What We Learned About Michigan Baseball in Arizona: Magic Possible Once Again

By Steve Kornacki

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- What did we learn about the University of Michigan baseball team in four games against top competition over the weekend?

Well, we found out plenty. But the biggest thing was that it took them one weekend to find out what it took nearly an entire season for the 2019 College World Series finalists to discover.

They can compete with any team in the nation, and beat any of them.

The Wolverines took down No. 2-ranked Vanderbilt -- the school that beat them in the third and deciding game in Omaha last June -- by a 4-3 score thanks to a quality start by Jeff Criswell and a two-run homer in the ninth by emerging first baseman Matthew Schmidt.

Then Michigan defeated No. 3 Arizona State, 5-0, as redshirt freshman lefty Steven Hajjar limited a powerful lineup to three singles over six innings. Outfielder Danny Zimmerman crushed a homer and hit a double, while Dominic Clementi had a clutch, two-run double as a pinch-hitter.

For good measure, the No. 13 Wolverines beat Cal Poly, 8-5, behind a strong start from hard-throwing sophomore Blake Beers. They continued getting strong starting pitching Sunday (Feb. 16) from Isaiah Paige, but ended up losing for the first time, 7-1, to a strong UConn team coming off consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Michigan knows it has a long road to travel -- with some tough games in California and Florida before opening at home March 13 with Canisius and beginning Big Ten play March 20 with Purdue at Ray Fisher Stadium.

But it obtained a belief in what was possible at the MLB4 Collegiate Baseball Tournament.

"Last year was a magical year," said Hajjar, "and hopefully we can capture some of that with this year's team. Everyone in the dugout was pulling for each other, and we pull the rope (together). That's why I have this rope right here.

"I mean, we have a great group of guys who all love each other and so, if we can just capture some of the magic we had last year, we're going to have a great season. Knocking off Vandy and knocking off Arizona State. I mean, it's going to be a good year for us."

When concluding his postgame talk with his team in the dugout in Phoenix after beating the Sun Devils, head coach Erik Bakich shouted, "We're happy but we're not ..."

"SATISFIED!" barked his players in unison.

Bakich said, "It's about playing well. I'm not going to get too high because it's early and it's a long season. And we have fresh memories in our minds of what it takes to make a run. It's about playing well at the end, not at the beginning.

"But it's (now) all about growth and it hasn't been perfect. We have a lot to improve upon that is getting covered up by the pitching and defense -- which have been pretty good. And we've gotten a lot of timely hits."

There will be ups and downs, but there also is this to consider:

Michigan has gotten off to this great start without center fielder Jesse Franklin, a CWS star tabbed as a preseason second team All-American by Baseball America, and closer Willie Weiss, who led the team with nine saves last season. Ben Dragani, a strong weekend rotation starter in 2018 who missed 2019 with an injury, is regaining strength and form and is limited to an inning here and there out of the bullpen.

Franklin is expected back as the designated hitter soon and should be in the field by the time conference play starts. Weiss is close to returning from an injury, too. Dragani will get to where he needs to be.

Here are four other key points learned after four games in Arizona:

The starting pitching could be something special

Criswell, Beers, Hajjar and Paige (who also got a save against Vanderbilt) combined to throw 23.2 innings while allowing five earned runs on 14 hits. Their combined earned-run average is 1.90 and their 0.84 WHIP is even more impressive.

They were at their best against the best.

Vanderbilt third baseman Austin Martin and Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson might be the two best hitters in college baseball. Both will be gone a few picks into the Major League Baseball draft in June. But they were a combined 0-for-7 against Michigan. Martin managed one RBI and Torkelson one walk.

"Those will be two Golden Spikes finalists at the end of the year," said Bakich, noting the annual award going to the top college baseball player. "They're going to have monster years because they're great players."

Michigan, it seems, just might have some great pitchers.

