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University of Michigan Club Baseball
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Michigan Club Baseball Tryouts 2009
Michigan Club Baseball will be holding tryouts for the 2009-2010 team on Thursday, September 17th, at Ray Fisher Stadium (the varsity baseball complex) beginning at 6:30pm. Show up around 6:10 to check in and get loose. Please bring $20 to tryouts for the facility fee and come with a glove and spikes in proper baseball attire. If you have any more questions contact an officer. It is going to be another great year for the Wolverines so come to tryouts and help get the year rolling.
GO BLUE!!!
Festifall Information Session
Welcome back to another exciting year of Michigan Club Baseball! After winning the Great Lakes North Conference and making it to the NCBA Sweet 16 in the 2008-2009 Season, the Wolverines are looking to continue their dominance in the 2009-2010 year and we want YOU to come try out for the team. For more information on tryouts, come visit the Michigan Club Baseball table at Festifall at the Central Campus Diag on Thursday, September 10th, 2009. Festifall takes place from 11:00am to 4:00pm. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact an officer. We hope to see you on September 10th!
GO BLUE!!!
Stark Highlights Great Lakes All Region Team
June 12, 2009
Justin Stark was named First-Team Great Lakes All Region while 3 other Wolverines were honored as members of the third team. Justin had an outstanding senior year serving as the ace of the conference championship staff. Justin posted a perfect 5-0 record with a minuscule 2.24 ERA and led the region in complete games (3) and innings pitched (44.33). In addition to this high honor, over the course of the 7 week season, Stark was named Great Lakes North Conference Pitcher of the Week 3 times. Justin was the leader of the bullpen and his wisdom, along with his ability, will be greatly missed.
Representing Michigan as Third-Team Great Lakes All Region selections were senior second baseman Andrew Blanco, junior relief pitcher Mike Bauman, and sophomore starting pitcher Pat Morrison. Blanco was the leader of the Wolverine infield and consistently posted solid numbers at the plate from the bottom of the order, finishing the season at .283 and a .407 on base percentage. Bauman was the go-to pitcher out of the pen all year and most noted for his saves against Central Michigan to secure the league title and against Miami (OH) to move on to the next round of regionals. Mike only allowed 3 earned runs all year with an ERA of 3.80 and an average of 5 strikeouts per nine innings. Morrison, the sophomore, has a bright future ahead of him as he posted phenomenal numbers this year as a regular Game 1 starter. Pat finished the year at 3-2 while boasting an ERA of 2.37 across his 38 innings pitched.
Congratulations to all of the Great Lakes All Region Honorees and once again, congratulations to the Michigan Club Baseball team for a fantastic season.
GO BLUE!!!
Schiro and Stark Earn Conference Accolades
May 14, 2009
Anthony Schiro and Justin Stark were honored by the Great Lakes North for their phenomenal work at the Huntingburg Regional. Schrio led the Michigan offense for the weekend, recording 5 hits with 2 walks and 3 stolen bases. Stark extended his scoreless inning streak to 14 innings with a dominant shut out against Regional Champions, Illinois. Justin finished the season with a 5-0 record, including 3 complete games.
GO BLUE!!!
U of M Outlasted by Illinois
May 10, 2009
The Michigan Club Baseball team (14-6) lost two straight games to the University of Illinois, whose pitching depth never seemed to end. Relief pitching blunders led to the 9-4 loss in Game 1. However, the Wolverine’s were highlighted at the plate by 2 RBIs from Zack Ehrmann and 2 hits apiece from Trevor Nutt and Anthony Schiro. U of M couldn’t seem to get anything going in the 6-0 loss in Game 2 where a few early inning errors dug a hole for the Good Guys. As it has been all season, Michigan didn’t go down without a fight as they scattered 6 hits in the game but could not string any together. Highlighting the offense against the hard-throwing Illini was senior Captain David Ball who was 1-1 on the day. Freshman Spencer Nimmo got the start and pitched well, giving a glimpse into the bright future of the Michigan Wolverines. Next season, Michigan Club Baseball brings back 7 starters in the field and 2 starting pitchers as they will do whatever they can to win the Great Lakes North for the second year in a row and make it back to Huntingburg, Indiana.
