The Michigan baseball team didn’t qualify for the Big Ten Tournament last season, but this year the end of the season has been quite different. After defeating Penn State in the weekend finale, 7-4, and winning the series in State College, the Wolverines secured a first round bye in the tournament.

Michigan (14-10 Big Ten, 34-20 overall) started its scoring early. In the first inning, redshirt junior second baseman Anthony Toth knocked a triple to bring in one run and set himself up to score when junior leftfielder Ryan LaMarre hit a sacrifice fly to center.

“They had their senior day activities today, but I was loose coming into the game,” LaMarre said. “People (were) joking around and getting loose. We came out and played loose and that helped us play together.”

The Nittany Lions (9-15, 22-30) responded by tallying three of their own in the bottom of the first frame. Michigan coach Rich Maloney didn’t hesitate at all to pull starting pitcher and sophomore right-hander Brandon Sinnery after he allowed seven hits and four runs in just 1.1 innings.

That's when Maloney called junior right-hander Matt Miller to the rubber. Miller has struggled most of the year, giving up more hits (76) than any other bullpen pitcher. But like the series finale against Northwestern, when his scoreless relief outing allowed Michigan to come back from a 14-0 deficit, Saturday gave Miller a chance to prove his worth.

Miller pitched 7.2 innings and struck out six, allowing no runs and just five hits in what was perhaps his best performance of the season.

“We got the win, that’s all we really want,” Miller said. “We're hot right now — well, we think we’re hot.”

The Wolverines finally pulled ahead in the seventh inning after LaMarre hit a single into center field to drive in two runners.

Berset followed with a two RBI-hit of his own and put Michigan up 7-4 to seal the win and effectively clinch second place in the Big Ten, pulling ahead of Iowa in the standings. Berset now leads the Wolverines in hits with 75.

“I’m hitting great,” Berset said after Saturday’s victory. “Especially having (LaMarre) in front of me. That is our game plan. I feel like we have a really complete (lineup). We are hot in all areas.”

Michigan will now begin to prepare for the Big Ten Tournament in Columbus, and as the second seed, the Wolverines come to postseason play with high expectations.

“It was good to bounce back from last year,” LaMarre said. “Second place is fine and to get the bye is fine. I feel like we are the favorites coming in. When we are pitching well, everybody knows who we are. And we are getting hits, not just from the middle of the order. We have a lot of confidence and a lot of stars and once we get towards the end, we’ll shut the door.”