U-M baseball is seeking key replacements to make another CWS run
Anthony Fenech
Erik Bakich left his office at Ray Fisher Stadium after 9 p.m. Wednesday, only to return a few hours later — there was more packing to do before the Michigan baseball team embarked on an early-morning flight to Arizona to begin the 2020 season.
“I like to work,” Bakich said. “I like being in there, I like working long hours and we, as a staff, there just always seems like there’s a lot to do, and we create a lot of that just because we’re always looking for a competitive edge.”
Entering his eighth year in Ann Arbor, Bakich has his work cut out for him: No longer are the Wolverines an unknown from the north, not with a preseason No. 8 ranking from Baseball America, not after last season’s historic run to the College World Series, which ended one win shy of a national championship in the finals against Vanderbilt.
Now, the Wolverines are headed to the MLB4 Collegiate Tournament, with their season opener — a Finals rematch against No. 2 Vandy — set to be broadcast on MLB Network on Friday at 7 p.m. (They will also play No. 9 Arizona State at 8 p.m. Saturday in a game outside the tournament.)
“As magical as everything was, the journey was, we still came in second place, so let’s be even better so we can give ourselves a chance to No. 1, get back there again, but No. 2, finish off.”
Though U-M returns a formidable squad, ranked by Baseball America as the best in the Big Ten, the Wolverines have several ley players to replace, including their first baseman and their top two starting pitchers. Over the winter, they also lost senior center fielder Jesse Franklin for at least the first month of the season after Franklin broke his collarbone skiing in Washington.
Franklin, considered a future Day 1 draft pick, should be hitting again in mid-March and playing defense by April, Bakich said. Franklin was named a third-team preseason All-American by Baseball America.
Junior Jordan Nwogu has moved to the outfield after serving as the Wolverines’ designated hitter during their Omaha run. The infield will be anchored by junior shortstop Jack Blomgren; sophomore Riley Bertram will start at second base, freshman Teddy Burton at third base and fifth-year senior Matt Schmidt will take over for Jimmy Kerr (Tigers’ 23rd-round pick) at first base.
On the mound, the Wolverines will be led by right-hander Jeff Criswell. The rest of the starting rotation is still taking shape, with young lefties Steve Hajjar and Ben Dragani expected to step in at some point. Hajjar is rehabbing from a knee injury and could start this weekend; Dragani is building up his pitch count after undergoing elbow ligament reconstruction surgery.
In the bullpen, senior lefty Ben Keizer is their most experienced and dependable reliever. Keizer set a school record with 34 appearances last season and could close, Bakich said.
“He may not be the statistical leader of the team, but he’s the glue of the team, he polices the team, he sets the tone everyday. He’s been so valuable from a leadership standpoint.”
With much of last year’s leadership gone, Bakich believes their impact can still be felt in the youngsters who learned from them.
Even if the Wolverines return to the College World Series, the run won't likely be as magical as last season's. But the program has gained prestige almost overnight, something Bakich prefers to look at as just another step in establishing themselves as a perennial College World Series contender.
“Fortunately for our program, we’ve captured the enthusiasm of a lot of people,” he said. “There’s more to balance and that comes with having a successful program. There’s been some reflecting on what a great season it was, but for the most part, I’d say everybody has had their sights set on the windshield and not the rearview mirror.”