This concludes a spectacular season for the team and the exceptional NCBA careers for the 8 seniors. The seniors are pictured from left to right as follows:
Kyle Lewis – Outfield
Justin Stark – Pitcher
Andrew Blanco – Second Base
Ryan Jock – Outfield
David Ball – First Base, Captain
Tim Link – Catcher, Captain, Co-President
Alex Gavern – Catcher, Captain, Co-President
Philip Scott – Designated Hitter
The team thanks all of you for all of the hard work and commitment that you have put into Michigan Club Baseball over the past four years and we wish you great success in all of your future endeavors.
GO BLUE!!!
Michigan Ends Day 1 in Driver's Seat
May 9, 2009
The 3rd seeded Michigan Wolverines (14-4) turned some heads in Huntingburg, Indiana after defeating 2nd seeded Miami with a score 3-2 and shutting out top seeded Illinois, 3-0. The Wolverines will be waiting in the wings on Sunday to take on the winner of the Illinois vs. Miami semifinal in this two-game elimination tournament.
In the first game of the day against Miami, Pat Morrison(3-2) baffled the hard hitting Redhawks in his 6 innings of work. The sophomore scattered 7 hits and didn’t walk a batter while allowing two earned runs. Junior closer Mike Bauman got the call in the 7th and started the leadoff hitter with a 3-0 count before battling back to strike him out. One Redhawk single and one 4-6-3 double-play later, Bauman tallied the save and the Wolverines were 1-0. At the plate against Miami, senior Captain Tim Link led the way, going 2-2 with 2 huge RBIs that tied the score at 2 in the top of the 6th. In the top of the 7th, senior Phil Scott drove in the winning run with one of his two singles on the day. Also performing well at the plate was Trevor Nutt who carded a triple and Anthony Schiro who had 2 hits and 2 stolen bases.
Justin Stark (5-0) was in the zone for the second half of the twin bill as he claimed his shutout victory in extraordinary fashion. Justin held the perennial powerhouse, Illinois, to just 4 hits and allowed only one walk. The Michigan offense pushed runs across in the 3rd and 4th innings and three runs was more than enough for Stark to work with. Zack Ehrmann and Eric Milanowski stepped up big, each recording two hits. Junior Will Ludlow and freshman Kurt Roubal each doubled and scored a run in the contest.
Michigan will play the winner of Sunday morning’s game between Miami and Illinois for the championship and a right to go to the NCBA World Series in Fort Myers, Florida. Michigan needs only one victory to advance, but must be beaten two games in a row to be eliminated.
GO BLUE!!!
Michigan Club Baseball Photos
Photos following the 2009 Michigan Club Baseball Season can be found at the following website:
www.okemossports.com
GOBLUE!!!
Stark Honored by Conference
May 6, 2009
Justin Stark was recognized for his outstanding performances against Central Michigan to lead the Wolverines to the Great Lakes Regional Tournament. Due to rain, Stark was able to pitch two games against the Chippewas and coming out victorious in both. Stark pitched 14 total innings allowing a mere 3 runs off of 9 hits while also tallying 3 strikeouts. This improves Justin’s season record to 4-0, including 2 complete game victories.
GO BLUE!!!
U of M Takes Conference Crown
May 3, 2009
The University of Michigan Club Baseball (12-4) team took two games from Central Michigan to lock up the Great Lakes North Conference Title. The first game was a rainy extra inning thriller where Eric Milanowski led the way with three hits and a late-inning home run that kept Michigan in the game. Captain Alex Gavern also went deep for the Wolverines in the top of the second inning. Justin Stark (4-0) pitched 7 dominant innings of 4-hit baseball and coming out of the game with a 5-3 lead. Mike Bauman came in to close in the 8th and recorded his first save of the season by retiring the Chippewas 1-2-3.
Rain halted the series for the time being, but The Club came back to Mt. Pleasant at the beginning of May after accepting a forfeit victory from Western Michigan. Michigan dropped the first game against CMU, 1-2, and bounced back to win the second game. Fortunately for the Wolverines, Ferris State managed to take a game away from Michigan State, giving the outright conference crown to The University of Michigan.
In the first game against CMU, Pat Morrison (2-2) held the Chips to only 4 hits but Michigan managed only 3 hits and couldn’t push an equalizing run across the plate. In traditional season fashion, however, Michigan bounced back for the victory behind the arm of Stark and the bats of fellow seniors Ryan Jock (1 hit, 1 run scored), Philip Scott (1 hit, 1 RBI), and Kyle Lewis (2 hits).
