No. 23 Wolverines to Host UIC Flames in Home Opener

March 22, 2016

Baseball

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After playing 17 games on the road in four different states to open the 2016 season, the No. 23-ranked University of Michigan baseball program will host the visiting UIC Flames in a four-game series for the Wolverines' home opener beginning on Friday (March 25, 4 p.m.). Prior to this series, the Wolverines traveled more than 18,400 miles in the first five weeks of play.

Flames Scouting Report
UIC currently boasts a 9-10 overall record, despite having wins over Northwestern and Missouri. The Flames come into this contest on a two-game win streak and will face Notre Dame on Tuesday night in South Bend, Indiana. UIC finished the 2015 season with a 29-22-1 overall record, finishing atop the Horizon League conference with a 22-8 record. Sophomore David Cronin currently leads the Flames offensively with a .338 batting average in 19 games played. In 80 at-bats, the sophomore has tallied 14 runs on 27 hits and 11 walks. He also leads everyday starters with a .424 on-base percentage and is slugging at a .500 clip with three homers and four doubles. He was a Horizon League All-Freshman Team selection last year.

History against UIC
The Cowboys and the Wolverines met for the first time during the 2001 campaign when Michigan dropped an 8-2 contest to the Flames on March 17, and the teams last met during the 2015 season when the Flames took home a 7-0 victory in early May. Prior to last year's loss, Michigan had defeated UIC three straight times, with a two-game sweep in 2005 and a victory in 2014. In the teams' most-recent meeting, the Wolverines recorded five hits in total, of which senior Jackson Glines picked up two.

We're Coming Home
With 17 completed contests in the books for the 2016 campaign, Michigan will host UIC in the Wolverines' first home-stand of this season. Michigan has a history of excellence when playing at home, garnering a 15-7 record at Ray Fisher Stadium just last year. Prior to this series, Michigan played nine different teams in four different states to start the year. The Wolverines have already logged 18,454 miles of travel this year, with the 2016 season starting just five short weeks ago. Here is a breakdown of the team's non-conference travel schedule:

Itinerary (Miles)
Ann Arbor to Port St. Lucie, Fla. (1,261)
Port St. Lucie to Ann Arbor (1,261)

Ann Arbor to Santa Clara, Calif. (2,388)
Santa Clara to San Luis Obispo (191)
San Luis Obispo to Santa Clara (191)
Santa Clara to Berkeley (48)
Berkeley to San Jose (46)
San Jose to Davis (64)
Davis to Ann Arbor (2,284)

Ann Arbor to Honolulu, Hawaii (4,388)
Honolulu to Ann Arbor (4,388)

Ann Arbor to Stillwater, Okla. (972)
Stillwater to Ann Arbor (972)
Total (18,454)

Nationally Recognized Pitching
Despite a tough weekend, Michigan's pitching staff still ranks among the top programs in the nation. The Maize and Blue pitching staff has allowed just 88 hits on the season and is the top team in the nation for hits allowed per nine innings. The Wolverines also rank third in the country in strikeouts per nine innings with 169 strikeouts on the year. In addition, the team's 2.33 ERA ranks ninth in the nation and second in the Big Ten Conference just behind Michigan State (2.28).

Offensive Threats
With the first 17 games of the season in the books, sophomore Jake Bivens is leading the way for Michigan offensively, boasting a .389 batting average through 17 games. The infielder has a team-high 28 hits on the year and owns a .436 on-base percentage while also leading Michigan from his third base position. Junior catcher Harrison Wenson is also making huge contributions at the plate with a .386 batting average and a team-leading .596 slugging percentage at 16 RBI. Additionally, senior outfielder Cody Bruder sits at third on the team with a .353 batting average and a healthy 15 RBI, while freshman Ako Thomas leads the team and the Big Ten Conference with six sacrifice bunts.

Still in the Rankings
Despite a 1-2 weekend at highly ranked Oklahoma State, Michigan is still garnering votes in the weekly polls with its impressive 12-5 record and two wins over top-25 programs (No. 10 California, No. 22 Oklahoma State). The Wolverines currently rank the highest at No. 23 in the Baseball America and are also in the top-25 in the Perfect game Poll at No. 25. Finally, Michigan is ranked the No. 26-best program in the country by the Collegiate Baseball News Poll.

History in the Making
In celebrating Michigan's 150 years of athletics, the baseball team is Michigan's oldest team on campus, and the squad continues to make history. A victory in the first game of the series marked Michigan's first season-opening win since 2010, and the team's 5-0 start marked the best program start since 2009. In addition, the second game of the season opening series mark head coach Erik Bakich's 100th win donning the maize and blue.

2015 Success
Michigan came into the season hot off its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2008 and a 39-25 record in 2015. The Wolverines returned 19 letterwinners, four position starters, 12 of 16 pitchers total and five of seven starting pitchers. Before the start of the season, the squad was selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2016 Big Ten Conference title by a poll of the league's coaches.

Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn

University of Michigan Athletics

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