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rescinded their commitments.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