The Michigan Club Baseball team will now head to Great Lakes Regionals in Huntingburg, Indiana where they will square off against fellow conference champions, Northwestern University, Miami (OH) University, and the University of Illinois. Congratulations to the new Great Lakes North Conference Champions!
GO BLUE!!!
Photos from FSU Series
April 19, 2009
A special thank you to Mr. Schiro for taking these great pictures from our series against Ferris State. The pictures can be found at the following website:
www.okemossports.com
GO BLUE!!!
Michigan Freshmen Slow Down Zips
April 17, 2009
The future looks bright for Michigan Club Baseball (9-3) as the underclassmen stepped up big on Friday night and downed the University of Akron 4-2. The Wolverines battled their way through all 8 innings until the game was called on account of darkness at Veteran’s Park in Ann Arbor. Freshman Spencer Nimmo got the start for The Club and was dominant in all three innings pitched. Nimmo struck out 2 and only allowed 1 hit. Freshman right fielder Anthony Estrada managed to cross the plate in the bottom of the 1st after leading off the inning by drawing one of his three walks on the game. The Wolverines scored again in the third when veteran outfielder Ryan Jock got things started with a double and was brought in on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Trevor Nutt.
Sophomore Mike Maas was next to take the hill and he did a fine job silencing the Zips’ offense. Maas also pitched for three innings where he scattered three hits and allowed one unearned run that narrowed the Wolverine lead to 2-1. Michigan seemed to be on the verge of a rally in the 4th when freshman Scott Hansen hit a deep double over the center fielders head, but they couldn’t manage to get any runs on the board. In addition to Hansen's solid offense, he made a handful of nice plays from his shortstop position, including the smooth turn of a double play to help get out of a jam.
Freshman Ken Kanzawa (1-1) then came on to pitch and shut down Akron in the top of the 7th, but the Zips pushed another unearned run across the plate in the top of the 8th to knot the score at 2-2. With more highlights from the freshman class, infielder Brett Smith led off the bottom of the 8th with one of his two hits against the hard-throwing closer from Akron. Then Anthony Schiro, the sophomore, came on to pinch run and stole two bases (14-14 on the year), including home, on a 1st and 3rd play, to give the Wolverines the lead, 3-2. Michigan then put up an insurance run on an RBI walk from sophomore Zach Ehrmann. Jock, the senior, led the way with two hits including his double in the 3rd. Smith also had 2 hits, Nutt had 2 RBI, and Kanzawa only allowed one hit in his pitching victory while fanning one Akron batter.
Michigan Club Baseball will resume conference play next weekend, April 25th and April 26th, against defending conference champions, Central Michigan University. The Wolverines will be looking to clinch the conference title, their second in 4 years. We hope to see plenty of fans cheering on the Maize n’ Blue in Mt. Pleasant for some big games against the Chippewas.
GO BLUE!!!
Sophomore Pitcher Nabs Conference Recognition
April 15, 2009
Right handed pitcher Patrick Morrison was honored by the Great Lakes North as the Conference Pitcher of the Week for his outstanding efforts against Ferris State this past weekend. Pat threw a complete game, striking out three, giving up six hits and two walks, while surrendering three runs. Pat looks to lead the Wolverines to a conference title when they resume conference play April 25th at Central Michigan University.
Also worth noting: Outfielder Trevor Nutt was also spectacular this weekend, going 7-12 (.583) with a double, a homer, 4 RBI, 2 runs scored, and a stolen base.
GO BLUE!!!
First Place Wolverines Take Series from Bulldogs
April 15, 2009
The University of Michigan Club Baseball Team (8-3) finished the weekend in first place of the Great Lakes North Conference for the third week in a row. Michigan came out strong against the Ferris State Bulldogs (2-6, 5-8) and took both games of the double header on Saturday, only to lose a heartbreaker 5-3 on Sunday. For the weekend, the Wolverines tallied a total 35 hits, including 27 on Saturday, for their highest weekend total of the season.
Michigan racked up 10 runs on a season high 14 hits in Game One to give solid run support to starting pitcher, Pat Morrison (2-1). Morrison went all 7 innings in the 10-3 victory and needed only 77 pitches to do so. He scattered six hits and struck out three. Offensively, the Wolverines were led by freshman short stop Kurt Roubal who was 3-3 with 3 RBI, a double, and a walk. Kurt also shined in the field the entire weekend, converting on all 12 chances at short stop and turning two spectacular double plays. Also playing a large role in the Michigan rallies were seniors Dave Ball, Andrew Blanco, and Phil Scott. Ball was 2-2 with 3 runs scored and 2 base on balls, Blanco was 2-2 with 2 RBI, and Scott managed to leg out a triple in the 6th inning to seal the deal for the Maize n’ Blue. Everyone up and down the lineup contributed as each starter tallied at least one hit.
