Michigan Travels to Texas for Games with No. 19 Texas Tech, Stetson

» Michigan will play three games against No. 19 Texas Tech and a single game vs. Stetson.
» Michigan is ranked No. 24 by D1Baseball.com.
» Jordan Brewer has connected for four home runs in his last four games.

NEXT GAMES
Thursday, March 21 -- at No. 19 Texas Tech (Lubbock, Texas), 6:30 PM CDT
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Friday, March 22 -- at No. 19 Texas Tech (Lubbock, Texas), 6:30 PM CDT -- Update (3/22/2019): moved to 4 p.m. CDT
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Saturday, March 23 -- at No. 19 Texas Tech (Lubbock, Texas), 2 PM CDT
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Saturday, March 23 – vs. Stetson (Lubbock, Texas), 6:30 PM CDT
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• Complete Game Notes (PDF)
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Following a five-game homestand, the No. 24-ranked University of Michigan baseball team will hit the road again this weekend for four games in Lubbock, Texas. Michigan will first face No. 19-ranked Texas Tech in a three-game series beginning on Thursday (March 21). After the conclusion of the series finale with the Red Raiders on Saturday (March 24), the Wolverines will take on Stetson in a neutral-site contest on Saturday night.

• The Wolverines (14-4) are on a five-game win streak after sweeping Manhattan last weekend (March 14-17) and rallying for a 12-5 win over Western Michigan on Tuesday (March 19). The Maize and Blue offense has combined for a .366 batting average over the last five contests and has outscored opponents by 45 runs (60-15). During that same span, the Michigan pitching staff has held opponents to a .187 average and combined for a 2.51 earned-run average.

• This weekend's opponents will serve as a true test for the Wolverines, as both teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season as national seeds. Texas Tech earned an at-large bid as the No. 9 national seed, and advanced to the second round of the College World Series, while Stetson won the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament and earned the No. 11 national seed before advancing to the super regional.

• The Wolverines' trip to Texas is scheduled during Michigan's Big Ten Conference bye week, as the rest of the conference schools will open up Big Ten play this weekend (March 22).

• Backed by junior Jordan Brewer's fourth home run in four games along with four multi-hit efforts, Michigan recorded 12 hits and scored 10 unanswered runs in the middle innings en route to a 12-5 win over Western Michigan on Tuesday (March 19) at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

• Michigan has five players hitting above the .300 mark at this time, including senior Blake Nelson (.452), sophomore Jordan Nwogu (.391), junior Jordan Brewer (.368), sophomore Jack Blomgren (.339), and junior Christan Bullock (.302). Brewer leads the Wolverines with a .662 slugging percentage, 21 RBI and five homers - including four in the last four games, with nine stolen bases.

• Coming into the week, the Wolverine pitching staff owned a conference-low 2.56 earned run average through its first 17 games, which ranked eighth-lowest among Division I schools. Prior to Tuesday's contest, Michigan pitchers also had combined to allow just 6.22 hits per nine innings, which ranked fourth in the nation and led the conference. The Wolverine pitching staff also was tops among Big Ten teams with 3.21 walks allowed per nine innings (22nd in NCAA), and ranked second with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

• Offensively, Michigan leads Big Ten teams in stolen bases (27), and triples (four). The Wolverine offense also ranks in the top three among conference teams in slugging percentage, doubles, and sacrifice flyouts. Michigan's .974 fielding percentage also ranks in the top three among Big Ten teams.

• Junior ace Tommy Henry is 5-0 on the season after picking up a series-opening victory over Manhattan last Thursday (March 14) when he allowed just two hits with no walks and in a scoreless outing. The lefty ranks first among Big Ten teams and eighth in the nation with a 0.51 earned-run average through 35 innings, while also leading conference teams and ranking sixth among Division I pitchers with 49 strikeouts.

• Two more Wolverines made their career debuts this past weekend, as freshmen Jack White and Walker Cleveland made pitching appearances in Michigan's 23-2 rout of Manhattan on Friday (March 15). White threw one full inning and faced the minimum three batters, while Cleveland tossed one-third of an inning and got a groundout on just two pitches.

• The Wolverines are now ranked in five of the six national polls this week after sweeping Manhattan in convincing fashion. The Maize and Blue is ranked 22nd by the NCBWA, 23rd by Baseball America, 24th by D1Baseball.com and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, and 30th by Collegiate Baseball News. Michigan leads the Big Ten Conference teams with its five national rankings, while Illinois appeared in two polls this week and is the only other Big Ten team included.