I understand the skepticism.

Trust me, I really do. After the sports year that Michigan has had, and after the baseball team’s disappointing performance last season (9-15 Big Ten, 30-25 overall), not even qualifying for the Big Ten Tournament, I understand why people are hesitant to accept the 2010 team as a legitimate threat.

"Hesitant" might not be the right word, though, because “surprised” better fits the bill. Whenever I talk to my friends and the topic of Michigan baseball comes up, they’re always astonished when I mention the Wolverines are one of the favorites to win the conference yet again this year after winning three straight from 2006-08.

I guess that’s the state of Michigan fandom at this point: expect the worst, and hope to be surprised by something better. It seems nobody wanted to make the emotional investment in a club that disappointed so badly last year.

It truly is a new season, a new team, a familiar, but also new level of success. The 2010 Wolverines have moved past their issues of 2009, which included injuries, youth, inconsistency and general subpar play.

Talk about the past almost never comes up with players or coach Rich Maloney. They’re focused on the present, and their sights are set on the same goal they have every season: winning a Big Ten Championship.

They have every reason to be working toward that. Two-thirds of the way through the season, Michigan’s overall record stands at 22-12, and its Big Ten mark of 6-3 is good enough for a tie for first place in the conference with preseason favorite Ohio State.

And the Wolverines have managed this success despite playing the first seven weeks of the season without star junior outfielder Ryan LaMarre in the lineup.

Michigan definitely missed the preseason All-American’s production. Based on his numbers since returning (a torrid 20 hits and 11 RBI in just nine games, and a batting average that now sits at .500), LaMarre easily could have made the difference in a few of the Wolverines’ close losses with ranked teams like Louisville, North Carolina and Coastal Carolina.

But Michigan's perseverance through his injury shows just how different it is from last year, when it relied heavily on a few players, like LaMarre and ace starting pitcher Chris Fetter.

The squad is a hungrier and more determined group. Look at the games against Eastern Michigan for proof.

Last season, a weak Eagles team came into Ray Fisher Stadium and embarrassed Michigan, winning 3-1.

This year, the Wolverines had a 7-2 lead going into the seventh. Eastern, which is still flimsy, fired back with four runs, threatening to humble the home team once again.

But this time, Michigan wasn’t having it. When crunch time came, the Wolverines shut down the Eagles, showing their newly developed poise in the process. In fact, Michigan has yet to lose a midweek game in 2010, despite those affairs traditionally being landmines for teams looking ahead to the weekend.

This bunch, led by the“one game at a time” mantra, doesn’t look ahead. Each date is a new challenge to be won, and the victories are piling up.

So don’t expect any collapse. Don’t expect a return to the woes of 2009. Don’t expect anything less than a conference championship for this year's edition.

When the players are swinging for a trophy later this year in Columbus, I’ll be there to tell you that you should’ve expected it all along.