Michigan Baseball: U-M Kicks Off Season With Ninth-Inning Heroics, 4-3 Win
Michigan might not be close to midseason form, but head coach Erik Bakich and his baseball team were plenty good in their opener. Redshirt senior Matt Schmidt's two-run, ninth-inning home run lifted the Wolverines to a dramatic, 4-3 win over No. 2 Vanderbilt in the season opener for both teams.
Schmidt, who entered the game with six career hits, finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Junior starter Jeff Criswell picked up where he left off from last year, throwing 6.1 innings and giving up three earned runs on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts. U-M took a 2-1 lead on an unearned run in the seventh before Vanderbilt came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Schmidt's no doubter to left put U-M up, and the Commodores stranded three in the ninth to give Michigan the win.
The Wolverine will play Cal Poly at 3 p.m. Saturday as part of the MLB4 Collegiate Tournament and will play No. 9 Arizona State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium at 8 p.m.
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