the
start of spring training. Despite
the
competition,
it
seemed
inevitable that junior left-hander
Oliver Jaskie would fill that role.
With a 3-1 record and 3.44
ERA, Jaskie boasts the best
performances
and
the
most
innings pitched out of the starting
rotation with 34. However, he
has not quite achieved superstar
status due to the prowess and
consistency of his teammates.
Junior
right-hander
Alec
Rennard, who transferred this
year from Santa Rosa Junior
College, has certainly stepped up
to the challenge, recording a 3.20
ERA with four wins and one loss.
Rennard has quickly solidified
his role in the rotation as a spot
starter, and the fact that he has
walked just two batters over the
course of his 25.1 innings pitched
displays his consistency.
Junior
left-hander
Michael
Hendrickson stands as the lone
pitcher without a loss. With a
3.25 ERA — but 13 walks and 11
runs forfeited — Hendrickson
has proven to be a reliable arm
and will continue to get the nod.
Junior right-hander Ryan Nutof,
on the other hand, lags behind
the rest of the rotation with a
6.39 ERA and a 1-1 record. While
Nutof has a discrepancy in the
ERA column, his 14 walks over 31
innings pitched is on par with the
rest of the rotation.
Michigan has not found its
go-to relievers as of yet. Senior
right-hander Jackson Lamb leads
the team with six saves and has
been entering the game in the
most save situations.
However, it is unclear who
will come into the game in the
sixth, seventh or eighth innings.
Sophomore William Tribucher
has pitched the most innings from
a reliever with 19 and has a 2.37
ERA, while freshman Tommy
Henry has 16.2 innings pitched
with a 1.08 ERA. Both seem to be
the frontrunners for a mid-game
clutch substitute, but have been
used interchangeably.
As
the
Wolverines
are
in the midst of an 18-game
home stretch, kicked off by a
matchup against Penn State this
weekend, Michigan will need
to mix-and-match pitchers in
order to maintain its consistent
performances.
Catchers:
One thing is clear about the
catcher position, and it’s that
senior Harrison Wenson will be
behind the plate. His lackluster
.224 batting average thus far is
not indicative of his impact on
the field. With 20 RBI — third on
the team — he certainly makes
his presence known on and off
the field. Though Wenson was
drafted 39th in last year’s MLB
Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates,
he decided to stay at Michigan,
a decision that speaks to his
passion for the team as well as
his leadership. Right now, junior
third baseman Drew Lugbauer
starts behind the plate when
Wenson can’t. However, that
deal is not permanent, as two
freshmen recruits in Harrison
Salter
and
Marcus
Chavez
joined the squad. Junior Brock
Keener seems poised to assume
the position in the future, as he
already has been filling in for
Wenson in certain situations.
First Base:
Junior Jake Bivens has taken
up the mantle at first base and
seems to have a solid footing for
the position. With a .258 batting
average — right in the middle
of the pack — and a .421 on-base
percentage, Bivens established
himself as a reliable bat that can
hit in any spot in the lineup. His
recent move to sixth in the batting
order shows his versatility as a
hitter.
What’s
more
impressive,
though, is his glove. He’s been
involved in 203 put outs, and has
only committed one error. Bivens’
offensive output and defensive
prowess makes him a pivotal part
of the lineup.
Second Base:
The first batter that steps
up to the plate at Ray Fisher
Stadium is 5’8” sophomore Ako
Thomas. Though atypical for a
leadoff hitter, Thomas boasts a
.323 batting average with 31 hits
and a .450 on-base percentage.
Thomas has proven that his lead-
off abilities demand respect, and
his one error shows his reliability
in the field.
Shortstop:
Ranked third in the Big Ten in
hits with 34, currently leading the
team in batting average at .330
and in the midst of an 11-game
hitting streak, Michael Brdar
exemplifies what it means to be a
senior on a baseball team. His two
errors are not too shabby either,
making him a player that can be
counted on to produce offensively
while making very few mistakes
in the field.
Third Base:
In
the
third
game
of
Michigan’s
series
against
Northern Illinois earlier this
season, Lugbauer stepped up
to the plate and said goodbye
to the Huskies with a walk-off
three-run home run beyond the
right field wall. Lugbauer leads
the team in home runs and RBI
with six and 27, respectively.
The clean-up hitter has been a
machine at the plate and he will
likely continue to be a staple for
the Wolverine offense.
Outfield:
Much like the infield, the
outfield
exemplifies
offensive
performance supplemented by
solid defense. In right field is
sophomore Jonathan Engelmann,
who trails his fellow outfielders
with a batting average at .246. In
center field is Johnny Slater, who
leads the team with four triples
and also boasts 22 RBI. In left
field is redshirt sophomore Miles
Lewis, who leads the outfield in
batting average at .302. Lewis,
since transferring this season, has
provided the Michigan offense
with yet another reliable bat.
