Heading into Michigan’s first College World Series since 1984, Michigan head coach Erik Bakich has faith in his team, even though the Wolverines are heavy underdogs amongst the teams in Omaha.
That doesn’t matter for Bakich and his team
“Confidence is at an all-time high,” Bakich said. “Our kids are fired up. We’re excited. We’re thrilled to be in this position. Same as what we’ve kind of done the last couple of weeks, we’re taking it one game, one inning, one pitch at a time. I do know this. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know we’re going to be loose and I know we’re going to have the right mindset and we have the right belief.”
This group of players has not previously been to the world series and there is nothing that can prepare them for this moment.
“We talked about this with our coaches it seems like so much over the last couple of weeks,” Bakich said. “When you haven’t done it before, and we haven’t done it before, there really isn’t a drill, a training session, a practice [that simulates it]. You can train for mental toughness, you can do a bunch of team bonding activities, but you need an authentic, organic moment to happen on the field that ignites and sparks a hot streak and you just hope it happens at the end of the year.”
Bakich said the team is riding the wave of momentum the last few weeks of the season.
“We got that moment that defining moment was the walk-off winner against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament,” Bakich said. “We were down to our last strike of the season. Our season is over if Ako Thomas doesn’t draw a walk or Jordan doesn’t hit that two-run double. Ever since then, our guys have been filled with confidence and belief and they’ve been loose. They know the looser they are the better we play.”
In moments during the NCAA Tournament, when Michigan plays tight, bad things happen. Bakich noted this was the case when they had five errors against UCLA in the Super Regional and after they blew a lead in the Regional against Creighton.
However, every time that has happened Bakich said the Wolverines always bounce back.
“The ability to use that adversity to our advantage has been one of the traits that will be remembered about this team for all of time,” Bakich said. “Along with some toughness and grit that you just don’t see a lot of times with today’s kid.
“Kids today don’t seem to be as tough as Tommy Henry pitching with the flu and looking like he’s about to pass out with every pitch … Jack Blomgren breaks his finger and his finger is going sideways. The trainer can’t set it in place and he says, ‘Just tape it up.’ Those things don’t happen on every team.”
This Michigan team begins its College World Series Saturday against Texas Tech. Even though the Wolverines are only the first Big Ten team since 2013 to play this far in the season, Bakich is confident in this team.
“I think people see that we’re a gritty, spirited, under dog team because we’re one of the last four teams in,” Bakich said. “We almost didn’t get in. But then I think they do a double take and look and see we had three players taken in the top three rounds [of the MLB Draft] and we have a group of sophomores that are potential high picks next year. We have a lot of athleticism within our lineup. We have as good of a starting rotation as I think there is in college baseball.”
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