The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 — 11
Heart of a Spartan, now a Wolverine:
Joe Stewart’s unique opportunity
IAN PAYNE
Daily Sports Writer
JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily
Joseph Zain Rodger:
Michigan’s pitchers
need to step up
There is one divide that defines
collegiate sports for many fans and
athletes in the state of Michigan.
The Michigan-Michigan State
rivalry.
Allegiances are strong and pas-
sions run high. As a result, it’s not
often that athletes cross the battle
lines and transfer from one school
to the other. But this season one
player has taken this lightly traveled
path, as the Michigan baseball team
welcomes graduate outfielder, and
Michigan State alum, Joe Stewart
onto its roster as a graduate transfer
student.
And he’s excited to have such a
unique opportunity.
“I’m a Michigan kid, I grew
up here,” Stewart said. “I have a
unique opportunity that a lot of
people don’t have, to get to play
at both of the big universities in
Michigan.”
This opportunity came as the
result of an unexpected choice
that many college baseball players
find themselves facing.
In the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic, Stewart was presented
with an interesting possibility.
Following the limiting of the 2020
and 2021 baseball seasons due to
COVID-19 concerns, the NCAA
granted all active players an extra
year of eligibility. The policy
allowed many players to hang
around the college scene and try
exploring new horizons while
continuing in the sport they love.
“I didn’t initially plan to play
another season,” Stewart said. “I
still enjoyed playing … I felt I still
had something left in there.”
So
Stewart
exercised
the
option of entering the graduate
transfer portal to play one more
season, and Michigan coach Erik
Bakich gave him a call.
“From talking to him and
knowing some guys that have
come through this program, (I
knew) it was an awesome oppor-
tunity for me.” Stewart said.
And the Wolverine staff was
thrilled to add Stewart to the ros-
ter.
Graduate
transfers
can be a valuable asset
to a program due to
their experience and
outsiders’ perspective,
which allows them to
offer a fresh point of
view. That insight can
be useful.
“Being in the Big
Ten, I know what this
conference looks like
and what it takes to
be successful (here),”
Stewart said. “I’m not
necessarily
as
much
the vocal leader, but
(I’m) trying to show the
younger guys, lead by
example, do the right
thing and what that
looks like.”
Coach
Bakich
for
one, appreciates having
a player like Stewart to
fill that role.
“I really like grad transfers,”
Bakich
said.
“They’ve
been
instant leaders … experience wins
at the college level, and they bring
a lot to the table.”
While it used to be relatively
difficult to line up grad trans-
fer students in college baseball,
COVID-19 eligibility has made
it fairly easy for Michigan to
increase their number on its ros-
ter. The program has also pulled
infielder Matt Frey and outfield-
er Alex Fedje-Johnson — both
from Davidson College, whose
head coach played under Bakich
at Vanderbilt — out of the trans-
fer portal for this season to help
enhance its lineup.
“(Grad transfers) have a bit of
a chip on their shoulder,” Bakich
said. “They really have something
to prove and want to be great.”
Being the most experienced
members of the team, one of
Bakich’s main goals for the gradu-
ate students are to impart both
wisdom and the right attitude
upon their new teammates, and
Stewart seems to be the right man
for the job.
In his senior season at Michi-
gan State, Stewart was named
the team’s most improved player,
and he has continued to display
the work ethic and improvements
that earned him that title.
“Joe Stewart comes to mind,”
Bakich said when asked which
players turned heads in preseason
practices. “He’s probably the most
improved player from when he
first got here … he stands out, I
think he’s got a chance to have a
special year.”
Since then, Stewart has lived
up to that praise with his perfor-
mance on the field.
In addition to leading the
team by example off the field, he
has achieved the results that his
approach can yield. A fixture in
the lineup, Stewart has hit the
ball hard, and with
discipline. He is also
working
to
continue
the defensive improve-
ments he saw last sea-
son in East Lansing,
hoping to serve as a
defensive rock in center
field.
