The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 15 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Getting To Know Baseball Fifth-Year Senior Shortstop Benjamin Sems The 2021 campaign will be the first for fifth-year senior shortstop Benjamin Sems in Ann Arbor, with the Chesterfield, Mo., native having transferred to U-M from Kansas this past offseason. Sems put together quite the col- legiate tenure during his four years in Lawrence, taking home the Jay- hawks' team MVP award and earn- ing second-team All-Big 12 honors in 2019 after starting all 56 games and tallying a .305 batting average. The veteran shortstop followed it up by cranking two home runs with nine RBI while starting all 17 contests in 2020, before Kansas' campaign was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are a few other interesting facts you may not have known about Sems: Nickname: "My teammates call me Benjer." Favorite restaurant in Ann Arbor: "I haven't had the chance to go to most of the local places quite yet, so I don't want to name a chain restaurant that isn't very Ann Arbor-ish. The ones I go to the most are Blaze [Pizza] and Noodles & Company, but those aren't specific to Ann Arbor. I also like Mongolian Grill and Pretzel Bell." Best meal he can cook by himself: "Eggs. They're my go-to." Hobbies: "I play the guitar and the piano. I actually have a piano here that I got on Craigslist for free, and it's sitting on my porch at my house right now. I play it when it's warmer outside." Favorite TV show: "'Friends.' I've watched it about eight times through. I love it." Favorite movie: "'Miracle' or 'Braveheart.'" Dream vacation: "This is more of my girlfriend's dream, but I think it'd be cool too — there is an island off of Africa called Seychelles we'd like to go to, and it's right by Madagascar. I'd like to go to any place that's warm, like Florida or the Dominican Republic." Favorite place he's been to: "I love New York City, so that would probably top my list." Favorite professional athlete: "[New York Mets shortstop] Francisco Lindor." Role model: "My dad is the first one who comes to mind." Why he chose Michigan: "My dad went here for business school. [Baseball] Coach [Erik] Bakich is also an unbelievable coach and Michigan has obviously had very good teams lately, going to the College World Series in 2019. I grew up playing for [current Kansas City Royals manager and former Michigan player] Mike Matheny, and he's one of my biggest role models as well. Matheny had nothing but good things to say about Coach Bakich." What he hopes to do after baseball: "I got my undergrad in architecture and I'm getting my master's in engineering, so I want to do something related to baseball. I'd like to maybe build college baseball stadiums someday." His overall experience at Michigan: "It has been unbelievable and is the best choice I've made. I love the people here and Ann Arbor is a great town. I wish it'd be a little warmer sometimes, but the experience has been fantastic." — Austin Fox Sems was a 2019 All-Big 12 second-team and 2020 All-Big 12 preseason first-team honoree at Kansas. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS (Item #1365) CUSTOM GRILL COVER Commercial grade, breathable vinyl with moisture vent and buckle clasps • Black w/ maize Block M logo in UV resistant ink AVAILABLE IN 2 SIZES: Small: 60" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $51.95 + $15.00 S&H Large: 72" wide x 36" tall x 21" deep $54.95 + $15.00 S&H Grill covers are made to order and shipped direct from manufacturer. Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery. Returns not related to damage or manufacturer error may incur restocking fee. GRILL MAT (Item #1256) $49.95 + FREE S&H Grill mats are made to order and shipped direct from manufacturer. Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery. Returns not related to damage or manufacturer error not available. DELIVERY LIMITED TO CONTINENTAL U.S. PLEASE ADD SALES TAX FOR ITEMS SHIPPING TO: (NC 7.5%, IN 7%, MI 6%) THE WOLVERINE PO Box 2331 Durham, NC 27702 TheWolverineOnDemand.com 1-800-421-7751