Preseason Plaudits: Michigan Named Big Ten Favorite by Coaches
3/4/2021 11:00:00 AM | Baseball
With a group of 24 returners and seven transfer students, the 2021 University of Michigan baseball team will be vying for its 24th NCAA postseason appearance in program history. The Wolverines' recent run of successes has been highlighted by leading collegiate baseball with the most Major League Baseball draft selections in 2017, a Big Ten Conference Tournament championship in 2018, and a national runner-up finish in 2019.
Big Ten Preseason Poll and Honors (March 4)
Michigan sits atop the Big Ten Conference baseball preseason poll that lists the top six teams as voted upon by the league's 13 head coaches. Following U-M are Indiana, Ohio State, Iowa, Maryland and Illinois. Michigan will face Iowa in Texas this weekend in a four-game series to start the 2021 campaign, with all games streamed live on Big Ten Network Plus. » Big Ten Story
The Wolverines also placed a trio of sophomores on the Big Ten preseason honors list: left-handed pitcher Steven Hajjar, a consensus preseason All-American; right-handed pitcher Cameron Weston; and catcher/first baseman Jimmy Obertop.
Hajjar posted a 3-0 record last season with 24 strikeouts in 20 innings of work while posting a 2.70 earned run average. Weston was 1-0 with two saves in seven appearances, including one start, on the mound in 2020. He posted a 0.90 ERA with one earned run in 10 innings of work. Obertop started 10 of the 11 games in which he appeared as a freshman and doubled in a season-opening win against then-No. 1 Vanderbilt. He batted .265 with a .375 on-base percentage.
Michigan's 2021 Preseason Rankings
• Collegiate Baseball Newspaper: 18th
• Baseball America: 20th
USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List (Feb. 18)
Redshirt sophomore Steven Hajjar was named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. The Golden Spikes Award is presented annually to the top amateur baseball player in the United States. Hajjar is among 55 players, and one of just seven left-handed pitchers, named to the list for the 43rd Gold Spikes Award to be presented in July. » USA Baseball Release
Baseball America Preseason All-America Teams (Feb. 1)
Redshirt sophomore left-hander Steven Hajjar was named to the Baseball America Preseason All-America second team, completing a consensus selection to all three major preseason teams (D1Baseball.com, Jan. 26; Collegiate Baseball Magazine, Dec. 21). Hajjar went 3-0 with a 2.70 earned-run average over four starts in a pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He was the Big Ten Freshman and Pitcher of the Week after tossing six shutout innings, striking out seven and scattering three hits to pick up a win in his career debut against No. 9 Arizona State on Feb. 15. He fanned a career-high 10 batters over six innings in a win over No. 24 Pepperdine on March 7. » Baseball America Story
D1Baseball.com Preseason All-America Teams (Jan. 26)
Redshirt sophomore Steven Hajjar was named to the Preseason All-America third team. The left-hander made four starts in his freshman season, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.70 earned-run average. He was the Big Ten Freshman and Pitcher of the Week following his career debut in which he spun six shutout innings against No. 9 Arizona State (Feb. 15), striking out seven and allowing just three hits to pick up the win. He struck out a career-high 10 batters in six innings of work in a win over No. 24 Pepperdine (March 7) and also picked up the win over UConn (Feb. 22) in five innings of work. » D1Baseball.com Story
Baseball America Preseason Top 25 (Jan. 25)
Michigan is ranked No. 20 nationally in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25. The Wolverines, who earned a No. 1 national ranking early in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, are the only Midwestern Region team ranked and the lone Big Ten Conference selection. Coach Erik Bakich's team has started preseason training at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium, in anticipation of the season schedule announcement from the conference office. » Baseball America Story
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason All-America Team (Dec. 22)
Redshirt sophomore Steven Hajjar was named to the Preseason All-America Second Team. The left-hander made four starts in his freshman season, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.70 ERA. He was the Big Ten Freshman and Pitcher of the Week following his career debut in which he spun six shutout innings against No. 9 Arizona State (Feb. 15), striking out seven and allowing just three hits to pick up the win. He struck out a career-high 10 batters in six innings of work in a win over No. 24 Pepperdine (March 7) and also picked up the win over UConn (Feb. 22) in five innings of work. » Collegiate Baseball Story
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll (Dec. 21)
Michigan is ranked No. 18 in Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 50 NCAA Division I 2021 preseason poll presented by Big League Chew bubble gum. The Wolverines are the only Big Ten Conference team to appear in the top-25 section of the poll. The Collegiate Baseball newspaper poll started in 1959 and is the oldest college baseball poll. » Collegiate Baseball Story
2020 Season Review
Led by head coach Erik Bakich, the Wolverines started the 2020 season hot by defeating then No. 2-ranked Vanderbilt in the season opener by a score of 4-3 in the MLB4 Collegiate Baseball Tournament in a contest eventually named as the most exciting game of the season by Baseball America. The Wolverines won three straight games to open the season, including wins over Cal Poly and then No. 9-ranked Arizona State, to claim the No. 1 rank in Baseball America's poll. Michigan finished the abbreviated season with an 8-7 record, adding another top-25 win against Pepperdine before the rest of the schedule was canceled amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