“On the field (I’ll) see
what I can do to help out
in the outfield,” Stew-
art said. “Continue to
build on that defensive
side of my game … and
be a guy that can drive
some balls into the gap
… whatever I can do to
get this team to be suc-
cessful.”
Stewart has been a
large part of the Wol-
verines’
offensive
explosion
in
recent
weeks, and Stewart is
enjoying this special chance from
a whole new angle.
“There is much more appre-
ciation for still being able to
play,” Stewart said. “I’ve gotten
this revived chance this year to
come over and help this team. …
It’s been fun, I think I definitely
appreciate the little things a lot
more.”
Nevertheless, while he has
been enjoying his time at Michi-
gan, he still hasn’t forgotten his
old friends in East Lansing.
“That’s a game that will be
circled on my calendar,” Stewart
said. “(I have) a lot of friends over
there. … It’s gonna be really fun to
compete with those guys. … I’m
looking forward to it.”
Stewart’s familiarity and good
relationship with the Spartans
will undoubtedly bring a fresh
twist to the mid-April rivalry
bouts between the two teams.
Stewart’s career in college
baseball reflects the connec-
tions to both schools that many
in Michigan possess. Just like his
attitude towards baseball helps
encourage his teammates to per-
form on the field, his attitude
towards the rivalry also shows
how these connections can often
bring people together and offer
the chance for new experiences.
And Stewart is enthusiastic to
experience it.
“Love Michigan State and all
those guys,” Stewart said. “But it
was awesome to get this oppor-
tunity to come here for my last
year.”
Joe Stewart looks to lead the Michigan baseball team after playing for Michigan State.
Despite top tier hitting talent,
the Michigan baseball team has
not had the success they’ve hoped
for.
Through the first 15
games, the Wolverines are
top 30 in the country in
scoring and second in the
Big Ten. However, they sit
just one win above .500.
That means one thing —
they can’t pitch.
Michigan can’t hold
down a team for a full
nine innings. The only
game where the Wolver-
ines kept their opponent
under four runs was an 8-2 vic-
tory against a sluggish 1-12 Seton
Hall.
“We just haven’t played a com-
plete game yet,” Michigan coach
Erik Bakich said. “You know,
we’ve had some games where
we scored a lot of runs, but we’ve
also given up a lot of runs.”
It gets worse when you dive
deeper into the pitching num-
bers. Among the seven arms
who’ve seen the most innings,
the average ERA is a woeful 5.35.
Michigan is third to last in the
Big Ten in walk frequency and
fifth to last in hit frequency.
Letting that many men on
base is not sustainable. It sets
the team up for failure and late
game collapses regularly, like
those against No. 17 Texas Tech
Michigan earns first No. 3
seed in program history
MARK PATRICK
Daily Sports Writer
After losing four of its last six
games, the Michigan women’s
basketball team awaited the fate
of potentially not hosting home
games in the NCAA Tournament.
That fate was put to rest Sunday
night, as the Wolverines earned a
No. 3 seed — their highest seed in
program history — in the Wich-
ita region. Being a top-four seed
allows the team to host the first
two rounds of the NCAA Tourna-
ment.
“To be a three seed, that’s pretty
awesome,” Michigan coach Kim
Barnes Arico said. “Being able
to host and get another game at
Crisler (Center) for our senior class
that has meant (so much) to us is
really special.”
Michigan’s first game will be
against No. 14 seed American on
Saturday. If the Wolverines win,
they will face either No. 6 BYU or
No. 11 Villanova on Monday.
Fresh off winning the Patriot
League tournament champion-
ship, the Eagles present a tough
challenge. After starting the sea-
son 11-6, American has won 12 of
its last 14 games. This is in large
part due to its defense holding
opponents to just 56 points per
game — 33rd best in the nation.
The team is led by senior guard
Jade Edwards. The versatile
guard does it all for the Eagles,
leading the team in points, min-
utes, rebounds, steals and blocks.
“They’re a great program,
always successful in their league
and have a really good coach,”
Barnes Arico said.
