The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1147681
TAKING HOME HARDWARE The Michigan baseball team, represented by head coach Erik Bakich, and team captains (from left to right) Jimmy Kerr, Benjamin Keizer and Tommy Henry, accepts the national runner-up trophy after falling to Vanderbilt 8-2 in Omaha, Neb. The Wolverines were the first from the Big Ten to reach the sport's NCAA title game since 1966, and the first from U-M to do so since 1962. U-M had not been to the College World Series since 1984 — and since then only one Big Ten squad had played in Omaha (Indiana, 2013). Along the way, Michigan lost their Big Ten Tournament opener and then had to win three straight just to sneak into the NCAA field, won a winner-take-all game in the Corvallis Regional hosted by defending champion Oregon State, knocked out No. 1 seed UCLA for its first-ever Super Regional victory, and then started 3-0 against No. 8 seed Texas Tech and perennial power Florida State in the College World Series to reach the championship series against No. 2 seed Vanderbilt. The Wolverines even took the first game from the Commodores, thanks in large part to its captains — the southpaw Henry was brilliant on the mound and recorded all but the final two outs, while Kerr blasted a two-run home run. Kerr led all players in the College World Series with three homers and eight RBI, while his six runs scored tied for the most with teammate and center fielder Jesse Franklin. Henry's 18 strikeouts were also the most any pitcher posted in Omaha, while shortstop Jack Blomgren's nine hits also led all players in the event. "Nobody feels good right now, but these guys are going to be celebrated every chance there is to celebrate a Michigan baseball team in the future," Bakich told MGoBlue.com after the final game. "They're going to talk about Team 153 as the best team in the modern era and the third- best team in 153 years [behind the 1953 and 1962 national champs]. That's pretty special." PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY