Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Steve Merriman returned to the Wolverines baseball program for the 2021 season after previously serving as pitching coach in 2002 and 2012, in addition to starting his coaching career at U-M as a hitting coach in 1995.
"We are thrilled to announce the hiring of Steve Merriman and Brandon Inge to our coaching staff," said Bakich, the 2019 national coach of the year. "They both bring awesome and unique experiences in professional baseball that our players will benefit from in their personal development and goal of reaching their max potential.
"There's no doubt that these two coaches, their growth mindsets, family values, and character traits are aligned with our Michigan Baseball culture and program values. We are excited to welcome Steve and his wife Sue, Brandon, and his wife Shani, plus all their children and families to the Michigan Baseball Family."
Merriman quickly went to work as Steven Hajjar, Cameron Weston and Willie Weiss were named to the 2021 All-Big Ten team with Hajjar going on to be drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the second round (No. 61 overall). Â
Merriman most recently worked in the Colorado Rockies organization, where he was the minor league pitching co-coordinator and pitching coach for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats.
Merriman worked with the Chicago Cubs in 2018 at their high-tech pitching lab in Mesa, Ariz., and has other professional coaching experience with the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers organizations.
"Steve is a gifted teacher in his ability to communicate with players while being one of leading experts in the baseball biomechanics world," said Bakich. "He currently serves on the advisory board for OnBaseU and has previously served in various professional roles, including area scout, AA pitching coach, and MiLB Pitching Coordinator. He has also coached at all levels of college baseball, including three seasons at Michigan, making him the most dynamic person to lead our pitching staff and build on our previous success."
