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Thursday, June 7, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS

KATELYN MULCHAY / DAILY
The Michigan baseball team faced almost everything possible on a baseball field from walk-off wins to brutal losses this season
Michigan baseball season in reivew

Coming off the back of a second 
NCAA Tournament appearance in 
three years and their first 40-win season 
since 2008, head coach Erik Bakich 
and the Michigan baseball team were 
looking to build on their successful 2017 
season with an even better campaign 
in 2018. The Wolverines lost 11 players 
from that 2017 team to the majors — 15 
in all — but welcomed a recruiting class 
— ranked tenth nationally — of 13.
However, 
the 
optimism 
that 
accompanied Team #152 into the season 
quickly turned sour. A combination of 
returning starters not performing well 
enough and freshmen struggling to 
make an impact saw Michigan lose 11 of 
its first 15 games. This run was capped 
off by a humiliating 3-8 loss to NAIA 
program Lawrence Tech.
A switch was flipped following the 
loss, though. The Wolverines rattled off 
20 consecutive wins and became one 
of the hottest teams in college baseball. 
There was a newfound positivity in the 
dugout, and both upperclassmen and 
freshmen were benefiting from it on the 
field.
A loss to Iowa ended their streak and 
seemed to phase the youthful Michigan 
team. Like earlier in the season, it was 
knocked off its pedestal and ended the 
regular season with a dissapointing 8-7 
record in which all seven losses came to 
Big Ten opponents.
The Wolverines entered the Big Ten 
tournament in a bit of a rut and weren’t 
able to shake it. Although they won their 
first game 2-1 against Iowa in extra 
innings, they came up just short in the 

next two games to Purdue and Ohio 
State, respectively. Their inability to 
move on in Omaha ultimately cost them 
a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2018 season was a rollercoaster 
for the Michigan baseball team. The 
Wolverines finished 33-21, 6.5 games 
behind last year’s mark. They flashed 
boundless potential at times and 
exhibited inconsistency at other times. 
The Daily reflects on the 2018 season 
and looks ahead to the 2019 team.
Most Valuable Player: Jonathan 
Engelmann
On a team full of freshmen and 
sophomores, 
junior 
centerfielder 
Jonathan Engelmann was a much-
needed leader. The All-Big Ten First 
Team Selection isn’t necessarily the 
most boisterous guy on the field, but 
the uber-mature Engelmann led by 
example and was a major reason why 
this Michigan team was as successful 
as it was.
Offensively, he did it all this season. 
He was second on the team with a .351 
batting average, led the team in hits, 
total bases and doubles and was second 
only to freshmen slugger Jesse Franklin 
in home runs and RBIs. Additionally, he 
was a defensive pillar out in centerfield, 
registering a .974 fielding percentage 
and only two errors.
His likely return to Ann Arbor for 
his senior season is one of the many 
reasons to be optimistic about the 2019 
Wolverines.
Breakout Player: Jesse Franklin
Like most freshmen on the team, 
Franklin struggled to adapt to the 
college game early on. After playing 
in his first nine games, five of which 
he started, Franklin had a .095 batting 

average and two hits. Having been 
named Washington’s Gatorade Player 
of the Year as a senior in high school, 
Franklin wasn’t necessarily used to a 
slump.
Eventually, though, his talent shone 
through. He blasted his first of a team-
high 10 homers on March 20th and 
went on a hitting tear over the next few 
weeks. Franklin finished the season 
with the most RBI on the team and a 
respectable batting average of .327.
A prolific first season at Michigan 
made 
Franklin 
an 
All-Big 
Ten 
Freshman Team Selection.
Freshman of the Year: Ben Dragani
If it wasn’t for freshman left-
hander Ben Dragani’s consistency 
this year, him and Franklin might 
have swapped categories. Another 
extremely talented freshman, Dragani 
was named the Gatorade Player of the 
Year in Wisconsin and a Rawlings-
Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-
American in 2017.
Dragani saw time in the first game 
of the season coming in to relieve senior 
starter Alec Rennard. His solid relief 
performances quickly endeared him to 
the coaching staff and in the last game of 
the Bowling Green series in mid-March, 
Dragani made his first career start. He 
went seven innings without giving up 
an earned run, allowing only five hits 
and striking out six Falcons.
From there Dragani took over 
the Saturday starter position for the 
Wolverines. His team-leading 2.76 ERA 
and consistency on the mound made 
him an All-Big Ten Freshman Team 
Selection joining Franklin in the glory.
Best Individual Performance: 
Jordan Nwogu against Bowling Green 