Big Ten Breakdown: Michigan set to challenge for title
Last year, the Michigan baseball
team had an impressive start to the
season and was pegged to finish
high in the Big Ten. But by the
end of the 2015-16 campaign, the
Wolverines hopes of the postseason
quickly vanished after dropping
nine of their last 11 games.
This year, Michigan has had
much of the same start to its season
as last year. Now, it is eager to erase
the sting of barely missing out on the
NCAA Tournament and has made a
point to rest key players when the
opportunity arises. But with the
Wolverines entering the heart of
the Big Ten season, they will need
to focus on staying consistent all
season.
In the preseason coach’s poll,
Maryland was selected to finish
atop the Big Ten with Michigan
following right behind – a matchup
fans didn’t have to wait long to see.
The Wolverines opened Big
Ten play against the Terrapins last
weekend, wrecking a sweep for
Maryland by taking Sunday’s game
in College Park.
Despite Michigan’s impressive
season thus far, coach Erik Bakich
doesn’t
care
about
preseason
rankings
or
even
in-season
rankings. All that matters to him is
the result at the end of the year.
For those who want a glimpse
at what the end of the season could
hold, the Daily breaks down the
teams that will compete against the
Wolverines for the Big Ten title.
Michigan State (3-0 Big Ten,
15-6 overall)
Fresh off one of its best seasons
in program history, Michigan State
improved one spot from last year’s
preseason poll, moving into the
fifth slot. The Spartans shine the
brightest on offense, leading the Big
Ten in team batting average with
.303 and hits with 233. Michigan
State currently has nine batters
batting over .300, with its most
consistent threat being sophomore
infielder Marty Bechina. Bechina
is batting .338 and has started every
game this season.
The Spartans nearly lost four
players to the MLB draft, but senior
catcher Matt Byars decided to
remain in East Lansing and finish
his college career. Byars appeared in
all but one game for Michigan State
last year and finished the season
batting .284 with 26 RBI — a feat he
is well on his way to achieving again
this year with a .254 batting average
and 11 RBI.
The Spartans ended their season
in the semifinals of the Big Ten
Tournament against Ohio State in
extra innings, a loss it is sure to try
and redeem this year.
Indiana (3-0, 14-9-1)
The
Hoosiers
are
sitting
comfortably in the middle of the
pack in the Big Ten. They were
picked to finish fourth in the
conference, and their season is
shaping up to follow suit.
While
Indiana
is
strong
offensively, its pitching may cost
it some games down the stretch.
Its regular starters on the mound
include junior right-hander Brian
Hobbie, sophomore left-hander Tim
Herrin and freshman left-hander
Andrew Saalfrank, each with a 4.50,
4.97 and 6.08 ERA, respectively.
The Hoosiers’ pitching staff
allows a lot of hits and cannot
counteract
that
with
many
strikeouts. The trio of starters has
just 53 strikeouts on the year. For
comparison, Jaskie alone has 42.
Fortunately
for
Indiana,
it
returned its offensive most valuable
player in Craig Dedelow, who
decided to stay with the Hoosiers
even after being drafted in the 34th
round.
Indiana will host the Big Ten
Tournament at the end of the
season, but if it cannot strengthen
itself on the bump, the Hoosiers
may be looking at a worse finish
than fourth place.
Maryland (2-1, 15-8)
Picked to finish first in the Big
Ten and taking two out of three
games against Michigan was a
promising start to the Terrapins’
conference campaign.
Junior
right-hander
Brian
Shaffer currently has the most
impressive statistics in the Big Ten.
He leads the conference with a
1.77 ERA and has 48 strikeouts on
the year. His teammate, freshman
right-hander Tyler Blohm, also
joins him near the top of the Big
Ten, currently boasting a 2.86 ERA.
The pair has already received
Big Ten honors, with Shaffer taking
home Pitcher of the Week and
Blohm sharing the Co-Freshman of
the Week two weeks in a row.
Shaffer was dominant against
the Wolverines, pitching 8.0 innings
and allowing just five hits and two
runs.
Two players were added to the
Preseason Honors list, including
sophomore outfielder Marty Costes.
He leads the Terrapins with a .359
batting average, 33 hits and 15 RBI.
Costes has only improved since
his 2015-16 campaign in which he
batted .263 and led his team with
37 RBI. As a sophomore, he still has
plenty of time to make his mark for
Maryland.
Minnesota (3-0, 15-8)
Minnesota boasts the best two
hitters in the conference in redshirt
freshman infielder Jordan Kozicky
and junior infielder Luke Petterson,
hitting .400 and .397, respectively,
and the rest of the Golden Gophers’
lineup isn’t far behind.
