The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Sports Thursday, March 21, 2019 — 7 In recent years, the Michigan baseball team has seen both highs and lows. Even with a record of 111-59 over the past three years, only two of those wins came in postseason games. Last season, despite a thrilling 20-game win streak, the Wolverines were eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament with only one victory and failed to clinch an NCAA Tournament spot. This inability to break through in the past, however, has motivated this year’s team to strive toward making a deep run in the postseason. With improved offensive strength and an ideal combination of youth and experience, expectations are high. And as of now No. 23 Michigan is the only ranked team in the conference. The Daily takes a look at the other teams in the Big Ten and those who could potentially pose a threat to the Wolverines. Minnesota (5-13) After their euphoric 2018 season, the Golden Gophers placed first in the 2019 Big Ten preseason poll of conference coaches. Last year the team posted a 44-15 record, winning the Big Ten Tournament and advancing to NCAA Super Regionals. Despite those achievements, however, Minnesota has had a rocky start to its season, and it remains to be seen whether the Golden Gophers can reclaim last year’s magic. Player to watch: Sophomore Outfielder/ Right-hander Max Meyer Meyer competed for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team last summer, bringing his strengths as a two-way player. He boasts a .333 batting average and an equally strong 1.17 ERA so far. Illinois (14-3) Illinois has had a strong start to its season and has high expectations after making it to the semifinals in the Big Ten Tournament, just missing the NCAA Tournament field as the second team out. While they are reckoning with the loss of Big Ten Player of the Year Bren Spillane as well as reliable closer Joey Gerber, the future looks promising with a D1Baseball.com Top 25-ranked recruiting class. Keep an eye on the Fighting Illini. Player to watch: Freshman Right- hander Aidan Maldonado Maldonado — ranked the No. 4 newcomer in the Big Ten by Baseball America and drafted in the 38th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers — promises to deliver an impact on the mound but has yet to be heavily utilized by the team, with only eight innings pitched in five games. Iowa (10-7) The Hawkeyes, who were on the NCAA Tournament bubble last year, lost their top four hitters in the offseason. The team has endured significant losses since its 2017 run to NCAA Regionals, with only three offensive starters remaining from two years ago. The overhauled team has exhibited some strengths which were on display in its two wins against California State Northridge –– who bested the Wolverines during their swing through California earlier this month. But with so many key offensive players missing, Iowa will find it difficult to replicate what it’s done in the past. Player to watch: Junior Right-hander Grant Judkins Judkins, with a 1.52 ERA, has had a strong season so far and was key in the Hawkeyes’ doubleheader victories over Cal State, even demonstrating an ability to contribute at the plate with a two-run double to win the second game. Penn State (13-3) The Nittany Lions posted an abysmal 15-34 record last season and an even worse Big Ten record. Their relatively strong start this year has thus been a pleasant surprise for a team almost completely excluded from preseason prognostications. The offseason saw a lot of turnover and the team has added seven freshmen, a sophomore and four upperclassmen transfers to the lineup, who the coaching staff hopes will shift things in another direction. Despite its strong start, resetting a team can be a long process, and Penn State likely poses little threat to the conference heavyweights. Player to watch: Junior second baseman Gavin Homer Homer, a transfer from Kellogg Community College and part of the team’s attempt to reinvigorate its offense, hit a .386 batting average last season and promises to add more offensive efficiency to the lineup. Indiana (12-8) The Hoosiers have only missed out on one NCAA Tournament berth over the six years since their College World Series appearance in 2013 and have been a consistent regional presence in the conference. Their performance so far this season –– the first under new manager Jeff Mercer –– however, has been anything but consistent. In the first 15 games of the season, Indiana had difficulty producing consistent pitching or hitting. Strikeouts also plagued the offense. Junior outfielder Matt Gorski was the only hitter making significant contributions. Players to watch: Junior Outfielder Matt Gorski and Senior Right-hander Pauly Milto Gorski, a Big Ten preseason honored player, has been moved into the leadoff spot thanks to his team-leading .329 batting average. Pauly Milto, meanwhile, has established himself as the team’s leading pitcher, and the team enters its first conference series against Iowa coming of a five-game win streak. Don’t count them out just yet. Nebraska (7-7) After the