Michigan is on the verge of erupting into an enormous celebration.
After being one of the last four at-large teams invited to the NCAA Baseball Tournament, Michigan is just one win away from securing its first national championship since 1962.
On Monday, the Wolverines took a step closer to completing their sensational run by vanquishing No. 2 seed Vanderbilt in Game 1 of the College World Series finals. Junior pitcher Tommy Henry thrived in his third straight start since the Super Regionals. Exuding cool and poise, Henry tallied eight strikeouts and allowed just three earned runs and seven hits in 8.1 innings pitched, and seniors first baseman Jimmy Kerr and catcher Joe Donovan provided some much-needed breathing room by launching home runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Michigan finished with seven runs, which was one more than the total Vanderbilt surrendered in its three prior College World Series games.
However, Michigan should have plated more than seven runs. The Wolverines squandered several opportunities to score more runs by stranding runners on base when the game was still in reach. It did not cost them on Monday, but it could on Tuesday or Wednesday.
