Brewer Discusses Whirlwind of Success This Season, Support of His Tribe
6/13/2019 12:00:00 PM | Baseball, Features
• College World Series Central
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By Steve Kornacki
OMAHA, Neb. -- Jordan Brewer was at Lincoln Trail Community College in the small, middle-of-nowhere town of Robinson, Illinois, just one short year ago. He was completely off the radar where Division I colleges and Major League Baseball were concerned.
But that all began to change when his coach, Kevin Bowers, called University of Michigan head coach Erik Bakich to put in a good word for Brewer -- who turned out being a true diamond in the rough. The five-tool right fielder became the Big Ten Player of the Year, a Baseball America third team All-American and the third-round draft pick of the Houston Astros.
And now, on Saturday (June 15), he's in the starting lineup at right field and batting third against Texas Tech in the College World Series.
"It really just all hit me," said Brewer, smiling and shaking his head. "One night, I was just sitting there before I went to bed, after we won to go to the World Series, thinking that just last year I was playing in front of 10 people.
"And now I'm getting swarmed by 10 reporters out there. I wasn't even supposed to start at the beginning of the year. It's crazy. But it's really just God's plan."
He said injuries and other situations kept three outfielders off the field including powerful Jordan Nwogu, who hurt his knee and moved to designated hitter.
Brewer continued, "So, it's just me, Jesse (Franklin) and Miles (Lewis). So, it was destiny. This was supposed to happen. I had to show what I was about. 'I can do it! I can do it!' It was in my hands and I took advantage of it, and here I am – Big Ten Player of the Year and an All-American.
"I don't even know what to say about all of this. It's absolutely insane to think of. So, it's just been unreal, a kid's dream. My dream, literally, is coming true."
Brewer displays one of the tattoos on his left arm
There's another major component to Brewer's success story that hasn't been told, but is as clear as the tattoo of a Native American chief on his left forearm.
Brewer is part of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians with tribal government functions in Dowagiac, Michigan, and said he's on a scholarship from that tribe that covers about 70 percent of his costs to attend Michigan.
"It's awesome," said Brewer. "I mean, it's an opportunity that I'm fortunate to have. It also is fortunate for my family, and it helps E.B. (Bakich) out because it gives him more scholarship money."
He explained the bloodlines from his parents, Richard and Jennifer: "I'm Pokagon-Potawatomi on my dad's side. My mom's Italian."
What does being a member of that tribe mean to him?
"I'm starting to learn more as I'm growing up," said Brewer. "I enjoy showing off my heritage, and I'm starting to get recognition for it. People are starting to reach out to me on Twitter, and it's awesome how I connect with more Native Americans now."
Brewer received a text message on behalf of Nate Neukirch, a high school sophomore in Nebraska who has autism and a heart of gold. "He is unable to talk very much but his smile says it all," wrote his friend, who went onto say Brewer was "important to him due to your sense of pride for your Native American heritage," while sharing that Nate's own deep pride in the same roots provides him strength through trials.
"They were coming to see me the Saturday we were playing at Nebraska," said Brewer, "and I'm actually tearing up. I texted my family, 'I'm actually impacting this kid.' When I met him at the game, a smile just came right out. I could see I was impacting him by just meeting him. I gave him a pair of batting gloves and it was unreal what just saying 'Hi' to someone can do. It's so awesome."
Brewer said he planned to reach out to Nate during the team's stay in Omaha for the CWS.
Omaha became the goal for the Wolverines when Bakich, who had been there as a Vanderbilt assistant, became the coach for the 2013 season.
Bakich has a "TRIPS TO OMAHA" tribute with team photos of the seven previous Michigan teams to reach college baseball's Mecca covering the wall to the right of his office desk. There's a photo of TD Ameritrade Park and "The Road to Omaha" statue out front that takes up an entire wall in the team's dining area off the locker room at Ray Fisher Stadium.
How much did it help this team to dream big from the get-go?
"You have to dream big," said Brewer. "You don't want to dream little if you want to accomplish big things. We want to go for the big fish and it's awesome. I'm still pinching myself, but we're ready. We're beyond ready.
"We're going to be a scary club. We're the underdogs. We don't have any pressure on us. We're just playing for fun. Like coach says, 'All the pressure's on them. Let's just go play.'"
Brewer predicted this team would be "scary" after a midseason game.
"I did," he said. "I told you, and I remember we were right down there (in the duguout). We were talking about heading to Omaha then, and it's really cool to see where we've come. The Wolves are hot, and we're scary."
Brewer said he played in a "Road to Omaha Tournament" with the Twin City Prospects from St. Joseph and Benton Harbor in West Michigan, when he was 15, and got to see an LSU game in the CWS.
"Now, it's insane," said Brewer. "My teammates from that team are texting me, saying, 'Now you're going to be playing on that field.' And they're coming. So, it's going to be special. And, at 15 years old, I didn't think I'd be playing in the College World Series."
Brewer -- one of the biggest reasons Michigan made it here -- is quite a success story.
He had labrum surgery as a sophomore at St. Joseph High and needed the size of the compartment in his right shoulder adjusted in Latarjet surgery as a senior.
The surgeries led Brewer to get a tattoo on his chest: "With Pain Comes Strength."
Going through Latarjet led to him not coming to Michigan out of high school as a football receiver and preferred walk-on, but it's funny how life works out.
Bakich, rather than Jim Harbaugh, ended up bringing the three-sport standout (he also was a basketball power forward) to Ann Arbor and helped re-tool his game.
Bakich and assistant coach Nick Schnabel helped convert Brewer from a slap-hitter to a true power threat. He's and he's batting a team-high .338 while sharing the home-run lead with 12 and ranking second with 55 RBI. He also credited teammates Franklin and Nwogu with "teaching me how to play outfield" as well as helping with hitting.
Brewer does it all. He made a huge catch in the second game of the NCAA Super Regional series at UCLA last weekend, robbing Garrett Mitchell with a diving effort that likely kept two runs from scoring.
"It was just a reaction and playing baseball," said Brewer. "I tipped my hat to Jeff (Criswell), who was pitching, and I said, 'I've got you out here. Let them hit it.' So, it was fun. Jeff trusts his outfield and infield, and we trust him pitching."
Jordan Brewer with the slick web ?!#RoadToOmaha | @umichbaseball pic.twitter.com/yERZwzgWNf
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 9, 2019
The Astros liked the complete package he brings, and selected him in the third round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on June 4.
"It was awesome," said Brewer "I've been dreaming of it since I was a little kid, and it finally happened. But that's on the back-burner now; we're concentrating on Texas Tech."
Brewer said playing at TD Ameritrade Park in five Big Ten Tournament games will help the Wolverines in knowing how the field plays, but the biggest thing they have going is their bond.
"You're not going to make another brotherhood like this," said Brewer, "and now we're going to Omaha. This is going to be talked about for years after. I mean, we're going to call each other at our weddings."
The "brotherhood" he described is what got this team this far.
"One hundred percent," agreed Brewer. "It's trusting each other."
Several Wolverines are playing through injuries, including Brewer, who sat out games in both the Big Ten Tournament and Corvallis Regional with turf toe, and played over it at UCLA.
Michigan conquered the No. 1-ranked Bruins and lived on as one of eight teams remaining in contention for the national championship.
"It's been a rollercoaster -- a never-ending rollercoaster," said Brewer. "I'm just on it for the ride. Let's keep going. I mean, nothing bothers me. We've gone this far already."
