The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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an uncharacteristically slow start in 2011 and never recovered, losing its first seven games en route to a disap- pointing 17-37 record (7-16 Big Ten). A PREVIEW BASEBALL "Last year we had our first losing season, which was very disappoint- ing," said head coach Rich Maloney, who sports a 319-210 record in nine years at Michigan. "We've always had that good feeling, but what we went through last season was foreign territory for us." fter falling just a game shy of capturing a Big Ten crown in 2010, the Michigan baseball squad skidded to BY KEVIN MINOR three straight Big Ten regular-season titles from 2006-08. "Getting off to a hot start in Florida would really help this team," senior pitcher Brandon Sinnery said. "We need to capture some momentum and confidence that we couldn't seem to find last year. "Confidence is always important, not only this year, but all of the time. In this game, you are supposed to fail seven times out of 10, and if you don't handle that failure and adver- sity well, it's going to eat you up." The Wolverines should be getting remedy last year's early struggles in order to recapture that familiar win- ning feeling, especially if they are go- ing to ride it to their first Big Ten title and NCAA berth since 2008. "It will be significant to get off and Wolverines Look To Put Disappointing 2011 Behind Them The 2012 Wolverines will have to MOVING FORWARD a boost in bravado from a pair of bullpen arms in fifth-year seniors Kolby Wood and Travis Smith, both of whom missed a majority of last season with arm injuries. win some games early," Maloney said. "Anybody who has a season that is unexpected and as difficult as what we experienced, through a variety of different calamities that occurred, man, you just want one more chance. "We are moving forward with great energy, the guys are bringing a great attitude and a tremendous commitment to flip it — that is our goal. "We've regrouped. We're excited and we can't wait to play somebody, I will tell you that." The Maize and Blue will have their first chance to do so during the Big Ten/Big East Challenge Feb. 17 against Pittsburgh in Dunedin, Fla., and will bring with them an experi- enced roster hungry to prove that last year's losing record was merely an aberration for a program that secured led the team in hitting with a .307 average. PHOTO COURTESY U-M SPORTS INFORMATION The Wolverines return seven of their top nine run producers from 2011 — including sophomore outfielder Michael O'Neil, who of the bullpen in the first month of the season last year," Maloney said. "Those two coming back is huge — I don't think you can be more hungry than they are right now." But a bullpen, no matter how raven- "We lost two of our star arms out ous and talented, is only as effective as the position they are put in — a fact not lost on a U-M rotation that struggled last season (5.09 ERA), but returns 82.7 percent of innings pitched and 14 of 17 wins (82.4 percent). "We have to get quality starts con- sistently — that is something that we lacked last year," Sinnery said. "We have to go deeper into games to help our bullpen." Offensive production can also go a long way in protecting a pitching staff. Maloney's squad returns seven of its top nine run producers from a season ago, including senior catcher Coley Crank, sophomore outfielder Michael O'Neill, senior third baseman John Lorenz, redshirt junior utility man Kevin Krantz and junior out- fielder Patrick Biondi. The five were responsible for 129 of the Wolverines' 189 runs batted in (68.3 percent) and 10 of the Wolverines' 12 home runs (83.3 percent) in 2011. Still, Michigan's sluggers know that the lineup will need to drastically ramp up productivity if they are to improve upon last season's abysmal results and compete for the confer- ence's top prize. "Everyone in that lineup knows that we didn't do what we needed to do last year," Biondi said. "It's going to take a good individual effort from a lot of guys on the team in order to prove that we belong in the top of the Big Ten again. "The hitters have been improv- ing a lot in our preseason workouts, and we are excited about that. If we can play good defense and get some more timely hits, I think we will be all right." Time will tell for a group of players, and coaches, who are driven to not only avenge last season but reclaim their Big Ten throne. "I don't think there is a dominant team in the Big Ten," Maloney said. "We have some guys that have a sense of urgency — all these seniors want to leave the program on a good note — but also the younger players who want to start their career the same way." ❑ Wood: After missing much of 2011 due to injury, Wood, who led the Wolverines in relief appearances as a junior in 2010 with 21, looks to solidify the back end of the bullpen. Sophomore outfielder Michael Players To Watch Fifth-year senior pitcher Kolby O'Neill: The only .300 hitter for the Maize and Blue last season (.307), the Ohio native and former Buck- eyes fan, who finished second on the team with 29 RBI, looks to avoid a sophomore slump and bolster a Michigan lineup that needs to dras- tically increase production in 2012. Redshirt junior pitcher Bobby Brosnahan: Hopes were high for Brosnahan in 2011, but he struggled out of the gate and finished with a 1-9 record and 7.82 ERA. Still, the southpaw from Ann Arbor has the potential to step up and excel for Michigan's starting rotation. MARCH 2012 THE WOLVERINE 105