With the bases loaded and two men out in the top of the first inning Sunday against St. John’s, the Michigan baseball team sent its hottest hitter — rightfielder Nick Urban — to the plate looking to cash in on a golden opportunity to get on the scoreboard first.

Urban stepped into the batters box knowing he needed to bring at least one runner around to score in order to capitalize on some early control problems by Red Storm pitcher Nick Luisi in the Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Clearwater, Fla.

“I just try not to think too much when I get into the batters box,” said Urban, a redshirt junior who said his confidence is sky-high. “I just try to hit the ball hard. That’s all I’m thinking.”

And after being thrown over the outer-half of the plate, Urban did just that — lining an RBI single up the middle that plated the first two runs of the game for the Wolverines. They never looked back, as junior Eric Katzman lasted seven innings while giving up just one run to a St. John’s lineup that had scored a combined 33 in their previous two games. Katzman picked up the win and Michigan won 4-2.

The hit by Urban capped a week in which he earned the Big Ten Player of the Week honors after having the most productive stretch of his career.

On Friday, in the season’s first game, Michigan found itself down 5-2 to South Florida going into the bottom of the eighth inning before a bases loaded double by sophomore centerfielder Ryan LaMarre tied the game at five. Urban nearly ended the game to lead off the ninth, hitting a Bulls offering off the centerfield fence for his third hit of the day. Three batters later, he scored on a walk-off single by senior leftfielder Kenny Fellows to win the game 6-5.

Saturday’s non-conference game against Purdue also tested Michigan’s resolve. After defensive troubles put the Wolverines in a 3-0 hole, their pitchers kept the Boilermakers from scoring again in the game. Michigan tied the game in the sixth and the score remained even at three into extra innings.

In the bottom of the tenth, sophomore shortstop Anthony Toth walked and stole second, then advanced to just 90 feet away on a sacrifice fly by Urban. Toth then scored on another walk-off hit up the middle, this time by redshirt sophomore designated hitter Jake McClouth, to win the game 4-3. Sophomore Tyler Burgoon picked up his second straight win in relief.

Later in the day, sophomore pitchers Travis Smith and Matt Miller combined to hold the Cincinnati Bearcats to just one run while striking out sixteen hitters on the way to a 6-1 romp. Urban again was at the heart of the offensive production. He drove in two Wolverines during a three-run top of the first inning and junior first baseman Mike Dufek put the game away with a mammoth three-run homer to right in the seventh.

For Urban, an LSA chemistry major, starting the season hitting a torrid .474 might not have been too probable considering his .111 batting average in just 18 career at bats. But he is now the regular starter in rightfield and coach Rich Maloney said he expects these kinds of timely contributions from his team as they seek a fourth consecutive Big Ten championship.

“Timely hitting was crucial to our success this weekend,” said Maloney. “When we had opportunities, we capitalized early. It’s not so much what average you hit — it’s more that you knock in the runs…so we need that along with pitching and defense, as opposed to last year where we won on hitting.

“If you do all three of those things well, you’ll probably win a lot of games.”

Next up is an away game against Northern Florida on Wednesday in Jacksonville.