After starting the season 20-2,
Michigan struggled down the
stretch. It went out in the first
round of the Big Ten tournament
to Nebraska, losing 76-73, mak-
ing its seeding more precarious.
After the Wolverines were up
six with five minutes left in the
game, the Cornhuskers ended
the game on a 9-2 run, crushing
their hopes of a Big Ten tourna-
ment championship.
The No. 3 seed has much to do
with the Wolverines early sea-
son success. The team started
the season 7-0 for the second
straight year. After losing to the
Cornhuskers 79-58, Michigan
compiled an eight-game win
streak with wins coming against
Ohio State, Iowa, Indiana, and
Maryland. The team was par-
ticularly successful at home fin-
ishing the year 12-0 at the Crisler
Center.
“We’re undefeated at home
this year and I think that’s in
large part due to our fan base
and the support that we’ve got-
ten throughout the course of the
season,” Barnes Arico said.
Looking to win its first regu-
lar season Big Ten championship
for the first time in program his-
tory, things began to turn for the
worse. A combination of injuries
and inconsistencies on offense
and defense led the Wolverines
to losses in four of their last six
games. It’s possible they would
have had a No. 1 or No. 2 seed if
not for the late season sputter.
Michigan has an opportunity
to make program history in the
NCAA Tournament. After being
so close to capturing a regular
season Big Ten title and losing
in the first round of the Big Ten
Tournament,
the
Wolverines
look to advance past the Sweet
Sixteen for the first time in pro-
gram history.
“(We’re) just really embracing
this moment and being excited
because there’s no guarantees,”
Barnes Arico said. “So just have
an appreciation for being able to
still be competing, when so many
other people are going home at
this point, and so many people
are disappointed, but really put
themselves in a position to con-
tinue to play.”
and Florida Atlantic. Both games
ended in multiple-run bottom-
of-the-ninth comebacks.
All of the mistakes
came to a head in the
Wolverines’ latest game
— their 13-1 loss against
Louisville.
The
Car-
dinals’
bats
punished
Michigan’s pitchers all
game, and they were
only held scoreless for
one inning.
The
Wolverines’
pitchers cost them more
than just at the plate.
Michigan has an average
fielding unit that sits sixth in the
conference in fielding percent-
age, but many of the mistakes
they make are connected to the
pitching.
“If you’re walking a lot of peo-
ple, the defense is going to be on
their heels because they’re not as
actively engaged,” Bakich said.
“… So I think that the trust and
the reliability of both sides there
just needs to sync up and have a
great synergy.”
The main fielding woes came
in Greenville against East Caro-
lina. The defense held up for
most of the game, but the two-
run loss was caused by two big
rallies, both of which had their
momentum heavily aided by
errors.
This defensive start is not
JOSEPH
ZAIN
RODGER
optimal, but it’s far too early to
discount the Wolverines from a
deep postseason run. The Wol-
verines have the fourth hardest
strength of schedule in the Big
Ten. Bakich wants the team to
face adversity early so they can
be prepared for tougher battles.
“We’ve been here before.
Every year when we sched-
ule really tough competition it
seems to be a little bit of a back
and forth and up and down,”
Bakich said. “We’re scheduling
teams that are all going to be in
the postseason.”
It’s still a very young season.
Once the home games and Big
Ten series finally start, it’s very
possible that the team starts to
roll if they fix their mistakes.
That’s a very big if.
If the season ended today,
Michigan’s pitching staff would
have its worst combined ERA in
over 10 years.
“It’s one thing to talk about
achieving your goals week to
week, it’s another thing to do it,”
said Bakich. “The bottom line is
we just need to play better.”
Just like the teams they’ve
scheduled to start the year, the
Wolverines
have
postseason
dreams of their own. If they
want to compete, the pitching
staff needs to figure it out.
If not, they’re in for a harsh
wake-up call.
GRACE BEAL/Daily
Michigan earns highest NCAA tournament ranking in program history, will face American in first round.
JENNA HICKEY/Daily
Michigan’s pitching has struggled so far this season.