After losing to Oakland the past two years, including in last season’s home opener, the Michigan baseball team made its 2024 home debut with a chip on its shoulder.

With explosions at the plate in the third, fourth and eighth innings, the Wolverines (5-8 overall) exacted their revenge with a 13-5 victory over Oakland (3-8).

“It’s always nice to be home and play in a familiar setting,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said. “So we needed to get the win and I thought (we played) clean baseball. We played pretty well today, made a couple of mental mistakes on the bases. But other than that, we played good baseball … and offensively I liked our approaches today.”

Those approaches were blurred in the first two innings, though, as the first six Wolverines failed to reach base. However, they put the ball in play during each at-bat, recording zero strikeouts. That contact was a sign of better things to come, even with the bottom of the order due up to start the third inning.

With lineup adjustments galore, Michigan looked to change its offensive identity. And as it showed later, these alterations paid dividends against the Grizzlies.

“We don’t feel like there’s really a big difference between some spot in the lineup,” Smith said. “But it could be as simple as just flipping a guy, and maybe get something clicking that we didn’t know or think about. We’d love to settle in a lineup sooner rather than later. I think the personnel piece of it is certainly becoming more clear where they fall in the order.”

As the Wolverines continued to put iron on the ball, they broke through in the third inning.

Junior shortstop Kyle Dernedde roped a ball into right field, making his way around the basepath for a leadoff triple. One pitch later, junior catcher Will Rogers hit a ground ball down the left field line, scoring Dernedde.

And Michigan wasn’t done.

Sophomore first baseman Mitch Voit drilled a deep drive to right field that Oakland right fielder Ian Cleary narrowly kept in the ballpark. But Cleary couldn’t keep the ball in his glove, and Voit registered a two-RBI double.

The offensive explosion didn’t stop, as freshman designated hitter Bradley Navarro homered following an RBI double by sophomore center fielder Jonathan Kim. By the end of the inning, the Wolverines registered six runs on six hits, forcing the Grizzlies to make a call to the bullpen.

“We definitely think that hitting is contagious,” graduate second baseman Mack Timbrook said. “You see guys go up there and smoke the ball, it obviously builds your confidence. … But at the end of the day, just staying loose, knowing your own plan, knowing your approach. One hit can start an inning.”

Despite Oakland responding with a three-run inning of its own, Michigan didn’t relent. With two runners in scoring position, senior first baseman Dylan Stanton singled to clear the bases. Adding those two runs on the board, the Wolverines took an 8-4 lead entering the fifth inning.

After a three-inning cold stretch, Michigan woke up again with an RBI single in the eighth inning. Then, after loading the bases, junior third baseman Cole Caruso smashed a grand slam to right field, capping off a five-run inning.

After Caruso’s bomb, the damage was done. With only one inning for the Grizzlies to respond, the Wolverines had built an insurmountable lead. By taking advantage of the Grizzlies’ poor pitching, they turned a new leaf at the plate, punching Oakland in the mouth during opportune moments. 

Michigan recorded one of its best offensive performances of the season in the 13-5 win, scoring more runs than its previous four games combined. With the massive outbursts at the plate, the Wolverines displayed that its batting order is close to concrete. And after a day of mashing baseballs around the park, Michigan showed that the consistency it has lacked at the plate might be right around the corner.