on March 16th
Freshman 
outfielder 
Jordan 
Nwogu’s performance against Bowling 
Green not only proved he was ready for 
more playing time, but also catalyzed 
the first victory of the Wolverines’ 
20 game win streak. Yet another 
freshman who made waves this season, 
Nwogu first announced himself to the 
Michigan faithful with a multi-hit, two-
RBI effort. His most impressive feat 
of the day, though, was scoring from 
second on a double suicide squeeze 
laid down by freshman shortstop Jack 
Blomgren. The Wolverines made a habit 
of using such a maneuver throughout 
the season, but its first installment saw 
the hulking freshman outfielder beat 
the throw home and put Michigan up 
by two.
There 
may 
have 
been 
better 
statistical performances in the 2018 
season, but none seemed as important. 
In his first career start, Nwogu was the 
main reason the Wolverines secured the 
victory over Bowling Green in the game 
following the Lawrence Tech loss.
High Point: 20 game win streak
From March 16th to April 27th, 
Michigan didn’t lose a game. The streak 
lasted 20 games, and was the program’s 
longest since 1987. The win streak 
featured some thrilling and memorable 
individual moments: the ninth inning 
execution of another double suicide 
squeeze to give the Wolveirnes the 3-1 
win over Michigan State in East Lansing 
and Blomgren’s walkoff sacrifice bunt 
in extra innings against Penn State. A 
number of solid pitching performances 
also factored into Michigan’s success 
during this period.
Overall, though, the streak itself and 
the positivity surrounding the team 
during this time was the high point. The 
Wolverines transitioned from a team 
who had lost to a NAIA team to one 
that was climbing the national rankings 
and capturing the attention of collegiate 
baseball fans everywhere.
Low Point: Losing to Lawrence 
Tech
Sure, Michigan had a disappointing 
end to the regular season and were 
hoping to go farther in the Big Ten 
Tournament than it did— but that 
all paled in comparison to losing to 
Lawrence Tech. The midweek game 
encapsulated all of the team’s struggles 
up to that point and left both the players 
and fans wondering what the hell 
had happened. The Wolverines were 
dominated on their home field by a 
program which was only started in 2012. 
Bakich called it “the most embarrassing 
loss in program history.” The baseball 
program at Michigan started in 1866—
what more needs to be said?
The Future:
The optimism surrounding this 
team prior to the 2018 season was not 
unwarranted, it was maybe just a little 

premature. The 2017 Wolverines had 
just won 42 games and reached the 
NCAA Tournament, and the incoming 
recruiting class was the highest-ranked 
in program history. Yet the veteran 
losses from that 2017 squad and the time 
it took for the freshmen to acclimate 
hindered the 2018 Michigan team.
This program is still trending 
upwards, though. Bakich and the 
coaching staff want to make the 
Wolverines 
perennial 
Big 
Ten 
champions and NCAA Tournament 
participants. They didn’t accomplish 
either of those this year, but with the 
returning players and another talented 
freshman class coming in, there is 
definitely room for optimism.
Michigan loses only five seniors 
this year: pitchers Alec Rennard, Jayce 
Vancena and Austin Batka, and catchers 
Hector Gutierrez and Brock Keener. Of 
this group, only Rennard and Keener 
saw substantial time this season. 
Vancena was set to be a starting pitcher 
this season, but his struggles early on 
saw him pitch sparingly in relief. At both 
catcher and pitcher, the Wolverines 
have the talent to absorb these losses.
Assuming all eligible players return 
next year, the three weekend starters 
should stay the same: sophomore 
Tommy 
Henry, 
Dragani, 
and 
sophomore Karl Kauffmann. Barring 
injury or regression, that threesome is as 
formidable of a rotation as any in the Big 
Ten. The bullpen should also be strong 
as junior Troy Miller will return to 
Ann Arbor as a senior, and the youthful 
contingent of freshmen Jeff Criswell, 
Angelo Smith and sophomore Jack 
Weisenberger will also play prominent 
roles.
Highly-touted freshman catcher 
Joe Donovan saw some time in his 
first collegiate season, but he will enter 
next season as the leading candidate to 
replace Keener behind the plate. Jesse 
Franklin will surely be the starter at first 
base next season and will hit in the four-
spot of the lineup. At second base, junior 
Ako Thomas, one of the team’s best 
all-around players, will hope to bounce 
back from a disappointing individual 
season. Blomgren and either junior 
Blake Nelson or Jimmy Kerr will round 
out the infield.
Nwogu and Lewis will share time 
out in left field most likely, with the other 
claiming the designated hitter role. 
Engelmann and sophomore Christian 
Bullock should both be offensive and 
defensive leaders next year for the 
Wolverines as well.
A 22nd-ranked recruiting doesn’t 
match the previous year’s esteem, 
but should nevertheless add depth. 
If Michigan can learn from this 
year’s shortcomings, they have all the 
ingredients to win the Big Ten and 
secure an NCAA tournament spot next 
season. 

CONNOR BRENNAN
Daily Sports Writer

