Michigan Tops San Jose State for Fourth Consecutive Win

Monday, February 27

Stockton, Calif.

5:00 PM PT

Michigan

6-2

San Jose State

3-4

Michigan

SJSU

Michigan Tops San Jose State for Fourth Consecutive Win

2/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 28, 2017

» Seniors Michael Brdar and Harrison Wenson each picked up a solo home run in the victory. The blast was Brdar's first of the season and Wenson's second in two days.
» Junior RHP Alec Rennard tossed a career-high six complete innings in the effort, striking out a career-high nine.
» Michigan is now 4-0 for the first half of its spring break trip and will resume play Wednesday (March 1).

• Box Score

Site: Stockton, Calif. (Banner Island Ballpark)
Score: Michigan 6, San Jose State 2
Records: U-M (6-2), SJSU (3-4)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, March 1 -- at Loyola Marymount (Los Angeles, Calif.), 6 p.m. PST

STOCKTON, Calif. -- Backed by a four-run second inning and solo home runs from Michael Brdar and Harrison Wenson, the University of Michigan baseball team wrapped up the first half of an eight-game spring break trip with a 6-2 victory over San Jose State on Monday evening (Feb. 28) at Banner Island Ballpark.

The game was originally scheduled to be played in San Jose but was moved to the home of the Stockton Ports, single-A affiliate of the Oakland A's, due to weather-related field conditions.

The Wolverines are now 4-0 through the first half of their spring break trip.

Junior transfer Alec Rennard started the game for Michigan in his second career appearance and tossed a career-high six complete innings while allowing just two runs. He walked none and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts in 25 batters faced.

Junior lefty Austin Batka and senior righty Jackson Lamb combined to pitch the last three innings of the contest, recording a combined three strikeouts and holding San Jose State scoreless with just two hits.

As a pitching staff, Michigan struck out a season-high 12 batters, breaking the previous season record of 11 set Sunday (Feb. 26) at Santa Clara.

Neither team scored in the first inning, but the Wolverines put up four runs in the top of the second and the lead was set from there. Wenson led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a balk and took third on a wild pitch. From there, Brdar sent an RBI single to rightfield, and a walk to sophomore Nick Poirier gave Michigan two runners on the bases. One out and a fielder's choice later, Michigan had runners on the corners and ran an elusive first-and-third play that allowed Brdar to score and senior Johnny Slater to safely steal second. With two down still, sophomore Ako Thomas followed with an RBI single, and he scored from second later in the inning when junior Jake Bivens reached on an outfield single that resulted in a San Jose State error.

San Jose State rallied for one run on three hits in the bottom of the second inning to cut the deficit to three, but Michigan got one back quickly in the top of the third, as Brdar sent a solo home run over the leftfield wall. The homer is his first of the season.

The Spartans answered in the bottom of the same inning, plating one run on back-to-back singles and an RBI double.

Following the third, Michigan held on to a 5-2 for the next five innings, despite stranding a runner in every at-bat. In the top of the ninth, however, Wenson put the Wolverines back up by four with his second homer of the season, a solo shot to straight-away centerfield.

Overall, Michigan recorded 11 hits on the night, walked seven times and tallied a season-high five extra-base hits.

The Wolverines were also speedy on the bases, stealing five bags and forcing three San Jose State errors with their running game.

Tweet of the Day

T3 | Two outs? No problem.

Brdar picks up his first homer of the year to put us up 5-1. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Cur3K53M8w

-- Michigan Baseball (@umichbaseball) February 28, 2017

Following a day of travel, Michigan will return to play in the second half of its spring break trip with a Wednesday evening (March 1) contest at Loyola Marymount. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. PST in Los Angeles, California.

Communications Contact: Katie Gwinn Hewitt