Michigan Baseball: Wolverines Peaking, Will Face Vandy With No Fear
Michigan's first series against Texas Tech this season resulted in three road losses by a combined score of 29-10. The Wolverines turned the tables on a much bigger stage, taking two games at the College World Series by a combined score of 20-6.
There has been nothing flukish about the Wolverines' run to the National Championship series against Vanderbilt, a 3-2 winner over Louisville Friday night. They've used three elite pitchers and some incredible, clutch hitting to sweep through their half of the bracket and set up the ultimate showdown with one of college baseball's best programs.
But to be clear, the Red Raiders were outstanding, too. Led by Josh Jung, the No. 8 player taken overall in the recent MLB draft, they were the favorite to win their half of the bracket.
"They're an incredible team, one of the most dangerous offenses we've faced all year," head coach Erik Bakich said in his postgame press conference. "They've got as many power arms out of the bullpen as we've seen.
"We saw how tough they were in Lubbock earlier in the year, and so to come out and get a couple of wins against a really quality club like that ... just proud of our guys for being able to do that in this environment on this stage."
The Wolverines are playing loose and having fun, and that's been the key to their unbelievable postseason run. The one time they played tight, late in a regional contest against Creighton with a chance to advance to the Super Regional at UCLA, they imploded, a number of errors costing them in a loss.
This, though, is a resilient group. They came back from that loss to pound the Blue Jays, and when they blew a lead in Game Two against UCLA in similar fashion, they rebounded behind pitcher Tommy Henry's gem to stun the Bruins and advance.
Karl Kauffmann didn't have his best stuff Friday and struggled, behind in the count against most batters he faced. His offense backed him up after he gave up three early runs, walking four in the first three innings, and second baseman Ako Thomas' great play in the second limited the damage and prevented a big inning with two outs and two runners in scoring position.
"Pitching, defense, timely hits ... Karl Kauffmann settling the game down after the 3-spot after the second inning and putting up four zeros was huge, and the defense has been great behind him all week," Bakich said. "And then 10, two-out RBIs today — that's the most we've had all year.
"So to get that many clutch hits today I thought was one of the biggest storylines and one of the biggest reasons -- the main reason we were able to separate the game and have a lopsided score the way it was."
Nobody would have believed it even a month or so ago, when the Wolverines needed a late rally just to beat Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament and keep their season alive. They were one of the last four teams as it was, and a loss there — outfielder Jordan Nwogu's two-out, walk-off double beat the Illini — would likely have burst their bubble.
Now, though, they're playing with house money, and legitimately one of the two best times alive. Vanderbilt has only lost 11 games all year, but Michigan appears to be legitimately the best opponent they will have faced in the postseason they way the Wolverines are playing.
"We saw the end of our season right in front of us against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament. We were down to our last strike," first baseman Jimmy Kerr, whose dad and grandfather have both played in the World Series for U-M, said. "And I think that kind of made the whole team appreciate every single game that we've had together since then. "That's kind of the bigger picture. It's not that we're playing in a Regional, Super Regional, College World Series championship; it's just that we get another game with each other."
Added Kauffmann: "Something that's kind of been pretty beneficial for us is not really thinking about playing in the national championship or the stage that we're on. It's literally been a one-game, one-pitch mindset, and I think we kind of learned the lesson in the Corvallis Regional about making the moment too big.
"So I think it's something where everybody's kind of slowing the game down. To be able to minimize the situation and just kind of keep playing ... that's all I've been thinking about."
The kids have taken the keys, Bakich said, and they've proven they're ready. Bakich admitted they picked the right time to peak, but he's coached them to this point, getting them to believe in themselves and — without a doubt — proceed on the most improbable path to a championship game in Michigan postseason history, including the 1989 basketball championship.
He's made baseball fans of Michigan alums all over the world — many have made the trek to Omaha, and we expect several more will early next week — and is enjoying the trip just like they are.
"I feel like ... I'm letting someone else drive right now, and I'm just a passenger, and they're taking a lot of us for a ride right now," he said. "We've seen both ends of the spectrum. What Jimmy referenced, too, a month ago in the Big Ten Tournament, we were playing not to lose the regular season conference title, and we were squeezing it. You could tell we were just puckered up, and we weren't playing well.
"Now they're loose and they're laughing and smiling and having a great time, and they're not thinking ahead. They're not making the moment too big. They're just playing pitch to pitch and competing as hard as they can, and when they make mistakes, they're aggressive mistakes. That's a sign of a group that isn't scared and the moment isn't too big for them, and they feel like they have that playground mentality."
One they'll need to employ for one more series in facing the powerful Commodores. If they do, the tournament's longest of long shots will have a solid chance to bring home the program's first National Championship since 1962.
Win or lose, they've earned their spot as one of the most likable Michigan teams in any sport in recent memory.
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