The Wolverines carried the momentum over into Game Two behind senior starting pitcher, Justin Stark (2-0), to get the 9-4 victory. Stark went a solid 6 innings and struck out three before handing the ball over to Mike Bauman to close out the game. There were more fireworks at the plate for Michigan who poked 13 total hits highlighted by the handiwork of sophomore Trevor Nutt and junior Eric Milanowski. Nutt was on fire, going 3-4 and smashing a 3-run homer in the bottom of the fourth while Milanowski matched him step-for step, as he also went 3-4 with two doubles and an RBI of his own. Blanco stayed hot as well, tallying two more hits and two runs scored. Also on the highlight reel was the stellar defensive play of catcher Alex Gavern who added some clips with his acrobatic catches from behind the dish.
Carrying a 6-game winning streak into Easter Sunday, the booming Wolverine bats slowed a little bit in the nine inning matchup with the Bulldogs, but they didn’t go down without a fight in the 5-3 loss. Ben Verdi (2-0) got the call to pitch game three and he was outstanding in 7 innings of work, allowing just 1 earned run (2 total) on just 2 hits, and striking out 4 with only 71 pitches. FSU put up two runs in the 4th inning and UofM answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Michigan struck again in the 6th after Milanowski singled, moved around the bases, and was brought home on a deep sac-fly by Gavern. In the 8th inning with the score knotted at 2-2 and freshman Spencer Nimmo on the hill, the Wolverines suffered a series of errors to allow 3 unearned runs cross the plate. Now trailing 5-3, the Wolverines kept battling, pushing across another run in the bottom of the 8th courtesy of a leadoff single by Will Ludlow and an RBI single by Anthony Schiro. Nimmo shut them down in the top of the 9th and the first two Wolverine batters reached base in the bottom, but Michigan ran out of firepower to bring them home and suffered their third loss of the season.
Michigan will continue play this Friday, April 17th, with a nonconference matchup against the Akron Zips at Veterans Park in Ann Arbor at 6:30 PM. We hope to see plenty of fans there to watch their first place Michigan Wolverines!
GO BLUE!!!
Michigan Completes the Sweep
April 7, 2009
The Michigan Wolverines (6-2) put together their first weekend sweep of the season against the Timberwolves of Northwood University (2-4) to place them comfortably at the top of the Great Lakes North Conference Standings. The three games were all team victories where each player did his part to help the team win. The collective effort included excellence in all aspects of the game at certain points throughout the weekend - from pitching to clutch hitting, from base running to turning the double play, all with constant intensity in the dugout.
The double header Saturday brought a pair of triumphs to the Maize n’ Blue in nail biting fashion as both games were won in the bottom of the 7th inning with two outs. Per usual, Pat Morrison took the hill in game one to throw a masterful complete game shut out. Morrison managed to allow no earned runs on just four hits and a mere 85 pitches. Michigan got on the board first in the second inning after first baseman, David Ball, singled to lead off the inning and was brought home by freshman, Kurt Roubal. Northwood began staging a big inning in the 3rd after two costly U of M errors, but Morrison limited the damage to only one run courtesy of a swiftly turned 6-4-3 double play. The 1-1 lock carried all the way to the bottom of the seventh inning when Andrew Blanco reached base to lead off the inning and then the speedy Ben Verdi was substituted in to pinch run. Verdi took second base and was moved to third on a beautiful sacrifice bunt by Anthony Schiro. With two outs and runners on first and third, senior Phil Scott ripped a grounder over third base to bring Verdi home and give the Wolverines the victory.
