Before the start of the Michigan baseball team’s Big Ten season, the Daily predicted which Wolverines would receive end-of-the-year accolades. Now, halfway through conference play, it’s time to reevaluate.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jackson Glines
Regardless of how you measure a quality hitter, outfielder Jackson Glines has been the man at Michigan. Since transferring from Fresno City College last fall, the junior has led Michigan in batting average (.342), extra-base hits (18), RBI (26) and quality at-bats. His killer instinct at the plate has allowed him to hit nearly everything he sees.
“Every week, he’s consistently having a very high percentage of quality at-bats of his total plate appearances,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “He also hits a lot of line drives — that’s why we’ve nicknamed him ‘Gline Drives.’ ”
In small-ball measurements, Glines leads the Big Ten with a .455 on-base percentage. Once on base, Glines’ 10 steals in as many attempts give him the best percentage in the Big Ten for any player with double-digit attempts and put him behind only sophomore infielder Travis Maezes for the team lead. By bearing down on the base paths too, Glines has put himself in position to score a team-leading 19.8 percent of the time he’s on base.
Glines has climbed his way into the conference’s top 10 in 11 offensive categories, more than any other Michigan player. The versatility and ability to do it all at the plate is what makes the veteran the Wolverines’ midseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Defensive Player of the Year: Cole Martin
Bakich puts defense on a pedestal. No matter how many runs the offense scores or how many shutout innings the pitching staff throws, the game will be lost if the fielders can’t consistently make routine plays.
But the leader of the Wolverine defense isn’t the person with the fewest errors or highlight-reel catches — it’s the one who sets the long-term tone for the team both emotionally and physically, catcher Cole Martin.
“For some of the younger players to see a senior leader like Cole, it sets a good example with not only the way he plays but the things that he says,” Bakich said.
The senior from Bay City, Mich. is one of the most consistent defenders on the team, carrying a .989 fielding percentage and committing just three errors on the season. These numbers have been important to see from someone leading an infield comprised largely of underclassmen.
Many errors happen when a catcher throws to second to nab a runner breaking for a steal, but with the aid of a pitching staff that leads the Big Ten in pickoffs, the opposition doesn’t have many chances to run on Michigan.
“He throws with a great and very accurate arm, so you don’t see a lot of teams even attempt a stolen base against him because they know he can throw very well,” Bakich said.
Pitcher of the Year: Evan Hill
On a team that has struggled to find consistency, one thing is certain: Sophomore left-hander Evan Hill has been a go-to player who can pitch lights-out every time he takes the mound.
At first glance, a 2-4 record looks meager, but a deeper look will show the lack of run support the ace has been given. Michigan has scored two or fewer runs in five of Hill’s 10 starts — putting up a goose egg in three.
Runs aside, Hill has been the ace of this squad. Since beginning the year as the Saturday starter, Hill is now the Friday night starter — a position given to the team’s best pitcher.
Hill has held opponents to a team-leading .259 batting average and threw the Wolverines’ only complete game of the year.
But his greatest impact has come in the form of pickoffs. Hill’s seven pickoffs are tied for the Big Ten lead.
“In general, holding runners is something we place a lot of importance on,” said Michigan pitching coach Sean Kenny after Hill’s start against Illinois. “It’s something we place a lot of emphasis on. (Hill is) our best guy at it for sure,”
If the first half of the season is any indication, Michigan has found itself an ace for this year and the future.
Rookie of the Year: Carmen Benedetti
A few games into the Big Ten season, the standout rookie appeared to be freshman right-fielder Jackson Lamb, who made two full-extension catches that saved two leads. But Lamb’s inability to produce at the plate has reduced his value, and the new recipient of the award is designated hitter Carmen Benedetti.
Early in the season, Benedetti had a few stellar performances, including a .375 batting average with two RBI in the Princeton series. But his potential has surfaced most against Big Ten competition.
In conference play, Benedetti leads the team with 12 RBI and is second in batting average at .326. His biggest asset is his ability to drive in runs for Michigan on a consistent basis, especially in high-pressure, late-inning situations.
“Carmen has the knack for hitting the ball hard at least a couple of times a game,” Bakich said. “I think that’s something he’s probably done his entire career.”
Benedetti provided a stellar performance in Champaign two weeks ago, going 6-for-11 with four RBI on the weekend. In the Wolverines’ 17-9 win over Illinois, he doubled three times.
In the most recent series against Purdue, Benedetti provided the bang that broke a 12th-inning game tied at six, doubling down the right-field line to score Glines for a 7-6 victory.
If his recent performance in the conference is any indication, Benedetti will end the year as the team’s top rookie.