Michigan Heads to Nebraska with Eye on Regular-Season Title

» Michigan holds a 1.5-game lead over Indiana (14-7) atop the Big Ten standings and a 2.5-game lead over this week's opponent Nebraska, as well as Illinois and Minnesota who are all 13-8.
» Michigan can finish the regular season anywhere from first to fifth place.
» Michigan is ranked seventh nationally in ERA.

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team (37-14, 15-5 Big Ten) will wrap up the regular season this weekend (May 16-18) with a pivotal three-game Big Ten Conference series at Nebraska (26-19, 3-8 Big Ten). The series opener on Friday (May 16) will begin at 7:30 p.m. CDT from Hawks Field. Due to expected inclement weather on Saturday (May 18), the series will end Friday (May 17) with a doubleheader. Game one will begin at 3 p.m. CDT with the game two scheduled to get underway at 8 p.m. CDT.

• Michigan and Nebraska will face each other this weekend for the first time since the 2016 season, when the Wolverines swept the Huskers at home in three games. Michigan trails Nebraska in the all-time series, 11-10.

• Michigan (15-5) holds a 1.5-game lead over Indiana (14-7) atop the Big Ten standings and is 2.5 games ahead of Nebraska, Illinois and Minnesota, which are all 13-8. The Wolverines can finish the regular season anywhere from first to fifth place in the Big Ten.

• Thanks to a win over Indiana in the series finale on Sunday (May 12), Michigan remains atop the Big Ten Conference with a 15-5 record and is just ahead of Indiana (14-7) in the standings. The Big Ten regular-season title will come down to the last weekend, as the first-place Wolverines travel to Nebraska and the second-place Hoosiers host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Michigan was picked by the league's coaches to finish second in the Big Ten this season.

• A loss to Indiana on May 10 snapped Michigan's 13-game win streak, which ranked longest in the NCAA at the time. The streak included victories over Ohio State, Bowling Green, Michigan State and Eastern Michigan, as well as series sweeps of Northwestern, Rutgers, and Maryland. The Wolverines made history during the 2018 campaign with a 20-game win streak through March and April, which marked the third-longest win streak in program history.

• Michigan wrapped up the home portion of its season last weekend with a 22-4 record when playing inside the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. The Wolverines dropped the first two games of their final home series May 11-12, but ended the weekend with a thrilling 11-inning 6-5 victory over Indiana on Senior Day (May 12).

• Michigan's offense leads the Big Ten in batting average (.289), on-base percentage (.388), slugging percentage (.464), total hits (499), walks (252), doubles (115), stolen bases (80) and sacrifice flies (30).

• Four Wolverines are batting above .300, including junior Jordan Brewer (.361), sophomore Jordan Nwogu (.350), senior Blake Nelson (.318), and sophomore Jack Blomgren (.314). Brewer leads the Big Ten in batting average and slugging percentage (.656), while Nwogu ranks first in on-base percentage (.475). Sophomore Jesse Franklin also leads the conference with 39 walks.

• The Wolverines' 3.25 earned-run average leads the Big Ten Conference and ranks seventh best in the nation. The pitching staff also has combined for a conference-best seven shutout victories, which ranks tied for fourth most in the country.

• Michigan dropped out of numerous polls this week after suffering two losses at the hands of Indiana last weekend, but are still ranked No. 22 by Collegiate Baseball News, tied-for No. 27 by the NCBWA, and are receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Wolverines have been ranked or receiving votes in the national polls each week dating back to the preseason rankings.

• With eight strikeouts in Saturday's (May 11) game against Indiana, junior lefty Tommy Henry surpassed Zach Putnam (87), Jim Brauer (86), Steve Ontiveros (85) and Fritz Fisher (84) in the Michigan record book and now ranks 10th all-time with 90 strikeouts in a single season. Henry also ranks 11th in program history with 206 career Ks.

• Junior-college transfer Jordan Brewer's 32-game streak of reaching base came to an end against Michigan State on May 7 when he failed to reach base via hit, walk or hit by pitch. The outfielder knocked in a run and scored one of his own when he reached first base by way of a fielder's choice in both the seventh and eighth innings. Brewer jump-started a new streak the following day (May 8) with three hits in a 10-1 rout of Eastern Michigan.

• Sophomore Jesse Franklin knocked his team-leading 12th homer of the season against Michigan State on May 7 with a bomb over the right-field wall in the third inning. With 22 career home runs in just his sophomore season, Franklin ranks tied for 15th all-time at Michigan.

• With a save in a win at Maryland (May 3), freshman righty Willie Weiss clinched his ninth save of the year and now ranks third all-time for saves in a single season. Set in 2014 by Tampa Bay Rays prospect Jacob Cronenworth and tied in 2017 by Jackson Lamb, Michigan's all-time record for saves in a single season is 12.

• Junior right-handed pitcher Karl Kauffmann earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors to close out the month of April following eight shutout innings in a win against Rutgers on April 26. Kauffmann allowed just two hits and a walk, while striking out five batters in his first Friday start of the season.