U-M to Close Out Regular Season with Homestand Against Rutgers

» Michigan will play its only home game of the season against Michigan State on Tuesday in an ALS Awareness Game. The game does not count towards Big Ten Conference standings.
» Michigan will host Rutgers from Thursday through Saturday in the final Big Ten series of the regular season. The Scarlet Knights are tied with Maryland for the conference lead.

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• May 17: ALS Awareness Game
• May 19: Alumni Weekend
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• May 21: Senior Day
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team will return home to the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium, for the final week of regular-season play with four games.

The Wolverines will play their only home game of the season against Michigan State on Tuesday (May 17) in an ALS Awareness Game which will be streamed live on B1G+. The game does not count towards Big Ten Conference standings. Michigan swept the Spartans earlier in the season, winning games in Lansing, Mich., by scores of 18-6, 8-2 and 6-3.

On Thursday night (May 19), Michigan will start a critical three-game series against Rutgers, which enters the weekend in first place in the conference standings alongside Maryland. All three games will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network. Michigan is in the hunt for a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, to be played next week in Omaha, Neb. The Wolverines enter the weekend in a tie for sixth place with Indiana, but 11 teams remain mathematically alive.

The Week That Was

• Michigan was swept for the first time since the 2018 season as No. 18-ranked Maryland leveraged its powerful offense and a small ballpark to win three games in College Park, Md., last weekend (May 6-8). Michigan led in all three contests but could not maintain them late.

• However, Michigan showed its offensive prowess by chasing two of the league's best pitchers out of the game early, including Ryan Ramsey in Saturday's game (May 7). Ramsey leads the Big Ten with a 10-0 record and a 2.45 eaarned-run average but lasted just five innings against U-M, allowing six runs and walking six batters as the Wolverines tormented him on the base paths with five stolen bases in the first three innings.

• Michigan's offense continues to be led by Clark Elliott who sports a .347 batting average, a .460 on-base percentage and 14 stolen bases. Joe Stewart follows at .333 overall with a 19-for-20 mark in stolen-base attempts.

• Matt Frey and Tito Flores share the team lead in home runs with 10 apiece, while Clark Elliott, Joe Stewart and Ted Burton all have nine, and Jimmy Obertop follows close behind with eight.

Scouting the Opponents

Michigan State

• Michigan State enters Tuesday night with a 23-27 overall record. The Spartans lost two of three games to Iowa last weekend before winning the series finale by a score of 11-8.

• Mitch Jebb leads the MSU offense with a .351 batting average and 19 stolen bases, while Casey Mayes (.299 BA. 10 SB) and Jack Frank (.290 BA, 10 SB) follow close behind.

Rutgers

• Rutgers (39-12, 16-5 Big Ten) will take on St. Joe's on Tuesday (May 17) before making its way to Ann Arbor. The Scarlet Knights had a conference bye last weekend, playing two games against Bowling Green and winning games by scores of 12-5 and 21-1.

• A potent offense is led by Nick Cimillo, who enters play with a .402 average, .505 on-base percentage, 15 doubles, 15 homers and 43 RBI. Danny DiGeorgio checks in at .378 with seven homers and 17 stolen bases. Cimillo, Ryan Lasko (.357 BA., 10 SB) and Chris Brito (.330 BA., 65 RBI) lead the team with 15 home runs each.

• The pitching staff is led by Nathan Florence (6-2, 3.23 ERA) and Jared Kollar (8-2, 3.65 ERA), while a stingy bullpen is led by Dale Stanavich (1.37 ERA, .156 BAA), who has 10 saves.