Minnesota currently sits second
in the Big Ten after a sweep of
Northwestern, and if the Golden
Gophers can use the momentum
from the top of their batting order to
propel the offense, they may be able
to remain in the upper-half of the
standings.
Iowa (2-1, 14-9)
The
Hawkeyes
have
some
powerful hitters and a strong
veteran squad leading them this
season. Senior infielder Mason
McCoy earned Big Ten Conference
Player of the Week recently after
hitting .438 and picking up six RBI
over four games. McCoy and his
teammate junior first baseman
Jake Adams trade off leading the
conference in offensive statistics.
McCoy leads the Big Ten in runs
(26) and doubles (9), while Adams
takes the top slot in RBI (31) and
home runs (9).
At the beginning of the season,
the focus for Iowa was on strong
pitching and defense, but it has been
in the box where the Hawkeyes
have excelled — ranked second in
the conference for team batting
average with .286.
While Iowa’s pitching hasn’t
been as stellar as anticipated, it has
a deep staff that could easily pick
up as the conference schedule gets
going.
Nebraska (0-0, 13-10)
A trio of sophomore infielder
Angelo
Antavilla,
freshman
outfielder Mojo Hagge and junior
outfielder Scott Schreiber make up
the majority of Nebraska’s offense.
They are currently batting .366, .333
and .326, respectively, and combine
for 46 of the Cornhuskers’ 98 RBI.
Nebraska also possesses dual
threats on both sides of the ball
with juniors Luis Alvardo and left-
hander Jake Meyers. Meyers has a
.280 batting average, but also posts
a 2.01 ERA and is 4-1 on the season,
while Alvardo bats .270 but also
records a 3.00 ERA.
The use of players on both sides
of the ball allows them to gauge the
strike zone better, allowing them to
pitch in the zone and know when to
hit.
With
three
well-established
players on offense, the improvement
of Meyers and Alvardo throughout
the season will bring much-needed
depth to the Cornhuskers’ lineup.
Nebraska has seven consistent
starters, but otherwise often rotate
the rest of its roster into the game,
providing experience that could be
crucial late in the Big Ten season.
Ohio State (0-3, 10-14)
Ohio State isn’t just responsible
for ending the Spartans’ 2016
season, but the Buckeyes also
defeated Michigan in the opening
round of the Big Ten Tournament
last year, a loss that played an
important role in the Wolverines’
NCAA Tournament hopes. The
Buckeyes went on to clinch the
Big Ten title, but this season, a
championship may not be in Ohio
State’s grasp.
The loss of 13 players to the MLB
Draft and graduation leaves the
Buckeyes in a rebuilding year. Ohio
State sits nearly last in the Big Ten
in team batting average (.240) and
in fielding percentage (.960).
The Buckeyes were forced to
replace their entire starting infield
as well, creating spots that their 17
newcomers would surely be glad to
fill.
Still, Ohio State’s biggest strength
is on the bump, but it sits in eighth
place in the Big Ten.
Senior right-hander Jake Post
has made the most appearances for
the Buckeyes, but is just 1-1 on the
year. Ohio State’s best reliever is
redshirt junior right-hander Austin
Woodby, who has a 2.45 ERA and is
2-0.
The Buckeyes began last season
outside of the preseason poll, just as
they did this year, but finished the
season on top — proving that Ohio
State can’t be counted out.
Purdue (1-2, 13-11)
While
the
Boilermakers
currently sit in the middle of the
Big Ten, they have made headlines
through junior right-hander Tanner
Andrews. He has already won Big
Ten Pitcher of the Week twice and
has a 3.55 ERA.
Purdue is fresh off a loss to
Valparaiso where the pitching staff
earned 13 strikeouts, but the offense
couldn’t support them as they fell,
5-1.
The midweek game may not
have brought the confidence the
Boilermakers were hoping for,
especially as they enter a weekend
series against defending Big Ten
champions Ohio State.
Penn State (0-0, 10-13)
The Nittany Lions will open their
conference slate in Ann Arbor this
weekend, and while their season
has been relatively mediocre, senior
catcher Alex Malinsky is back in the
lineup and may provide the spark
that Penn State needs.
Malinsky missed the beginning
of the season after he took a ball
off his face in practice, but since
returning to his team he has wasted
no time. Though he’s only had seven
at bats, Malinsky’s hitting .429 and
has a .714 slugging percentage. His
injury has not slowed him down, an
attitude that the Nittany Lions may
need as they continue the rest of the
season.
CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily
Junior third baseman Drew Lugbauer has been a major part of Michigan’s high-octane offense this season.
ROBERT HEFTER
Daily Sports Writer
PAIGE VOEFFRAY
Daily Sports Writer
AARON BAKER/Daily
Michigan coach Erik Bakich has the Wolverines in good position to make a run at the conference title this season.