Isaiah Paige
Paige

The defense is going to win its share of tight games

Bakich said: "I told the defense, this is a championship-level defense."

It all starts with shortstop Jack Blomgren -- who makes the difficult look easy and deflates opponents by taking away hit after hit.

Arizona State got a leadoff single in the eighth inning Saturday night, and trailed by just three runs at the time. Reliever Jack White had Drew Swift coming up next, followed by the Sun Devils' "Murderer's Row" of Spencer Torkelson, Alika Williams and Gage Workman.

White got Swift to hit a grounder to Blomgren that few would've turned two on. But "Blommy" used his soft hands to quickly cradle the ball before flicking an accurate throw to Riley Bertram at second to start a double play. He had such economy of motion that he made it happen.

"Unreal," said Hajjar, who started and won that game with ASU. "Blommy was elected captain this year, and is one of the most fiery guys I've ever been around. He's such a true competitor. When he gets going like he is right now, everybody gets behind him. He's a great leader for us.

"And he always makes plays. Him and (third baseman) Teddy (Burton) get over there on balls."

Bakich said of Burton, from Huntington Beach: "The Southern California kids just have a lot more repetition. He's a shortstop playing third base, and is very athletic. We have three shortstops out there (Bertram included)."

Catcher Joe Donovan is solid defensively with a strong arm as well as handling the pitching staff.

Freshman right fielder Clark Elliott has strong instincts, takes good routes to balls, is swift afoot, and has a great glove. Jordan Nwogu will be in center most of the time until Franklin returns to take the outfield defense up a notch. But Nwogu and Christan Bullock cover a lot of ground to make up for the occasional late read on balls, and can make plays, too.

Outliers are emerging

Zimmerman had one at-bat last season as a freshman. He started against Arizona State and hit the only homer on a night when none of the Sun Devils' great power hitters could go deep as all other long drives fell short. Then he singled in a run against UConn.

Schmidt, a fifth-year senior, had only 38 at-bats, six hits and five RBI before this season. But he showed the potential for big-time power all season long during at-bats in Arizona.

Bakich said: "These kind of breakout, unsuspecting heroes. We had Jimmy Kerr and Jordan Brewer last year. So, we're still waiting to see who those guys will be. We've got a few candidates early on."

Elliott

Elliott (5-for-14, .357) and Burton are keepers who stand out defensively and also sting the ball at bat. Not a whole lot was expected of them as freshmen coming in, but they're producing.

"(Elliott) is a good player and a very talented kid," said Bakich. "He was an under-the-radar kid. You didn't find him on many (recruiting) rankings. But his dad played football and ran track at Illinois, and he's an athlete. Left-handed hitter with speed, and he's gotten a lot more physical between high school and now.

"The reason he's in the lineup is his plate decisions. He doesn't chase much. To see a freshman have the poise to hold the zone -- that's tough. Most freshmen come in and they're free-swingers, used to getting a lot of pitches to hit. They expand the zone a lot and he hasn't."

Burton earned his spot with his glove, but has a live bat even though he has only two hits at this point.

And fifth-year senior Joe Pace had a 1-2-3 ninth inning against UConn's first three batters in its lineup after posting a 3.86 ERA in 9.1 innings last year.

White, who threw just two innings as a freshman in 2019, pitched three scoreless against the Sun Devils.

So, who knows who the outliers will be? But they're out there.

Nwogu just might be the nation's top leadoff hitter

He can hit balls a mile, take it to the opposite field, beat out infield hits and drill liner after liner.

Nwogu, a junior, entered the season with a career batting average of .331 and an OPS of .999, and was the All-Big Ten first team designated hitter in 2019.

But he might just be even better. Nwogu was 8-for-16 (.500) in Arizona and constantly kept pitchers on edge while on base with his stutter-step leadoff action and threat to steal.

So, it's looking as if it's going to be a fun season. We got quite a glimpse of what's possible here in the Valley of the Sun.