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.