Wolverines to Continue Spring Break Trip Against Dirtbags, Anteaters

» Nationally ranked Michigan continues its eight-game, 10-day trip to California with a pair of midweek games.
» Michigan (8-1) was among the last undefeated teams before losing at CSUN on Sunday.
» Left-handed pitcher Tommy Henry has yet to allow a run in 23.0 innings of work this season.

NEXT GAMES
Tuesday, March 5 -- at Long Beach State (Long Beach, Calif.), 1 p.m. PST
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Wednesday, March 6 -- at UC Irvine (Irvine, Calif.), 6 p.m. PST
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan baseball team (8-1) continues its annual spring break trip to California this week with a pair of midweek games before participating in the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic (March 8-10).

Michigan will play at perennial baseball power Long Beach State on Tuesday (March 5) at 1 p.m. PST (note new time) before heading to UC Irvine for a 6 p.m. PST game Wednesday (March 6).

• Michigan began its West Coast swing with a three-game series at Cal State Northridge (March 1-3), where the Wolverines went 2-1 and suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday (March 3) in the second game of a doubleheader. Senior Ako Thomas led the offense on the weekend with a .300 batting average, a .700 slugging percentage, and his first career home run.

• Tuesday's contest at Long Beach State will mark the fourth meeting between the Wolverines and the Dirtbags. The teams met for a three-game set in 2015, with Long Beach State taking the first two games before Michigan won the last game by a 5-3 score. The Dirtbags last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2016 with an at-large bid but ultimately fell in the regional final.

• Michigan and UC Irvine have met just once before in program history, with the Wolverines taking home a 4-2 win back in 2002. The Anteaters' last appearance in the NCAA Tournament came in 2014, when they were eliminated in the second round of the College World Series.

• Junior left-handed pitcher Tommy Henry earned his second consecutive Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award following eight shutout innings in a win at Cal State Northridge last Friday (March 1). Henry threw another efficient game, using 90 pitches to strike out 12 batters against just three hits and a walk. Through his three starts, Henry has not allowed a run while striking out 34 batters against just 10 hits in 23.0 innings. His 34 strikeouts rank second in the NCAA.

• Michigan is ranked 16th by D1Baseball.com, 18th by Baseball America, 19th by the NCBWA, and 19th by Perfect Game. Additionally, the Wolverines dropped one spot in the Collegiate Baseball News poll this week to 26th. Michigan is the only Big Ten Conference team to appear in all of the national polls.

• The Wolverine pitching staff has allowed just 18 runs this season while holding opponents to a .171 batting average and combining for 98 strikeouts over 80 innings pitched. Michigan's starting pitching has been dominant, throwing 60.2 innings with 74 strikeouts against 35 hits (.165 avg.), 14 walks and four earned runs (0.89 ERA).

Early Season Travels

During the first four weeks of the season the Wolverines will have games against eight different teams in three different states and log 8,780 miles before playing at home for the first time. Here is a complete breakdown of the team's travel schedule during the first four weeks of the season:

Ann Arbor to Port St. Lucie, Fla. (1,261 miles)
Port St. Lucie to Ann Arbor (1,261)
Ann Arbor to Charleston, S.C. (820)
Charleston to Ann Arbor (820)
Ann Arbor to Northridge, Calif. (2,260)
Northridge to Long Beach, Calif. (46)
Long Beach to Irvine, Calif. (30)
Irvine to Los Angeles, Calif. (43)
Los Angeles to Ann Arbor (2,239)
Total (8,780)

Up Next: Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic

Friday, March 8 -- at #2 UCLA (Los Angeles, Calif.), 6 p.m. PST
Saturday, March 9 -- at USC (Los Angeles, Calif.), 6 p.m. PST
Sunday, March 10 -- vs. Oklahoma State at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.), 10:30 a.m. PDT » Tickets