Michigan's 2017 Draft Class off and Running in the Minors

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team had 11 players selected in the MLB Draft in June, shattering the school's previous record of seven draftees. The record-breaking class tied with Texas to lead the nation in draftees and featured five position players and six pitchers.

Head Coach Erik Bakich has built on Michigan's strong draft legacy since taking over in 2012. Under Bakich's guidance, Michigan has produced more draftees with each successive year. Over the last 11 seasons, Bakich has coached 77 players that have been selected in the MLB Draft, including 22 draftees from Michigan, nine total first-round picks and 25 players selected in the first five rounds. With report dates coming almost immediately after signing, 10 of the 11 players made their minor-league debuts with their respective squads by the first week of July.

Infielder/Catcher Drew Lugbauer, selected in the 11th round by the Atlanta Braves, turned heads with a hot start for the Danville Braves. In 29 games in Danville, Lugbauer led the team in home runs (10) and RBI (27), and posted an OPS of .939 and slugging percentage of .573. He excelled defensively, earning a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 during his time with Danville. By the end of July, Lugbauer was called up to the Rome Braves (Class A), where he continued his dominance. Lugbauer demonstrated his ability to perform in the clutch throughout the summer, as he finished the season with a .375 batting average when hitting with two outs.

Pitcher Mac Lozer, taken in the 33rd round by the New York Mets, debuted in the minors on June 28, pitching one scoreless inning of relief for the Kingsport Mets. Perhaps Lozer's most impressive showing came under pressure on Aug. 10, with the Mets up, 6-5, in the bottom of the ninth. With the bases loaded and no outs, Lozer took command of the game from the mound. After striking out the first batter, Lozer got the next batter to fly out to shortstop while the third grounded into the game-ending force out. Lozer's clutch performance helped the Mets hold on for the win and earned Lozer his first career save. Lozer finished the season with two wins, three saves and boasted an impressive 1.65 WHIP.

Chosen in the 24th round by the Los Angeles Angels, catcher Harrison Wenson also got off to an outstanding start in the minors. Wenson wasted no time, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in his debut for the Orem Owlz. He continued to display his power potential, going 4-for-6 with a home run and three RBI less than two weeks later. In 36 games with the Owlz, Wenson posted impressive numbers that ranked among the top players on his team: 13 HR (T-1), 48 RBI (2) and .639 SLG (2).

Outfielder Johnny Slater, selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 28th round, had perhaps the hottest start among the drafted Wolverines. Slater homered in his first three games for the Everett Aquasox and was immediately promoted to the Clinton LumberKings (Class A) after just three days. Slater excelled defensively all season long and played all three outfield positions for the LumberKings. Slater went on to finish as the only player on the roster to play in more than 50 games and not commit an error.

It was a successful summer for the 2017 Wolverine draft class. Also contributing to their teams this summer were LHP Oliver Jaskie (Everett AquaSox), RHP Ryan Nutof (Billings Mustangs), infielder Jake Bivens (GCL Tigers West), LHP Michael Hendrickson (Mahoning Valley Scrappers & AZL Indians), LHP Grant Reuss (GCL Tigers West) and infielder Michael Brdar (GCL Cardinals). RHP Bryan Pall, selected in the 25th round by the Seattle Mariners, will join his fellow Wolverines in the minors next season once he recovers from offseason surgery.