Michigan Baseball Awaits NCAA Tournament Fate

All Michigan baseball can do now is wait.

The Wolverines finished up their regular season slate in Lincoln, Neb., this weekend, dropping two of three to the Big Ten champion Nebraska Cornhuskers. A 'bubble team,' Michigan, which owns a 27-17 record on the year, will be glued to the television on Memorial Day (May 31), hoping to hear its name called during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show (ESPN2) and earn a second-straight bid.

Michigan's lefty ace, redshirt sophomore Steven Hajjar, pitched an eight-inning gem Friday afternoon, allowing just four hits and one run. But the Maize and Blue's bats didn't wake up, with Nebraska left-hander Cade Povich pitching seven scoreless innings — allowing four hits — before the Husker bullpen put the finishing touches on the 1-0 shutout.

It was Michigan who pitched the shutout in game one of a Saturday doubleheader. Sophomore right-hander Cameron Weston went seven innings and allowed four hits, before junior closer Willie Weiss slammed the door in the eighth and ninth innings to clinch the 2-0 win.

In Sunday's grudge match, there was a bit more scoring, with Nebraska coming out on top 5-3. The Huskers got out to a 5-0 lead through eight innings, before the Wolverines scored three in the ninth but couldn't rally enough to dig themselves out of the hole.

The Maize and Blue are projected by D1Baseball as a No. 3 seed taking on No. 2 seed Virginia in the Eugene Region, hosted by No. 1 seed Oregon.

Baseball America, however, is a bit more bearish on Michigan's chances to make the field of 64. The publication lists the Wolverines as one of the first four teams out.

Eight Michigan players were given Big Ten honors following the conclusion of the conference's regular season. Below is the list of every Wolverine who earned such recognition:

First Team

• Sophomore second baseman Ted Burton — Coming into Sunday, the final day of Big Ten Conference play, Burton ranks second in the league in slugging percentage (.673) and third in batting average (.355). He leads his club with a .445 on-base percentage and has hit safely in 17 of his last 20 games, a span in which he is batting .387 (29-for-75), with 10 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 25 RBI and 19 runs scored.

• Redshirt sophomore pitcher Steven Hajjar — He posted a 4-1 record, a 2.85 earned-run average (fifth best in the conference) and 101 strikeouts in 72.5 innings this season.

Second Team

• Fifth-year senior catcher Griffin Mazur — He threw out better than 38 percent of would-be base stealers and registered career highs in extra-base hits (13), home runs (six) and RBI (33).

• Fifth-year senior shortstop Benjamin Sems — He posted a .321 batting average, a .395 on-base percentage and a team-high 52 hits while driving in 30 runs on the year.

• Sophomore outfielder Tito Flores — He ranks ninth in the league with a .327 batting average.

• Sophomore pitcher Cameron Weston — He notched a conference-best seven wins (7-3), a 2.40 ERA and a .214 batting average against.

Third Team

• Sophomore first baseman Jimmy Obertop — He batted .272 on the year and led Michigan with 10 home runs.

• Junior pitcher Willie Weiss — He held opposing hitters to a .172 average and just three extra-base hits for the regular season.

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