The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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10 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2019 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Michigan junior pitcher Karl Kauffmann is now part of the Colo- rado Rockies organization, a Com- petitive Balance B, which is held between rounds two and three, pick in the MLB Draft (No. 77 overall). He lost his last start, an 8-2 decision to Vanderbilt in the national cham- pionship game, but had a great U-M career and tied the school record with 12 wins in his final campaign. He talked about U-M's magical season and more in this Q&A: The Wolverine: You guys barely made the NCAA Tournament, but went on an incredible run to the na- tional championship series and won the first game. What does that mean for Michigan baseball? Karl Kauffmann: "The future will tell what it means to this program and how big of an impact it had. From the athletic department and all the youth from the Midwest and Michigan kids … that's the biggest thing. I hope I inspired one kid to fill my shoes and take it from here … do a better job than I did. "We were just trying to leave the program in a better place, and we'd talk about it all the time. Hopefully we set a new standard for the Michi- gan program, and I look forward to seeing these guys compete in the future. I'm really excited about it." The Wolverine: What memories will you take with you of this team and your time in Ann Arbor? Kauffmann: "It's kind of a special group, and we didn't really plan it out this way — we wanted to be on other side of things [and win a title]. … Hopefully we moved [the pro- gram] over the hump. I'm excited to see where things go in the future. It's all up from here. "It's an emotional time, hard to say goodbye to something this spe- cial and the group of people we have here. We cherished the past month and a half, realizing where things have gone … it's hard any time you've got to say goodbye, but we're all excited to see where things go from here for Michigan." The Wolverine: What do you think it was that got the team over the hump and among the elite this year? Kauffmann: "Belief. I think there was a belief system, believing in ourselves and every single one of us that we can get the job done. I think from the day it started we were not making excuses and looking for rea- sons, 'Oh, it's just not going to go our way.' There was belief we were going to find a way to get it done, and we just rode it. "It's been a special time and a lot of fun." The Wolverine: Do you see Michi- gan getting to that point where they're in contention for champion- ships annually? Kauffmann: "Yeah. There are def- initely going to be challenges with everything, but Coach [Erik] Bakich is a special person. Everything he does is so intense; the time he puts into everything is incredible. "Would it surprise me? Not the slightest bit. Are we close? Very close. "It's going to take a couple more runs at it, a couple recruiting classes here and there, support from every- body in the athletic department and everything. But the future is bright. As long as he's at the helm, it's go- ing to be up and up from here." The Wolverine: What makes Erik Bakich so special as a coach? Kauffmann: "The time he puts in everything, the commitment level. It's unmatched. His motor that wakes him up in the morning … it's incredible what he does. "When he was recruiting me, he gave me a list of 10 things he prom- ised me basically when I was 15, 16 years old, and every one of them came true. It kind of speaks to the kind of person he is. It's what he does." — Chris Balas Kauffmann went 4-1 on the mound in the NCAA Tournament and tied a U-M record with 12 wins on the season. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY Sitting Down With Junior Pitcher Karl Kauffmann