Tag: Michigan Baseball

Michigan baseball epically trolls Ohio State HC Ryan Day

Hilarious! #GoBlue

“Sometimes there’s people standing on third base and think they hit a triple—but they didn’t.”

That quote from Jim Harbaugh following the 2021 win over Ohio State has made the waves yet again after a third straight win over the Buckeyes. A college baseball team in Kalamazoo offered OSU head coach Ryan Day a position a the team’s third-base coach, and Michigan fans have brought back the quote as a mantra.

And the Michigan baseball team has gotten into the action of trolling the Buckeye headman.

On Monday, the baseball’s X (formerly Twitter) account had the perfect callback to Harbaugh’s two-year old comment.

As long as Michigan football keeps winning, that meme isn’t going away any time soon.

Social media reacts to Iowa Hawkeyes’ Big Ten Baseball Tournament rout of Michigan

Iowa thumped Michigan in the Big Ten Baseball Tournament, winning in run-rule fashion, 13-3. Hawkeye Twitter reacted accordingly.

This time a year ago, the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ stay in the Big Ten Baseball Tournament and Charles Schwab Field came to a close on the wrong end of a 13-1 beatdown from Michigan.

That was the final game of a charge through the loser’s bracket for the Hawkeyes. After dropping its opening game in a stunner to Penn State, Iowa rallied to win three consecutive games over Purdue, Penn State and Michigan to force the if necessary game against the Wolverines.

Ultimately, Iowa’s second-place Big Ten finish, its 36-19 record and the aforementioned run through the Big Ten Baseball Tournament wasn’t enough to convince the committee that it deserved one of the NCAA Tournament’s at-large bids.

One game in, the Hawkeyes are taking the better path in the 2023 Big Ten Baseball Tournament. Oh yeah, Iowa managed to exact a degree of revenge, too.

Iowa broke a 1-1 deadlock with Michigan in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament with a six-run fifth inning. It featured a 2-RBI single from redshirt junior Sam Hojnar. Then, the big blast of the day came from Brayden Frazier as he launched a grand slam 373 feet to left field.

It was Frazier’s first career grand slam, the first grand slam in the Big Ten Tournament since 2017 and the first grand slam in Big Ten Tournament history at Charles Schwab Field. It was also the Hawkeyes’ ninth grand slam of the season.

Amazingly, all of that fifth-inning damage came with two outs.

Iowa owes a tip of the cap to sophomore righty Jack Whitlock. He entered in the fifth after Hawkeye starter Marcus Morgan walked the first two batters. Whitlock issued one more walk before striking out the side swinging. That kept the contest level at 1-1 before the Hawkeyes had that initial six-run, fifth inning explosion.

The Hawkeyes weren’t finished. Redshirt junior Kyle Huckstorf singled to plate junior Michael Seegers in the seventh. Iowa had some more two-out magic in the seventh as well. Sophomore Sam Petersen launched a three-run blast that made the score 11-2.

Finally, Iowa added a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth on a passed ball and a Cade Moss single that brought home Seegers for a 13-3 run-rule victory.

The Hawkeyes advance and will meet No. 2 seed Indiana in the winner’s bracket after the Hoosiers held on to take care of Illinois, 4-3. Iowa and Indiana will battle at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

Iowa fans were thrilled with the Big Ten Tournament-opening win over Michigan. Here’s the best social media responses.

LOOK: Michigan football LB Joey Velazquez hits a grand slam

Go Joey and #GoBlue!

Joey Velazquez couldn’t participate in Michigan football spring ball. Not because he was injured or precluded or anything like that. But because he’s a true dual-threat, who splits time with the baseball team.

Velazquez has long been a reserve on both the football and baseball team, but of late, he’s been seen more time. He started the first five games of the season this year, but struggled at the plate and saw his time dwindle. However, after some key at-bats, he’s becoming a reliable weapon for the maize and blue on the diamond.

On Wednesday, Velazquez had about as good of an at-bat as one could have, hitting a towering home run with the bases loaded for a grand slam. Looks like he can do it all.

Velazquez is doing well in baseball, but the linebacker position he plays for football is becoming increasingly loaded. However, he’s been stalwart on special teams, having made several big plays, including forcing a key turnover in 2021 at Wisconsin.

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Rutgers baseball takes two of three games from the Wolverines

Rutgers baseball completed a three-game series against the Michigan Wolverines, winning two of three games over their Big Ten rivals.

Rutgers baseball completed a three-game series against the Michigan Wolverines, winning two of three games over their Big Ten rivals. The Scarlet Knights improved their overall record to 20-16 (4-5 Big Ten) and are now eighth in the Big Ten standings. 

On Friday, the Scarlet Knights kicked off their three-game series at Bainton Field, defeating the Wolverines 13-0. Game two started at noon on Saturday but got suspended in the 4th inning due to inclement weather. The teams resumed game two on Sunday morning, with the Wolverines defeating the Scarlet Knights 13-8. Approximately thirty minutes after the conclusion of Game Two, the Scarlet Knights defeated Michigan 6-3 in the series finale. Rutgers baseball outscored the Wolverines 27 to 16 in the three-game series. 

Game 1

Rutgers freshman pitcher Christian Coppola stole the show for the Scarlet Knights in game one. Coppola pitched eight shutout innings, striking out 12 batters and letting up five hits. The Scarlet Knights produced 13 runs on 18 hits with zero errors behind Coppola. Rutgers scored four runs in the first inning, which was plenty of support for Coppola. Following Coppola’s stellar performance, the Big Ten Conference named him Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Monday.

Game 2

The Scarlet Knights dropped game two Sunday morning, losing 13-8 to the Wolverines. Rutgers jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, with Chris Brito’s grand slam in the first inning and Evan Sleight’s two-run home run in the second. The Wolverines came back in the fourth inning to tie the game before the game got suspended due to weather conditions.

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The game resumed Sunday morning, still in the fourth inning. Michigan hit a two-run home run to break the tie and take an 8-6 lead. The Scarlet Knights tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI double from Hugh Pinkney. With sloppy defense from the Scarlet Knights, Michigan scored three unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure the victory for the Wolverines. 

Game 3

Rutgers baseball defeated Michigan 6-3 in the series finale on Sunday. Rutgers right-handed pitcher Drew Conover pitched seven shutout innings, striking out six batters and letting up three hits. The Scarlet Knights had a productive fourth inning, producing four of their six runs. The Wolverines tried mounting a comeback in the top of the eighth inning but were unsuccessful, giving Rutgers the victory. 

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Michigan baseball hires new coach

Michigan baseball found a good one! #GoBlue

Michigan baseball has finally found its man.

After Erik Bakich decided to leave Michigan — who was the coach since 2013 — for Clemson, the Wolverines have been looking for a new man to lead the baseball team. On Sunday, the University of Michigan had an official statement on the hiring of the former Miami(OH),  Indiana Hoosier, and Arizona State coach, Tracy Smith as the new baseball coach.

“We are excited to welcome Tracy Smith, his wife, Jaime, and their family, to U-M to lead our baseball program,” said Manuel. “Succinctly put, Tracy is one of the best collegiate baseball minds in the country. He is a tireless recruiter who can evaluate, project, and develop talent at the highest level of this sport.”

“My family and I are proud to join the University of Michigan family, and this storied Michigan baseball program,” said Smith. “Having competed on the field against the likes of Barry Larkin, Jim Abbott, Casey Close and many others, I am aware of the tremendous talent and tradition of this program. I would like to thank Warde Manuel, Rob Rademacher, the staff and our student-athletes for allowing me the opportunity to build upon the history of U-M baseball and the recent successes of my friend and colleague Erik Bakich. The standards in the Big Ten Conference and at the University of Michigan are set high, and I am honored to lead our next group of champions. Go Blue!”

Smith comes to Ann Arbor with 25 years of head coaching experience. His most recent tenure was with Arizona State where he coached from 2015-2021. During that span, the Sun Devils made four NCAA Regional appearances in his six years there.

The Indiana native really got things going while he coached the Indiana Hoosiers. Smith was named the National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year back in 2013 while coaching the Hoosiers to their first-ever Men’s College World Series after winning 49 games that season.

Smith has been known as an avid recruiter since being out west. In 2016, he signed the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation at Arizona State, and in 2017 he had a top-five class.

Smith helped develop former first-overall pick Spencer Torkelson who now plays for the Detroit Tigers.

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Michigan transfer talks decision to join Bakich at Clemson

Willie Weiss became the latest Michigan baseball player to follow Erik Bakich to Clemson. A day after infielder Riley Bertram revealed he will finish his collegiate career with the Tigers, another Wolverine transfer has done the same. Weiss, a …

Willie Weiss became the latest Michigan baseball player to follow Erik Bakich to Clemson.

A day after infielder Riley Bertram revealed he will finish his collegiate career with the Tigers, another Wolverine transfer has done the same. Weiss, a right-handed pitcher, announced via social media Wednesday night that he will spend his final collegiate season at Clemson as a graduate transfer.

Weiss wasn’t planning on doing a fifth year. In fact, he figured he was done with school.

However, once he saw Bakich get the job at Clemson, he started to think about it a little bit. After talking with his family, he decided to enter the transfer portal. Shortly thereafter, Bakich reached out. After everything Bakich has done for Weiss and the opportunities he’s given him, the Portland (Ore.) native had a hard time saying no.

Weiss couldn’t turn him down.

“I went to Michigan for my first four years, loved every bit of it,” Weiss told The Clemson Insider. “It was the best four years ever. I’m super happy I made that choice, but part of why it was the best experience was because of Coach Bakich. He’s the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s just about the right things. He teaches all his players how to just be better men, husbands and fathers in the future.

“I’ve learned a lot from him. I want for nothing more than to play another year with him. He’s just a great all-around guy that gave me an opportunity at Michigan. He’s just a great all-around leader and he’s a winner. I believe he could win with 12-year-olds at the college level.”

Another part of it was getting to experience a different environment. Weiss is excited to experience something different — under the same head coach — but with a warmer climate and a different atmosphere.

“Playing at Michigan was awesome, I loved every bit of Michigan, but one thing it kind of lacked was just a consistent baseball fanbase,” he said. “We’d always go to these hostile environments with packed houses and they were just rooting for their team. I think it would be really cool to experience a place like Clemson where baseball is so big with so many fans and they’re all cheering for you, not against you.”

During his freshman season in Ann Arbor, Weiss was the closer. In the following season, Michigan dealt with the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, while Weiss didn’t pitch as he dealt with a minor injury. During his junior season, Weiss returned to the closer role. This past year, he was more of a long reliever, but also had some save opportunities as well.

Weiss posted a 3.67 earned run average in three full seasons at Michigan. He went 3-2 with a 5.29 ERA in 22 relief appearances this season. Weiss allowed 27 hits and struck out 37 in 34 innings with opponents batting .227 against him.

Weiss has a lot of confidence in his slider, which he referred to as his “go-to pitch.” He also has a good fastball mix and an occasional changeup — a pitch he’s still working to perfect.

What can Clemson fans expect out of him once he arrives in Tiger Town?

“They can expect a good teammate that’s gonna be loud in the dugout supporting all his teammates,” Weiss said. “And, someone who’s gonna give it his all every time I toe the rubber. I just try to compete as hard as I can; me versus you. I just go out there and give it my all for my teammates and, hopefully, give us a good chance to win. You’ll also see some goggles, some specs on the mound.”

Weiss was named the No.19 overall MLB draft prospect in the Big Ten Conference by d1baseball.com.  

The draft has always been Weiss’ dream. Ever since he was a kid, he’s wanted to play pro baseball. He’s just waiting to see what happens with the draft, but he views it as a win-win either way.

“I’m just looking forward to whatever happens,” he said.

Regardless, Weiss is ready to play for a winner again. Bakich has already talked about “reloading” rather than “rebuilding” at Clemson and part of that reloading is adding players like Weiss to the roster.

“Like I said before, Coach Bakich is a winner,” Weiss added. “He will maximize the potential out of every one of his players and his main question for every year is ‘Did the team reach its max potential?’ He’s just really good about player development, working 1-on-1 with kids and just making sure every player reaches their potential and gets into a role that helps the team win. Every role on a team is important, no matter what it is. I completely agree with him. Right when he steps in, I believe we will win. He’s just a winner.”

Photo courtesy of Bruce Thorson/USA Today Sports

No fanbase is more passionate about winning. Clemson fans and businesses have always stepped up to provide what is needed for the Tigers to compete with the best. The college landscape has changed with name, image and likeness. Dear Old Clemson will do things the ‘Clemson way’ to support a grassroots effort to help the best fanbase in the nation meet this new challenge. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

 

Twitter reacts: Clemson baseball hires Erik Bakich as new head coach

Check out how Twitter reacted to Clemson hiring Michigan’s Erik Bakich as the Tigers’ 28th baseball head coach in program history.

After missing the NCAA Tournament for consecutive seasons for the first time since 1986, Clemson baseball has hired a new head coach in Erik Bakich.

Although the media had broken the news days before it was official, Clemson’s Board of Trustees Compensation Committee officially approved a six-year contract with Bakich on Thursday that will pay Bakich $850,000 in the first year and will progressively increase by $50,000 until the salary reaches $1.1 million in year six.

Spending the last 10 seasons as Michigan’s head coach Bakich was the runner-up in the 2019 College World Series and led the Wolverines to five of the last seven NCAA Tournaments. Although he had success at Michigan, his coaching career began in Clemson in 2002 when he was a volunteer assistant for Jack Leggett.

Athletic director Graham Neff said during the hiring process that he viewed Clemson baseball as a top-15 job in the nation. Still, despite Neff’s expectations and the program’s past successes, Bakich isn’t shying away from what he expects from himself and his new team.

“I see that as a great challenge,” Bakich said. “I look at 2010; that program was in Omaha. Coach Lee’s first three years, we were hosting regionals. I just don’t see any reason why Clemson baseball can’t compete for national championships, trips to Omaha, ACC Championships and host the postseason right here at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.”

With Clemson letting go of Monte Lee in May, Bakich will serve as the Tigers’ 28th baseball head coach with the hope of winning the program’s first national championship.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the hire.

Report: Erik Bakich departing for ACC program

Huge bummer.

Michigan baseball has been the one northern team to shirk mediocre expectations.

Northern college baseball exists, but it doesn’t come close to the same stratosphere as southern schools. The Wolverines had become an exception, in large part (or in complete part) due to manager Erik Bakich.

Unfortunately, his time in Ann Arbor appears to be coming to an end, as the coach since 2013 is heading to Clemson, according to Maize and Blue Review’s Brandon Justice.

Michigan head coach Erik Bakich is leaving for Clemson, multiple sources confirm to Maize & Blue Review.

Off the heels of a Big Ten Tournament title and regional final finish, Bakich leaves nine years after being hired away from Maryland.

Bakich’s contract information includes an annual salary of $1 million-plus, according to multiple sources.

The maize and blue under Bakich were a game away from winning the College World Series in 2019. The Wolverines nearly got out of the Louisville regional in 2022 to advance to Omaha, but a controversial call in favor of the Cardinals sent hometown Louisville in the rubber match.

Michigan baseball did win the Big Ten Tournament, joining the other three major sports to win the conference in a calendar year.

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Oregon Ducks fall to Michigan Wolverines, 8-6, in regional

The Oregon Ducks lost their first game in the Louisville regional, 8-6, to the Michigan Wolverines on Friday.

The Oregon Ducks poor end to the regular season has continued into the first round of the NCAA baseball regionals, as the team fell to the Michigan Wolverines, 8-6, on Friday afternoon.

The loss doesn’t eliminate Oregon from contention, as baseball operates in a double-elimination, round robin style tournament. The Ducks now face Southeast Missouri State in an elimination matchup, with first pitch at 9:00 AM PT on Saturday morning.

Oregon did all their damage in the middle innings, tacking on two runs in the fourth, one in each the fifth and sixth, and two more in the seventh to tie the game at six apiece.

However, Michigan third baseman Matt Frey hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning, giving the Wolverines a two-run lead which they would never relinquish.

Oregon now faces an even tougher path to get through the regional and into a super regional, which would be the second in school history if they are able to advance.

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WATCH: Dual-sport Michigan player takes it to Ohio State — again

Stacking up Ws against that team in Columbus! #GoBlue

Beating Ohio State once in football is cool, but you know what else is cool? Beating the Buckeyes a few more times — you know, for good measure.

Michigan baseball is looking to complete a three-game series sweep against arch-rival OSU, and one Wolverine has had a chance to be a part of both the football and baseball rivalry. Joey Velazquez is a linebacker on the gridiron (but mostly got his run on special teams this past season), but he’s also a bench player on the diamond. As the maize and blue found themselves tied in the seventh inning, Velazquez came up to bat and drove in the leading run.

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For someone who hails from Columbus, Ohio and was previously committed to Ohio State for baseball, having the football win along with the baseball victories has to feel pretty good for Velazquez. The latter especially, not only because it’s against his hometown school and rival, but because he took time away from baseball during spring football, devoting the entire session to the winningest program in college.

At the time of this writing, the game is still ongoing, but the Wolverines have a 5-3 lead over the Buckeyes in the bottom of the eighth.

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