The Wolverines couldn’t manage to score a run in the first inning of game two, but consistently manufactured runs in every inning after that. Roubal got things going with one of his two hits in the game, an RBI single, to bring home Alex Gavern in the bottom of the second. Michigan kept battling at the plate and put up runs for right handed pitcher, Justin Stark, but had trouble making plays in the field at times and that would allow the Timberwolves to push across three unearned runs. Stark kept U of M in the game throughout his 4 and 1/3 innings pitched with double play balls, big strikeouts, and a little help from his catcher, Gavern, who mowed down everyone who tried to take a base. Stark was then relieved by junior, Mike Bauman, who entered in the 5th inning with one out, runners on second and third, and a 5-3 advantage for Northwood. Bauman managed to stop the bleeding, retiring the next two batters without letting in a run. Halting the rally was just what the Wolverines needed as they clawed their way back into the game with RBI singles from Gavern and second baseman, Andrew Blanco to narrow the Timberwolf lead to 6-5. With two outs in the bottom of the 7th inning and time running out for the good guys, up to the plate stepped Zach Ehrmann who got the Wolverine rally going on his former home field, West Bloomfield High School, by singling up the middle to bring in the pinch runner, Verdi, and knot the score at 6-6. Then in came the fast freshman, Anthony Estrada to steal second base and move to third on a passed ball. Up at the plate was the senior leader, Blanco, who brought in Estrada with a rip to right field giving him his second RBI of the game and a 7-6 success for Michigan.
After Saturday, everyone knew Ben Verdi could run. If you didn’t know already, you now know that Ben Verdi can also pitch. Verdi pitched 8 of the 9 innings on Sunday and carried his no hitter into the 6th. His performance was highlighted by his season high, 6 strikeouts and only two base on balls. Michigan managed to capitalize on Northwood mistakes, reaching base 18 times on only 6 hits to score 8 runs. Anthony Schiro was the talk of the day, reaching base four times and managing to steal 5 bases. Schiro is 11 for 11 on the season in stolen bases and leads the team in that category. Ehrmann and Blanco also managed to put up some more big numbers of their own, blasting a 2 RBI triple in the 8th inning and scoring three runs on the day, respectively. To close out the game and get the sweep for Michigan was freshman, Spencer Nimmo coming out of the bullpen to retire Northwood 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th.
It was a great weekend for the Wolverines as they move to 6-2 on the season and the lone team in first place in the Great Lakes North Conference. Next weekend Michigan will take on the Ferris State Bulldogs (1-4, 4-6) at Milan High School with a double header slated for noon on Saturday and a single, 9 inning game at 1:00 on Sunday. We hope to see plenty of fans there to cheer on their 1st place Wolverines!
GO BLUE!!!
Michigan Splits Double Header with WMU
March 31, 2009
Michigan traveled west to Battle Creek to take on the Broncos of Western Michigan University and came out with one win and one loss on Saturday while Sunday’s scheduled 9 inning game was postponed due to inclement weather. The split is still good enough for U of M to hang on to that first place spot in the Great Lakes North Conference due to the head to head tie breaker with Michigan State.
In Game 1, Sophomore Pat Morrison pitched very well to a Bronco team with solid bats and speed throughout the lineup. Morrison hung in there for 5 innings allowing 4 runs (3 earned) off eight hits. The silent Wolverine bats couldn’t build up enough support, only tallying four hits in the 7-2 loss. A bright spot did show in the 2 RBI single by Phil Scott in the top of the 6th to narrow WMU’s lead to 4-2, but that didn’t hold them off for long as they came back with 3 runs in the bottom half of the inning.
On the flip side of the twin bill, the Maize n’ Blue came out of the back and forth battle as victors. WMU started off with a run in the first off of senior ace Justin Stark, but U of M quickly responded in the top of the second when freshman short stop Kurt Roubal singled home Will Ludlow, who walked earlier in the inning. Captain Alex Gavern continued his hot streak with a double in the 4th inning and coming home to score after a textbook sacrifice fly by outfielder Kyle Lewis. Roubal also added a double in the 4th and was driven in on a triple by leadoff man, Eric Milanowski. Stark continued to battle on the mound and came out after 6.33 innings with a 5-4 lead. From there, right hander Jay Novak took over and brought the Wolverines back to the plate, locked in a 5-5 tie after stopping the bleeding in the 6th. After a lead off single and a stolen base by Ludlow, Gavern sacrificed his at bat and moved Ludlow to third. Cue Trevor Nutt. Nutt stepped in as a pinch hitter and came through in the clutch with a double to bring Ludlow home and tally the score at 6-5. Novak came out strong in the bottom of the 7th and retired the Broncos 1-2-3 to earn the victory.
It was a good weekend for all of the Wolverines, especially Eric Milanowski, who practically did it all on Saturday. Milanowski came out of the double header 4-7 with two singles, a double, a triple, a walk, two stolen bases, two runs scored, and an RBI.
