Wednesday, July 20, 2022 — 7
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Michigan names Greenspan and Huntzinger as assistant coaches

JAKE SINGER
Daily Sports Writer

Less 
than 
two 
weeks 
after 
Michigan Athletic Director Warde 
Manuel hired a new baseball coach 
in Tracy Smith, the Wolverines’ 
coaching staff is now complete with 
the hires of associate head coach Ben 
Greenspan and pitching coach Brock 
Huntzinger. 
Smith had a lot of work to get 
done in a short amount of time once 
he was named head coach on July 2, 
including convincing recruits to stay 
committed to Michigan, enticing 
current players to stay with the 
program and hiring assistant coaches 
to help accomplish those goals. 
And with the hiring of Greenspan 
and Huntzinger, he now has the staff 
in place to support him.
Smith 
has 
deep 
ties 
with 
Greenspan, who served as head of 
recruiting for Arizona State while 
Smith was head coach. For the Sun 
Devils, 
Greenspan 
orchestrated 
top recruiting classes every year, 
including the No. 1 recruiting class 
in the country in 2016, No. 7 class in 
2017, No. 4 class in 2018, No. 8 class in 
2020 and No. 10 class in 2021. 

He then took his talents to Cal 
Poly for the 2021-22 season, when the 
Mustangs went 37-21 and ranked as 
high as No. 18 nationally. 
“We are thrilled to welcome Ben 
to the Michigan Baseball program,” 
Smith said in a statement. “In 
addition to being an outstanding 
coach, Ben has earned his reputation 
as one of the top recruiters in the 
country. He has been instrumental 
in attracting and developing top-10 
recruiting classes to programs from 
the Midwest to the California coast.”
Greenspan will be vital in the 
immediate future to convince recruits 

to stay, to fill holes where recruits 
have already left and convince 
current players to stick with the 
program. Currently, players remain 
in the transfer portal and 11 recruits 
rescinded their commitments.
In addition to Greenspan, the 
Wolverines have a new pitching 
coach in Huntzinger. As a former 
minor league pitcher, Huntzinger 
accumulated 10 years of professional 
experience as a player. He also has 
five years of experience as a coach.
 Drafted out of high school by the 
Red Sox in the third round of the 
2007 Major League Baseball Draft, 

Clark Elliott drafted by the Oakland Athletics

Throughout the 2022 season, 
junior outfielder Clark Elliott proved 
what he was capable of at the top 
of the Wolverines’ lineup. That 
reputation is now paying off. Elliott’s 
name was called in the 2022 MLB 
Draft. 
As one of the Big Ten’s top baseball 
prospects, it was no surprise Elliott 
was the first Michigan player to hear 
his name called. Going No. 69 overall 
to the Oakland Athletics, Elliott 
offers a valuable contribution with 
his bat to the Athletics’ farm system.
Elliott, who was already a top 
prospect heading into the 2022 
season, 
exploded 
offensively 
in 
his junior season. He touted a 
.337 batting average, .460 on-base 
percentage and slugged .630 while 
leading the Wolverines in home runs, 
RBIs, walks and OPS.
Elliott has proven what he can do 
in the batter’s box, and his dangerous 
combination of power, speed and 

plate discipline positioned him as a 
valuable prospect. Whether at the 
plate or on the base paths, he places 
exorbitant pressure on the opposing 
pitcher. Defensively, in the outfield, 
his speed enables quick reflexes that 
facilitate some spectacular defensive 
plays.
His 
impressive 
numbers 
are 
backed up by the eye test, with 
Elliott’s 
spectacular 
on-field 
performances drawing attention.
Elliott helped lead the Wolverines 
to their Big Ten Tournament victory 
and was named Most Outstanding 
Player on the back of his six hits, 
seven RBIs and eight runs over five 
games.
And his success stems from more 
than just individual performance. 
Elliott’s ability to be a team player has 
aided in his success both at a personal 
and team level. 
“My teammates here, they’ve 
been right by me for this whole 
entire journey,” Elliott said after 
being named Big Ten Tournament 
Most Outstanding Player. “That’s 
a team award. … The coaches and 
teammates have had my back since 

the beginning.”
Elliott’s combination of skills on 
the field and team first mentality that 

comes from his experience and age 
make him a strong prospect. 
And clearly Oakland agreed, as it 

will take a chance on the Michigan 
outfielder and see what he can do at 
the professional level.

BASEBALL

BASEBALL

IAN PAYNE
Daily Sports Writer

SARAH BOEKE/Daily

Huntzinger spent seven seasons 
with the organization, reaching as 
high in the organization as Triple-A 
Pawtucket. After playing in two other 
professional leagues, he earned a spot 
with the Colorado Rockies, Chicago 
White Sox, Baltimore Orioles and 
Oakland Athletics throughout his 
career.
Just like Greenspan, Huntzinger 
has longstanding ties to Smith. After 
he hung up his cleats, he became the 
pitching coach for Smith at Arizona 
State for two seasons. Most recently, 
Huntzinger was the pitching coach 
for Boise State. 

“I am incredibly honored to come 
to Michigan in this role,” Huntzinger 
said in a statement. “It feels like I am 
coming back home. I am confident 
in my ability to leverage some of my 
experiences in order to positively 
impact a talented group of student-
athletes at this great university.”
Added Smith: 
“Brock has a 
phenomenal approach to the game 
of baseball, and we are fortunate to 
get him here to Michigan. Brock’s 
pitching acumen is surpassed only by 
his ability to connect with individuals 
of all backgrounds and personalities.”
Huntzinger faces a tough task with 
the Wolverines’ pitching situation. 
Not only does he have to balance 
keeping current sophomore right-
hander Ahmad Harajli and senior 
left-hander Jack White with the 
program — both of whom are still 
in the transfer portal — but he also 
needs to strengthen a pitching staff 
that held a whopping 7.00 ERA last 
season. 
Those issues are significant, but 
the new hirings mean Michigan 
can turn to address them. As the 
Wolverines start to build their team 
for the 2023 season, Greenspan and 
Huntzinger will play prominent roles 
in those endeavors.

SARAH BOEKE/Daily