Cornhuskers earned their first Big Ten title in 2017, their 2018 season with a 24-28 record was a disappointment stemming from injury problems within the pitching staff as well as offensive inconsistency. Having lost its two leading hitters, Chad Luensmann and Connor Curry, Nebraska will have to find a way to fill gaps in its offense. The Cornhuskers’ mixed record thus far indicates this will be a challenge. Player to watch: Freshman Infielder/ Right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach Nebraska is fortunate to have Schwellenbach — who turned down an opportunity to join the Cleveland Indians after being drafted in the 34th round. He has the team’s second highest batting average so far this year at .333. AIDAN WOUTAS Daily Sports Writer At the start of the season, Michigan coach Erik Bakich had a feeling. “I do like this group,” Bakich said. “I think this group has a lot of potential. On paper, at least, the pieces are there to have a special, magical type of season.” Now, the No. 23 Michigan baseball team is validating that feeling. It has quality pitching and elite defense. A cohesive team chemistry and the drive to prove itself. It’s only missing one thing — a consistent offense. Starting off the year in Florida, the bats looked red-hot, averaging nine runs per game over the three- game series, leaving Binghamton in the dust. The next week, The Wolverines’ bats showed the first signs of slowing down — averaging just over five runs per game as they rode their impressive pitching to comfortable victories. In California, the problems were aired out for the whole country to see. Junior infielder Jordan Brewer and junior outfielder Jordan Nwogu were tied with Michigan’s highest batting average at just .285. The team eked out an average of just over three runs per game against the team’s toughest competition all year — USC, Oklahoma State and then No. 2 UCLA. Beyond hitting, the Wolverines’ other offensive weaknesses were exposed. In the Dodgertown Classic, five times Michigan’s baserunners were caught stealing or put out. The team’s aggressive mindset was being pushed too far, it had crossed the fine line of positive mistakes it was treading earlier in the season — aggressive defensive plays and forcing opposition to make tough choices — to bad mistakes. “We had a lot of outs on the bases from this trip,” Bakich said. “Whether it be caught stealing or pick-offs, those are very costly mistakes against really good teams. We can get away with it against lesser teams, you can’t get away with it against UCLA, USC, Oklahoma State, some of these west coast teams that are playing outside all year long” The Wolverines’ 3-4 run over Spring Break sent them tumbling down most rankings. The only poll that kept them in the top 25 was Baseball America, dropping them to No. 23. “All of the games were close because of our pitching and our defense in the losses,” Bakich said. “That’s how we’re built, and we are not even close to firing on all cylinders offensively.” Bakich predicted an offensive storm following the trip, but not even the most optimistic fan could have predicted the onslaught to come on Michigan’s five-game homestand. With 50 runs, the Wolverines blew past their two opponents — Manhattan and Western Michigan. But Michigan’s ability to score against struggling teams isn’t a question. The question is if it can keep a productive offense throughout the season against good teams — the same question that was asked last year. After an awful start to 2018, the Wolverines went on a 20-game win streak that ended shortly before the postseason. Their offense couldn’t show up — only averaging two runs over the last six games — and they crashed out of the Big Ten Tournament after two games. Bakich, though, has a feeling this year is different. “It feels like a championship team,” Bakich said. First, they’ll need to prove it. KENT SCHWARTZ Daily Sports Writer Big Ten Breakdown A question of offensive consistency The 2018 season for Michigan baseball was a roller-coaster. After losing 11 players to the MLB draft, many freshmen and inexperienced players were thrown into important roles. After a 4-11 start last season, the Wolverines followed by going on a 20-game win-streak. After accomplishing such a great achievement, Michigan subsequently crashed — a disappointing Big Ten Tournament and a poor finish for the regular season resulted in the Wolverines getting left out of the College World Series. This season couldn’t be more different. Michigan coach Erik Bakich and this team entered the season with high expectations — and so far they seem to be on track. The experience gained by those young and untested players has already paid dividends as they have led the Wolverines to a 14-4 record. Michigan has used only two newcomers extensively in its lineup thus far. Junior outfielder Jordan Brewer who transferred in 2018 after two seasons at Lincoln Trail Community College (Illinois) and freshman right- hander Willie Weiss. Brewer has been a consistent starter all season while Weiss has seen opportunities in a relief role. The Wolverines’ defense and pitching