Michigan
TCU
Unbeaten U-M Set for College Baseball Series to Face Two Ranked Teams
2/19/2025 12:10:00 PM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team (4-0) will look to continue its hot start at the College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field. The Wolverines open the weekend against No. 22 TCU (4-0) at 3 p.m. CST on Friday (Feb. 21), will face Kansas State (1-4) at 2 p.m. CST on Saturday (Feb. 22), and close out the weekend against No. 5 Arkansas at 11 a.m. CST on Sunday (Feb. 23). All three games will be streamed live on FloCollege.
Notes
• Michigan opened the 2025 season at the inaugural Puerto Rico Challenge. The Wolverines began with a walk-off upset win over No. 2 Virginia, led by Matt Spear. U-M followed with a comeback victory over Rice, using a five-run eighth inning after falling behind 2-0. The Wolverines then blanked Villanova as four pitchers combined for a shutout, while the offense tallied 19 runs. Michigan capped the weekend by handing Stetson its first loss of the season, powered by three home runs.
• Jonathan Kim went 9-for-18 with a .611 slugging percentage in Puerto Rico, scoring four runs and driving in three. He has recorded at least two hits in every game this season, including a three-hit performance against Villanova. He ranks sixth in the Big Ten in batting average and is tied for third nationally among players with at least 18 at-bats. His nine hits lead the Big Ten and rank fifth nationally.
• Preseason All-American Mitch Voit was a force offensively, slashing .471/.474/1.059 with eight hits -- six of which went for extra bases, including four doubles and two home runs, ranking him second nationally in extra-base hits. Voit homered in consecutive games against Villanova and Stetson, scoring six times and driving in seven runs. His 18 total bases tie for the Big Ten lead and place him 10th nationally.
• Spear broke out offensively, slashing .357/.438/.571 after hitting .234 last season. He went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer and a walk-off single against No. 2 Virginia, finishing the weekend with six RBIs and two runs scored. Defensively, Spear was solid behind the plate with 24 putouts, four assists, and three caught stealing, including two in a single inning against Stetson.
• Graduate transfer Jeter Ybarra posted a .353/.421/.529 slash line, collecting six hits -- including a double and his first career triple. His four-hit, three-RBI, three-run performance against Villanova highlighted the weekend. Ybarra ranks sixth in the Big Ten in hits.
• Junior right-hander Dylan Vigue drew the Opening Day start for the second straight year, pitching 5.1 innings against No. 2 Virginia. He scattered six hits, allowed two runs, and struck out three, earning a no-decision in Michigan's walk-off win. Vigue is slated to start against TCU on Friday.
• Junior Kurt Barr, a third team All-Big Ten selection last season, started the year with five shutout innings and a career-high eight strikeouts. He ranks seventh in the conference in strikeouts per nine innings.
• Ohio State transfer Gavin DeVooght impressed in his Michigan debut, pitching 7.1 total innings over two appearances. He threw the final 2.1 innings in Friday's win and started Monday with five shutout frames. DeVooght is one of three players nationally with two wins and leads all players with at least 7.1 scoreless innings. He allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out nine, boasting a 0.82 WHIP.
• Eight Michigan freshmen made their collegiate debuts in Puerto Rico. Grant Bradley was the first, striking out the only batter he faced against Virginia. Brayden Jefferis scored a run via a walk against Rice, while Michael Quedens and Josh Kasner each pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, with Kasner earning the win. Against Villanova, Tyler Inge became the first freshman to start, going 1-for-5 with an RBI single. Keegan O'Hearn debuted as a pinch-hitter, while Tate Carey tossed two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Brandon Newland closed out the Villanova shutout with one inning and a strikeout.
• No. 22 TCU (4-0) swept San Diego to open the season. The Horned Frogs finished 33-21 last year and were the No. 9 seed in the Big 12 Tournament. Michigan's lone meeting with TCU came in 2023 at Minute Maid Park where the Wolverines fell 6-0. Voit, Joe Longo, Greg Pace Jr., and Barr appeared in that contest.
• Kansas State (1-4) began the season with losses to Coastal Carolina and Washington but earned a win against Saint Joseph's. The Wildcats went 35-26 last season, advancing to the Charlottesville Super Regional. Michigan holds a 1-1 all-time record against Kansas State, with the Wolverines winning the last meeting 10-2 at Globe Life Field in 2022.
• No. 5 Arkansas (4-0) opened the season with a sweep of Washington State, outscoring the Cougars 34-8. The Razorbacks, who went 44-16 last season, reached the NCAA Tournament but were eliminated in regional play. Michigan faced Arkansas at Globe Life Field last season, narrowly falling 4-3. Voit and Cole Caruso recorded hits in that game, while Caruso and Kim scored runs. Vigue, Barr, and Will Rogers all pitched in the contest.