Michigan Club Baseball will continue Great Lakes North play this weekend with the first series of a two weekend home stand against the Northwood Timberwolves. There will be a double header on Saturday at Veterans Park in Ann Arbor and a single 9 inning game on Sunday at Milan High School. Come cheer on the Wolverines this weekend in their hunt for first place in the Great Lakes North.
GO BLUE!!!
Gavern and Stark Claim Conference Honor
March 26, 2009
Congratulations to seniors Alex Gavern and Justin Stark who were named Great Lakes North Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week. Both players dominated in their respective aspects of the game helping Michigan come away with two big conference wins against rival, Michigan State. Alex boasted a .500 average at the plate in the opening weekend, going 4-8 with 2 doubles and 5 RBIs. Stark was all but perfect on the mound, throwing a 7-inning, complete game shutout while surrendering only 2 hits and striking out 8. Gavern, Stark, and the rest of the Wolverines look to carry that momentum into this weekend when they will face Western Michigan University in hopes of hanging on to the first place spot in the conference.
GO BLUE!!!
Michigan Opens Season with 2-1 Series Victory
March 22, 2009
The Michigan Club Baseball Team (2-1) was almost perfect this weekend as they opened NCBA Great Lakes North Conference play stealing the series away from conference rival, Michigan State (3-4). Baseball chatter was in the air this brisk March weekend as the Wolverines dropped an extra-inning heartbreaker in their season opener, only to come back and dominate the next two games with overpowing pitching and extravagant hitting. Michigan pitchers were dominant the entire weekend with each of the starters going 7 strong innings and allowing only 1 total earned run. The Wolverines were also solid at the plate, highlighted by home runs from Eric Milanowski, Will Ludlow, and Trevor Nutt.
In Game 1, Pat Morrison took the mound and was on top of his game. He finished his dominant performance after the 7th inning scattering 7 hits, striking out 3, and allowing no base on balls. Michigan State struck first in the 3rd inning due to some costly errors and timely hitting, but this didn’t get the Wolverines down as they came back in the 5th with a run of their own courtesy of Tim Link’s base hit to right bringing Milanowski home for the score. The 1-1 tie extended into the 8th inning and the Wolverines couldn’t hang on, but showed a lot of heart and fight throughout the entire 2-1 loss.
Michigan showed how strong a team they are as they bounced back for a 9-0 victory in Game 2 with more impressive pitching, team intensity, and explosive bats. Justin Stark was nearly unhittable from the bump in his complete game shut out. Stark allowed just 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 8 on only 81 pitches. The Wolverines got on the board in the second inning when team captain Alex Gavern doubled to the right-center gap bringing home Ludlow and designated hitter, Phil Scott. After putting up two more runs in the 4th, the Maize n’ Blue exploded for three runs thanks to the homers from Ludlow and Milanowski. They weren’t done yet, though, as senior captain Dave Ball doubled to score senior second baseman, Andrew Blanco, and then getting around the bases himself after a hard single by Scott. Gavern and Ludlow finished the game with three hits while Scott and Milanowski finished up with two hits apiece.
Anthony Schiro. Ben Verdi. Michigan Hit Parade. That pretty much sums up the 11-0 mercy victory over the Spartans for the final game of the series. The freshman, Schiro, was magnificent in left field putting away 6 MSU batters including a spectacular diving play to get the last out of the game. Schiro’s skills aren’t limited to the field, however, as he finished 2-4 from the plate with a double and two runs scored. Sophomore Ben Verdi did a tremendous job baffling opposing hitters and needing only 83 pitches for his 7-inning, complete game shut out. The hit parade was lead by junior first baseman Zach Ehrmann who finished the day with two doubles and two RBI. Also recording two hits were Trevor Nutt, who managed to send one deep over the left field fence, and Phil Scott, who reached base in all four of his at bats.
It was a great weekend for Michigan Club Baseball and they will look to continue their winning ways in Battle Creek next weekend where they will take on the Western Michigan Broncos. Hope to see you all there!
GO BLUE!!!
Michgan Wolverines Club Baseball 2009
Welcome back Wolverine fans to another exciting season of Michigan Club Baseball. The club brings back a strong core of seniors and other experienced players as well as a class of top notch rookies. After a 7-12 finish last year, the Wolverines will be battling for a Great Lakes North Conference Championship with some of the best teams in the country. Both Central Michigan, who made a trip to the National Club Baseball Association World Series last season, and Michigan State are ranked in the national preseason poll.
This year the team will be taken over by the four year veteran catching tandem Alex Gavern and Tim Link. They have put their heads together to build a top tier squad and prepared them to play hustle and fundamental baseball. Aside from their managerial duties, they look to get back on the field and build off the excellent seasons they both had last year. The senior class also brings back lefty first baseman Dave Ball who was second on the team in hitting last year, batting .345, and big-game pitcher Justin Stark who led the team in wins and boasted a 2.86 ERA. Rounding out the senior class will be second baseman Andrew Blanco who looks to bounce back off an injury that required him to miss most of the season last year.
Last season, junior infielder Will Ludlow led the team in home runs and runs scored while ranking second in total hits. His leadership and intensity will be necessary to put big numbers in the win column. The junior class is also highlighted by the return of leadoff man Eric Milanowski, who did not play his sophomore season. Eric brings back a strong arm and a high on base percentage that could have been what the team was missing last season. Also coming back is sure handed Curtiss Flexter who is battling for a starting role at second base. The juniors are showing off a solid core of pitchers who will be looked to carry much of the load on the mound this season. Jay Novak, who shined in a relief pitcher role last season, could become a regular in the rotation this year after proving himself in pressure situations. Adam Bemis brings back his devastating knuckle ball that baffles hitters so much, all they can do is watch it go by and giggle. Right handed pitcher Mike Bauman rounds out the junior class coming off an impressive rookie season, leading the team in strikeouts and ERA.
Aside from the abundance of senior leadership, this core of talented sophomores could be the key to success of U of M this spring. This group is anchored by the accurate and improved arm of right hander Pat “Dreads” Morrison and the bats of Zach Ehrmann and Trevor Nutt. Last season Pat was a regular starter in the rotation, and much more will be expected of him this year with a season of experience under his belt. At the plate, Ehrmann led the team in batting average hitting .406 and Nutt’s resume includes ranking first in total hits, RBIs, and stolen bases while putting on a highlight reel from his center field position. Benjamin “Ben” Verdi adds a cherry to the top of this sophomore class with his impressive pitching repertoire, short stopping, and speed on the base paths.
A solid rookie class is highlighted by probable starting short stop, Kurt Roubal. Kurt’s soft hands, slender physique, and quick bat will be welcomed with open arms into the lineup. Other freshmen looking to immediately contribute are speedy outfielders Anthony Estrada and Anthony “Grady Sizemore” Schiro. They will be competing for a starting role along with Delawarean infielder Brett Smith, Ann Arbor native Ken Kanzawa, and pitcher/short stop combo Scott Hansen. Spencer Nimmo brings an interesting combination of pitches to the mound including a powerful fastball complimented by a nasty splitter. They will all be heavily relied on to stay on top of their games, become acclimated with NCBA baseball, and be ready to make significant contributions in the 2009 season.
The Wolverines start out their season against their conference rivals, the Michigan State Spartans. This series will take place in East Lansing, MI with two 7 inning games on Saturday, March 21, and one 9 inning game on Sunday, March 22. We hope to see plenty of fans there supporting the Maize and Blue.
Go Blue!
Michigan Club Baseball Stats - 2008
Stats
Great Lakes North Upcoming Games
| Wednesday, Mar 17 | | University of Michigan @ Concordia University | 1:00pm | TBA | | Concordia University @ University of Michigan | 4:00pm | TBA | | Saturday, Mar 27 | | University of Michigan @ Northwood University | 12:00pm | TBA | | University of Michigan @ Northwood University | 3:30pm | TBA | | Sunday, Mar 28 | | University of Michigan @ Northwood University | 1:00pm | TBA | | Friday, Apr 2 | | Michigan State University @ University of Michigan | 6:00pm | TBA | | Saturday, Apr 3 | | Michigan State University @ University of Michigan | 12:00pm | TBA | | Michigan State University @ University of Michigan | 3:30pm | TBA | | Saturday, Apr 10 | | University of Michigan @ Ferris State University | 12:00pm | TBA | | University of Michigan @ Ferris State University | 3:30pm | TBA | | Sunday, Apr 11 | | University of Michigan @ Ferris State University | 1:00pm | TBA | |
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For a complete schedule listing, click here!
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