were expected to be their strengths this season and have been as advertised with a team ERA of just 2.56 and a team fielding percentage of .974. But their hitting has also been impressive. Michigan has put up five or more runs in 11 of its first 18 games. As a team, the Wolverines average over seven runs per game and have a healthy batting average at .281. The Daily breaks down the team position-by-position: Pitchers Someone with two first names is usually subject to a plethora of jokes. But junior Tommy Henry’s season has been no joke. The left-handed ace has been dealing this season. His 0.51 ERA and a 5-0 record puts him atop the team and the Big Ten in both categories. He leads the team in innings pitched, has the fewest walks, earned runs and batting average. Henry has a strong supporting cast of starters in junior right-hander Karl Kauffman and sophomore right-hander Jeff Criswell. Kauffman would be the headliner if not for the outstanding performance of Henry. Kauffman has an ERA of 1.06 and a 4-1 record. He holds his opponents to a batting average of .164. Criswell rounds out the rotation with a 3.51 ERA. Criswell has seen a major step up in his role after pitching in relief last season. The loss of sophomore left-hander Ben Dragani to season ending Tommy John surgery seems to have pushed Criswell into a larger role. Catchers Sophomore Joe Donovan grabbed the starting position in the offseason and hasn’t looked back. Donovan has been a steady presence behind the plate thus far. His defensive prowess with a .993 fielding percentage and his vocal leadership have made Donovan a key player for Michigan. Freshman Casey Buckley and redshirt sophomore Harrison Salter are the primary reserves for Donovan. Combined, they’ve played in 12 games and started four. Unlike last season, catcher is a known quantity and should continue to be a strength for the Wolverines. First Base Junior Jordan Brewer was a bit of an unknown coming into the season. Bakich raved about his athleticism, but Brewer’s batting has been the highlight of this season. Against Manhattan, Brewer had the bases loaded with two outs and an 0-2 count. He crushed the ball into left field for a grand slam adding to his collection of highlights this season. He has started all 18 games and has the third best batting average on the team at .368. But, Brewer is more than just a slugger. His fielding percentage is an incredible .986. At first base, Michigan is solid both defensively and offensively so don’t expect many opportunities for the reserve players. Second Base Last season, senior Ako Thomas suffered a wrist injury derailing a promising junior campaign. This season, he is looking to reach the All- Big Ten First Team form he enjoyed in his sophomore season. Thomas looks healthy again and, while his early season batting average is lower than last season, he has plenty of time to rectify those issues. Thomas’ defense has been top-notch again this season with a fielding percentage of .982. Additionally, his base-running skills are something that the Wolverines will look to utilize. Over his sophomore and junior seasons Thomas stole 38 bases — an impressive tally considering his junior season was shortened due to the aforementioned injury. Thomas has split time this season with senior Blake Nelson. Nelson brings an added element of batting with an impressive .452 average in 11 games this season. But, the added power comes with a tradeoff as Nelson has accrued six errors this season compared to Thomas’ one. Shortstop Sophomore Jack Blomgren has retained his starting position from last season. Blomgren appears to have made a significant jump since then, batting at .339 as compared to .216 last season. Blomgren already has 13 RBI this season compared to last season’s tally of 18 in less than half of the games. Blomgren’s fielding has improved vastly as well, with just one error this season. Third Base Senior Jimmy Kerr is the veteran leader of this team. Kerr returns as starter this season and, while his batting has not been exceptional, his defense appears to have improved since last season. Kerr has built on his fielding percentage from last season, going from .893 to .923. Kerr is a steady presence on both the field and in the dugout. His teammates have a lot of respect for the player who embodies Michigan baseball. Kerr’s father and grandfather played at Michigan as well. Kerr has started every game this season. Outfield After starting the past two seasons in left field, redshirt senior Miles Lewis has been shifted over to right field. Lewis has been a solid hitter this season at .292 — a marked improvement over .230 last season. His two home runs this season nearly equal last season’s total of three. Lewis has once again been a pillar of Michigan’s defense with a 1.000 fielding percentage. AVI RAJENDRA-NICOLUCCI Daily Sports Writer From Henry to Thomas to Kerr: Breaking down the 2019 Michigan baseball roster Ruchita Iyer / Daily A preview of the 2019 Michigan Baseball team MORE AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM MORE AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM