Meet the Baseball Newcomers (Part 2)
11/9/2017 3:27:00 PM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball program and head coach Erik Bakich recently announced the incoming class for the 2017-18 academic year. The group of 15 features 13 freshman and two junior transfers, including two Michigan natives. Earning a No. 10 national ranking by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the highest ranking ever for a Big Ten recruiting class, this class promises to bring a lot of power to Team 152.
The next five student-athletes to be recognized are all infielders: juniors Blake Nelson and Matthew Schmidt as well as freshmen Jack Blomgren, Logan Pollack and Zack Semler.
The group of five includes one MLB draft pick, four Rawlings-Perfect Game selections, three players named to all-league first teams, and a district player of the year. Of the incoming infielders, three are freshmen, two are junior transfers, and all earned academic honors.
Jack Blomgren, IF
Milton, Wis. / Craig High School
Three-time letterwinner at Craig High School in Janesville, Wisconsin ... Led his team to a state championship sophomore year ... Selected second team all-state junior year ... Perfect Game Underclass honorable mention junior year ... Named to All-Big Eight Conference first team junior year ... District Player of the Year as a junior and senior ... All-Big Eight Conference and all-district first team senior year ... Rawlings-Perfect Game honorable mention All-American and all-region (Central) second team senior year ... Holds all-time school records in stolen bases, runs scored, walks and hit by pitch ... Named to honor roll senior year ... Participated in 2015 and 2016 WWBA National Championships and Kernals Midwest Championships.
Blake Nelson, IF
Normandy Park, Wash. / South Mountain Community College
Three-time letterwinner at Mt. Rainier High School in Des Moines, Washington ... All-league second team honorable mention sophomore year ... Named to all-league second team junior year ... Named first team all-league senior year ... Named to Dean's List all four years...Played two years at South Mountain Community College.
Logan Pollack, IF
Los Angeles, Calif. / Notre Dame High School
Four-time letterwinner at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California ... Named to Southern California Players to Watch list all four years ... Batted .330 sophomore year ... Led team to a Mission League title sophomore year ... Selected to Perfect Game Junior Nationals Top Prospect Team in 2015 ... Perfect Game Underclass high honorable mention sophomore and junior year ... Preseason All-American junior and senior year ... Batted .320 senior year ... Won Mission League title senior year as captain ... Rawlings-Perfect Game All-American and region (California) honorable mention senior year ... Named to Academic All-Mission League three years in a row.
Matthew Schmidt, IF
Parker, Colo. / Cypress Community College
Three-time letterwinner at Regis Jesuit in Aurora, Colorado ... Batted .409 on the way to leading his team to a conference championship as a sophomore ... Helped earn team a conference championship and took team to the state championship game as a junior while batting .385 ... Perfect Game Underclass honorable mention junior year ... Batted .330 as a team captain and led his team to its third straight conference championship senior year ... Perfect Game honorable mention All-American and all-region (West) first team senior year...Was named to the honor roll ... Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 37th round of the 2015 MLB Draft ... Played for the University of Texas for one year and was named to the Athletic Director's Honor Roll ... Played one year for Cypress Community College, where he was named to the Dean of Students' Honor Roll.
Zack Semler, IF
Bronx, N.Y. / Fieldston High School
Four-time letterwinner and starter at the Fieldston School in Bronx, New York ... All-Ivy Preparatory School League first team junior year... Dynamic National Championships MVP of 2016 ... Perfect Game Underclass honorable mention junior year ... All-Ivy Preparatory School League first team senior year ... Rawlings-Perfect Game honorable mention All-American and all-region (Northeast) first team senior year ... Participated in Perfect Game 2016 WWBA World Championship for Team Northeast ... Perfect Game WWBA National Championship all-tournament team-17U in 2016 and 15U in 2015 ... Graduated with honors.
