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.

