Engelmann Discusses Why Baseball Has Been So Much More Than a Game
5/22/2018 5:00:00 PM | Baseball, Features
• Seven Wolverines Earn Nine Total All-Big Ten Honors
• Maize & Blue to Face Iowa in B1G Tournament Opener
By Steve Kornacki
Junior Jonathan Engelmann calls baseball a "beautiful thing" and often mentions just how "blessed" he is to play center field for the University of Michigan. The game has meant so much in his life -- providing a safe harbor from bullying, motivation to make healthy life changes, a route to college and, quite likely, a professional career.
Engelmann recalled having an epiphany in his early teenage years:
"I was overweight and I remember looking at a family photo and saying, 'Man, I've got to change something.' My aspirations to be a baseball player weren't going in the right direction if I stayed that way. So, I put myself on a regimen where I would run every day and work out and eat the right things. And that also benefited the process of becoming the best baseball player I could. I went from a right fielder batting ninth who played four innings a game because of Little League participation rules to focusing on my speed in stealing bases and becoming more of an athletic defender.
"My parents were huge in their involvement of supporting me and always being there for me. It wasn't an easy time to go through. I wasn't a very social teen. I did experience some harassment and bullying, and it was difficult because I didn't have many friends to share that with. Baseball became such an outlet for me to find a distraction from that. I utilized that frustration and channeled it in a direction that was productive."
The transformation he underwent from that day forward, at age 14, was remarkable.
Engelmann batted .462 as a senior at Burlingame (Calif.) High, earning All-State first team honors. The Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 28th round, but he turned down an attractive signing bonus to accept a scholarship from Wolverines head coach Erik Bakich, entering the program as one of Baseball America's Top 50 Freshmen Prospects.
He started some as a freshman and became a full-time starter in the outfield as a sophomore, but really exploded in the lineup as a junior and was named first team All-Big Ten on Tuesday (May 22).
Engelmann's batting average rose 100 points from .259 to .359, and his slugging percentage went up nearly 200 points from .339 to .530. Homers went from two to six, RBI from 30 to 43 and steals from 11 to 21.
"The power numbers -- the ones that have to do with driving guys in -- mean the most to me," said Engelmann. "The RBIs and extra-base hits are really what the coaching staff and I have worked on so much. Being a guy in the middle of the lineup, I was expected to drive guys in when they get on. And I'm lucky enough to be on a team where a lot of guys are getting on base to grant that possibility.
"So, to be able to level out my swing through consistent preparation with the coaches and even my teammates, it's been a real blessing."
Recent weight room dedication paid big dividends, as Engelmann added "12 pounds of muscle" to his present 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame.
"I worked in the weight room every day before games in summer ball and invested a lot of time in the weight room to come back (this year) feeling my best physically," said Engelmann. "I continued lifting here at our outstanding facilities with (strength and conditioning coach) Jason Cole and began to understand the importance of investing time in the weight room as well as on the field.
"You see the fruits of your labor show up on the field in both."
Engelmann said he has tried to "be a sponge," soaking up all he can from Bakich.
"He's had an immense impact on me," said Engelmann. "I decided to forego the pro route and pursue my degree and play baseball at Michigan. It was definitely an attractive option to play professionally. But back then, I didn't even understand the importance of going to school at a school like Michigan, representing the Block M and being a part of this team. It's probably the best decision I've ever made. He's an outstanding coach, and the amount of buy-in and time he invests in his players is unparalleled.
"It's incredible to be around a guy so driven. Not only is he a great coach, but a father figure to each of us. You can come to him with anything that's going on in your life, and he's always going to figure out a way to improve or ameliorate what you're going through. He always says he's in the confidence-building business, and he does an outstanding job of that."
Engelmann also has proven durable as the only Wolverine to not only play in all 51 games, but start each one. He leads the team in hits (71), runs (43) and steals (21) headed into Wednesday's Big Ten Tournament opener against Iowa in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Wolverines (32-19) finished third in the conference at 15-8, and Engelmann said they are primed for another upward climb in a rollercoaster season. Michigan started 4-11, won 20 consecutive games (third-longest streak in program history) and then went 8-8 to finish the regular season.
"This is a team that's been at the very bottom," Engelmann said. "If we can come up from that and rattle off 20 straight, if you can have that experience with a young team that wants it, that's a dangerous mix. So, we've just got to find our stride here, and I know we will."
Engelmann is certain to once again be drafted by a major league team next month, and the game he embraced while living through bullying as an overweight teen continues being good to him in so many ways.
"My mom and dad kind of rallied around baseball as that outlet to provide something for me that I could enjoy," said Engelmann, "and put me in an environment that cultivates healthy relationships on a team with a common goal. It's easier to make friends that way."
His father, Tim, is a psychologist and his mother, Kim, is a pastor at West Valley Presbyterian Church in Cupertino, California. Their professional skills tied directly into the life skills Jonathan, who has an older sister and brother, learned.
"Absolutely," he said. "I always said as a joke that if I ever hid anything at home, my dad will do the psychoanalysis. And then, if I get through him somehow, my mom would put the Bible in me."
Engelmann chuckled and paused.
"But that brings up my faith," he said, "and both of my parents are incredible people who walk with God. My dad puts God first, and going to church each Sunday morning a couple hours early with my mom was one of the highlights of my childhood. My grandfather (James Loder, Jr.) also was a pastor. He was a professor at Princeton (Theological) Seminary."
His mother also received her master's degree in divinity at Princeton before earning a doctorate degree in divinity at Boston University and has authored several books. His father was trained at the Harvard Medical School, received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology, and is the founder and president of Christian Recovery and Renewal Center, a non-profit organization.
Jonathan recalled having his father purchase a Nike running parachute to train with. Their family home in San Mateo is on a hill, and he would sprint up the hill to the house, over and over again.
"When I'm training hard now," said Jonathan, "I always think back to those hill sprints."
Those grueling runs established the pain threshold for all ambitious workouts.
"Doing that really enabled me to make the transformation that I've made," said Engelmann.
Becoming part of the NorCal Baseball Club, coached by former major leaguer Stu Pederson, the father of current Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, also was critical to his development. NorCal has produced 46 major league players such as Jimmy Rollins, Dontrelle Willis, Troy Tulowitzki and Brandon Crawford.
"Coach Pederson was the one who taught me how to hit," said Engelmann, "and I would go to their backyard once or twice a week to hit. Every so often, Joc would be there. Being around him opened up a new realm of baseball and understanding of the game. And they just have an outstanding family. They were a huge motivating factor for me to continue going and improving on my game.
"I couldn't have asked for a better mentor than Stu. I'm forever indebted to him."
Engelmann has developed into a true five-tool player by hitting for average while also displaying power, speed, quality defense and a standout arm.
He caught a fly ball in deep center against Eastern Michigan, did a crow hop and fired a perfect, one-hop strike to third base to nail Alex Wolanski attempting to tag from second. Wolanski walked toward the dugout in disbelief, and Engelmann was mobbed by his teammates upon jogging back to the dugout.
When that play was recalled for Engelmann, he chuckled and credited Bakich, who coaches the outfielders, and his teammates on the crisp relay play.
"I'm so blessed to play center field at the University of Michigan," he said. "I thank God every day. I have all that room to roam around, run down fly balls and throw guys out. It's just an extreme pleasure.
"Baseball is just one of those games where it is a life of its own. You meet so many people through it, and you want to stay in the game for as long as you can. It's a beautiful thing."
