Michigan Picked to Finish First in Big Ten Preseason Poll
2/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The University of Michigan baseball team has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2016 Big Ten Conference title by a poll of the league coaches, it was announced Wednesday (Feb. 10). The selection comes after Michigan has appeared in multiple preseason national top-25 rankings and just before the Wolverines are set to kick off the 2016 season with a 19-game road swing.
Michigan, which celebrates 150 years of baseball tradition this season, was picked to win the conference by the 13 Big Ten head coaches. The Wolverines are followed by Maryland, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan State in the poll, which lists the top six vote-getters.
In addition, the Big Ten features three Players to Watch from each team. Senior LHP Evan Hill, junior LHP Brett Adcock, and junior LHP/UT Carmen Benedetti represent Michigan on the list.
Led by head coach Erik Bakich, the Wolverines finished the 2015 campaign tied for third place overall in the Big Ten and went on to defeat top conference finishers Illinois and Maryland to clinch the 2015 Big Ten Tournament title.
Michigan is coming into the season hot off its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2008 and a 39-25 record in 2015. The Wolverines return 19 letterwinners, four position starters, 12 of 16 pitchers total and five of seven starting pitchers.
Senior lefty pitcher Hill appeared in just 11 contests in 2015 but struck out 37 batters in 38 innings of work. After missing the first two months of the season due to injury, Hill started the Big Ten Tournament game against Illinois, striking out four and allowing just one earned run. He also was credited with the victory after allowing just one run and striking out six in 6.2 innings in an NCAA Tournament game against Bradley.
Junior lefty hurler Adcock posted a 10-4 record last season with a 3.10 earned run average in 17 starts. He led the Wolverines in strikeouts with 95 K's over 90 innings and finished the season tied for the most starts in the Big Ten. After garnering a selection to the All-Big Ten third team and All-Big Ten Tournament teams, Adcock was named to the ABCA All-Mideast Region second team.
Benedetti, a lefty pitcher/utility player, led the Wolverines and the Big Ten in doubles (25) and runs batted in (71) last season, earning selections to the All-Big Ten first team and the All-NCAA Louisville Regional team. In his first season on the mound, he tallied a 1.84 ERA in 18 appearances. So far throughout the 2016 preseason, Benedetti has garnered three preseason All-America honors and been named to two college top-100 draft prospects lists.
The Wolverines will open the 2016 season on Friday, Feb. 19, against Canisius in Port St. Lucie, Florida. First pitch at Tradition Field in the New York Mets Spring Training facility is set for 2 p.m.
Big Ten Baseball Preseason Poll (top six teams)
1. Michigan
2. Maryland
3. Indiana
4. Iowa
5. Illinois
6. Michigan State
Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn
