The Michigan baseball team has proved its capability to hit the ball all season.
Over the past month, however, the Wolverines have struggled to find consistent bats as they put up three runs or fewer in five straight home games from April 2-8. While Michigan coach Erik Bakich held out hope that the bats would come alive after the Wolverines’ 2-1 win over Cal State Fullerton last weekend, he also acknowledged those recent struggles.
“I know everyone doesn’t see the runs on the board because the balls aren’t flying out of the yard like they normally are, but we are not coming off of our approach of hitting the ball as hard as you possibly can,” Bakich said. “We have been hitting the ball hard, but the runs just haven’t fallen. (Nonetheless), the runs are going to follow because if you keep hitting the ball hard good things are gonna happen. I’m convinced of that.”
Over the weekend in East Lansing, those runs finally came.
In an 8-2 win on Saturday, the heavy offensive performance continued from the 18-run outburst the night before – led by senior first baseman Jack Van Remortal and graduate transfer third baseman Matt Frey.– The Wolverines scored five runs in the first inning and smashed six total doubles to blow past Michigan State.
The surge continued Sunday as Michigan picked up where it left off, compiling a 6-0 lead in the fifth inning behind home runs from junior left fielder Tito Flores and graduate transfer center fielder Joe Stewart. That total would be enough as the Wolverines went on to win, 6-3.
“We just did a better job of stringing quality at-bats together and then getting the big hits,” Bakich said. “We were more timely, and it’s easier to win when you have home runs with runners on base. That’s what the difference was today.”
Bakich also attributed the strong offensive performance to favorable weather conditions in East Lansing – though it’s clear that the Wolverines’ approach at the plate helped, too.
“Our focus is always on making hard contact and hitting the ball as hard as we possibly can,” Bakich said. “In order to do that, the hitters have to be very selective with the ball so they can smash with less than two strikes. Now, when we play in favorable conditions, like the wind blowing out, it leads to some big offensive fireworks.”
With the Big Ten tournament just over a month away, any Big Ten win is crucial. And if the offense can provide the same production as it did against Michigan State, Michigan’s ceiling may reach greater heights than previously anticipated; even with all the disappointments of this season.