Michigan Opens Up 2016 with Victory over Canisius

Friday, February 19

Port St. Lucie, Fla.

2:00 PM

Michigan

1-0

Canisius

0-1

Canisius

Michigan

2/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 19, 2016

Brett Adcock

» The 9-0 victory is Michigan's first season-opening win since 2010.
» LHP Brett Adcock earned the win with seven strikeouts and just three hits in 5.1 innings.
» Every batter recorded an RBI or scored a run in the outing.

• Box Score

Site: Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Tradition Field)
Score: #15 Michigan 9, Canisius 0
Records: U-M (1-0), Canisius (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 20 -- vs. Canisius - doubleheader (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), 11 a.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team took an early 4-0 lead against Canisius in the 2016 season opener on Friday (Feb. 19) and never looked back, cruising to a 9-0 victory for the program's first season-opening win since 2010. Junior LHP Brett Adcock was awarded the win in the opener, while sophomore Drew Lugbauer and senior Cody Bruder led Michigan with two runs batted in apiece at Tradition Field.

Adcock got the nod in the first contest of the four-game series, tossing 5.1 innings and striking out seven while allowing just three hits. Though Canisius fought hard to score off the lefty starter, Adcock stranded six runners in the outing.

In the top of sixth, sophomore righty Jayce Vancena took the mound in relief, going on to toss 1.2 innings and allowing no runs on no hits. He struck out one, and was relieved by freshman Troy Miller, who closed out the game and allowed just one hit in his collegiate debut.

With the pitching staff earning a shutout win, the offense came easy for Michigan, which tallied 12 hits and eight walks on the day.

It was sophomore Jake Bivens who ignited the spark early in the contest, sending a single through the right side as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the first. An infield single off the bat of senior Matt Ramsay then gave Michigan two baserunners, and one out later, the pair advanced on a double steal to get into scoring position. The following walk to sophomore Drew Lugbauer loaded the bases, and an RBI single from Bruder pushed Bivens and Ramsay across the plate for a 2-0 lead.

With Bruder and Lugbauer on first and second, junior Johnny Slater doubled to right-centerfield, scoring Lugbauer and pushing Bruder to third. Junior Harrison Wenson then sent a sacrifice fly into centerfield, and the rally ended with a 4-0 lead in favor of the Maize and Blue.

From there, the Wolverine bats remained fairly quiet until the bottom of the six, when three consecutive walks loaded the bases with no outs early on. A passed ball finally allowed Michigan to score, and the following RBI hits from Carmen Benedetti and Lugbauer scored two more. Benedetti later took home on a wild pitch, and despite just two hits in the inning, the damage was done as Michigan took an eight-run lead.

With the Canisius bats still silent, Michigan tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth inning, when an RBI single from Lugbauer pushed Bivens across the plate and push the Wolverines ahead, 9-0.

The visiting Golden Griffins put a runner on base in the top of the ninth, but Michigan took home the 9-0 victory for the program's first season-opening win since 2010.

Michigan will continue the four-game series tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 20) with a doubleheader against Canisius. First pitch of game one is set for 11 a.m., with game two scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.

Tweet of the Game

It's finally here.

First pitch of 2016 at 2:00 p.m. here in Port. St. Lucie. #GoBlue #Team150 pic.twitter.com/n9wJxazrpK

-- Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) February 19, 2016