(OMAHA, Neb.)—-The Michigan Wolverines barely earned their way into the NCAA Tournament in mid-May, and to make things worse they had to get past the defending College World Series Champions, Oregon State, to even get to Super Regionals. Even then, they were looking at playing the best team in college baseball, UCLA, if they were able to even make it that far. Vegas would’ve laughed at the Wolverines if they were even worth the time. However, the postseason in any sport is about getting hot at the right time—and Michigan is scolding hot. After sneaking out of Corvallis, and besting the Bruins two-out-of-three to come to Omaha, they kept the blaze going in their first three games of the CWS as they head to the school’s first College World Series Finals since 1962 with a blowout win over Texas Tech.
At the beginning of the game, the bats were clicking for both squads. Michigan struck first in the bottom of the opening inning off of a Jimmy Kerr double to right field that brought Jesse Franklin from first base in to score. Kerr had a phenomenal outing, going 4-6 with three RBI’s including two home runs, and was the leading force for the Wolverines offense. Blake Nelson followed that at-bat with a single to left that scored Kerr from second base. Michigan would head to the second inning leading 2-0.
Texas Tech would answer the very next half inning, and they answered with command. With runners on first and second base, Dru Baker hit an RBI-single to put runners on the corners and cut the deficit to 2-1. Braxton Fulford would follow that with a greatly executed bunt to the pitcher, John McMillon, that would force him to hesitate and not only score the run from third but also help Fulford reach first base in time. Leadoff hitter, Easton Murrell, would hit a single to left field on the very next at-bat to give the Red Raiders a 3-2 lead. Michigan fans began to tense up at that moment, wondering what kind of game this would turn into. Little did they know from that moment on, the game was going to get blown wide open. Even more shocking, it was in favor of the Wolverines.
Michigan scored in every single inning but one, putting up as many as five in the sixth frame. Four players on Michigan’s starting lineup finished with two or more hits, and Texas Tech completely fell apart defensively. Their seven pitchers combined for a total of twelve bases on balls, and Hunter Dobbins would pitch the most out of any Red Raider pitcher—and he only pitched 2.1 innings. The sixth-inning proved to be the end of the Texas Tech season when Jordan Nwogu and Franklin each had 2-RBI hits and gave Michigan a 12-3 lead going into the seventh-inning. Both teams went into cruise control after that, and Michigan shocked the world with not only their presence in that caliber of a game, but the force they displayed as well.
Michigan would win by a final score of 15-3, and cap of one of the more miraculous postseason runs in NCAA history by advancing to the CWS Finals after being one of the last teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Murrell, Baker, and Fulford each finished with an RBI for Texas Tech. Franklin finished 3-5 with four RBI’s, and Nwogu added another three RBI’s as well. Every Michigan starter but one finished with at least one hit. Michigan awaits the winner of Louisville and Vanderbilt, which could potentially be a two-game series if Louisville can beat the Commodores tonight. Michigan is the first Big Ten team to appear in the CWS Finals since 1966.
