Michigan
42-18
Creighton
38-12
Michigan's Power, Kauffmann's Gem Lead to Shutout Win Over No. 22 Creighton
5/31/2019 8:09:00 PM | Baseball
» Michigan hit three home runs against Big East Pitcher of the Year Mitch Ragan.
» Karl Kauffmann did not allow a runner past first base and struck out seven.
» Christan Bullock and Jordan Nwogu homered and had two hits.
Site: Corvallis, Ore. (Goss Stadium at Coleman Field)
Score: Michigan 6, #22 Creighton 0
Records: U-M (42-18), Creighton (38-12)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, June 1 -- vs. Cincinnati (Corvallis, Ore.), 7 p.m. PDT
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The No. 2 seed University of Michigan baseball team connected for three home runs and starting pitcher Karl Kauffmann delivered a gem as the Wolverines powered past No. 22-ranked Creighton Blue Jays, 6-0, in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament Corvallis Regional on Friday afternoon (May 31) at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
Michigan (42-18) advances to the winner's bracket and will face Cincinnati in a 7 p.m. PDT game on Saturday (June 1).
Christan Bullock started the scoring in loud fashion. Following a Miles Lewis single in the second inning, Bullock smashed the first pitch he saw from Creighton's Mitch Ragan out of the stadium for a 2-0 Wolverine lead.
Michigan's calling card, its ultra-aggressive baserunning, paid dividends in the third inning. Ako Thomas singled to lead off and advanced to second on a walk to Jordan Nwogu. Thomas surprised Creighton on a shallow fly ball to center when he tagged up and scampered to third base, and one batter later, scored on a Jack Blomgren sacrifice fly to center for a 3-0 lead.
Nwogu then made it a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning when he made contact with the first pitch he saw from Ragan, an 87-mph fastball, high over the right-field wall for a solo home run.
It was another solo home run that gave Michigan a 5-0 lead in the sixth when captain Jimmy Kerr smashed a 2-1 fastball high and deep over the right-field wall. Michigan's third homer of the game marked the first time Ragan -- the Big East Pitcher of the Year -- had allowed multiple homers in a game.
In the seventh it was Blomgren delivering again as the shortstop took a two-out, full-count fastball right back through the box to score Nwogu (single) for a 6-0 lead.Â
Michigan starter Kauffmann (9-6) ground his way through 8.2 innings and only got stronger as the game wore on. Creighton had a baserunner in each of the first six inning, but Kauffmann never allowed a runner to reach second base, striking out seven and scattering six singles. He got the first two outs in the ninth inning but allowed a two-out single and was removed for precautionary reasons. Jack Weisenburger finished the game with a six-pitch strikeout to end it.
The shutout win was the ninth in Michigan NCAA Tournament history, with the last coming on May 22, 1987, against Rider.
Bullock and Nwogu collected two hits while Blomgren had two RBI to lead U-M's 10-hit attack.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kauffmann, Karl (9-6)
L: Mitch Ragan (8-3)
Batting:
2B: Bullock, Christan 1
HR: Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Kerr, Jimmy 1 ; Bullock, Christan 1
RBI: Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Blomgren, Jack 2 ; Kerr, Jimmy 1 ; Bullock, Christan 2
SF: Blomgren, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nwogu, Jordan 2 ; Kerr, Jimmy 1 ; Lewis, Miles 1 ; Bullock, Christan 1 ; Thomas, Ako 1
HBP: Donovan, Joe 1
Base Running:
CS: Parker Upton 1
