Michigan to Host Central Michigan in Midweek Game

THIS WEEK
Wednesday, March 28 -- vs. Central Michigan (Wilpon Complex), 4 p.m.
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Hot off a 3-0 weekend that featured a sweep of Big Ten-rival Michigan State to jump-start the conference schedule, the University of Michigan baseball team will return to non-conference action on Wednesday (March 28) for a midweek game against in-state foe Central Michigan. The game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium.

• Wednesday's game will mark the second contest of a seven-game homestand for the Wolverines. Prior to a win at Michigan State on Saturday (March 24), the Wolverines hosted a seven-game homestand during which they won six-straight games at Ray Fisher Stadium. In total, Michigan is set to play 24 home games this year.

• Overall, the Maize and Blue is 7-1 at home after dropping its home opener on March 14 and responding with seven straight wins when playing at Ray Fisher Stadium. Through eight games played at the Wilpon Complex, the Wolverines have posted a .322 batting average with 66 runs scored in addition to a 3.12 earned run average.

• Michigan is on an eight-game win streak after dropping its home opener to Lawrence Tech (March 14). Since March 15, the Wolverines have a combined .313 batting average and outscored their opponents, 66-30. Michigan has also compiled a .449 slugging percentage and .410 on-base percentage during that period, with 20 doubles and five home runs. From the mound, the Wolverine pitching staff has posted a 2.88 ERA with 64 strikeouts.

• Junior outfielder Jonathan Engelmann was named Big Ten Conference Co-Player of the Week on Monday (March 26). Engelmann ended the week with a .429 batting average over six games that included nine hits, two homers and 13 runs batted in. The junior had a career performance on Friday (March 23) in the Big Ten Conference opener, when he went 4-for-5 and came up a single shy of hitting for the cycle with a double, triple and two home runs. Engelmann recorded a hit in all but one game, but scored the go-ahead run in his only hitless effort -- a come-from-behind victory at Michigan State on Saturday (March 24). The conference honor marked the first of his career, and he shared the award with Bren Spillane from Illinois.

• Michigan's leadoff man, junior Ako Thomas, has reached base in all 23 of this season's games after he put together a run of 38 consecutive games in which he reached base safely last year. Thomas leads the Wolverine starters in runs (19), walks (16), doubles (nine) and on-base percentage (.405). He also recorded the two-out, bases-loaded game-winning hit last week in a 7-6 walk-off victory over Western Michigan (March 21).

• To date, freshman Jordan Nwogu leads Michigan hitters with a .391 batting average, .609 slugging percentage and .482 on-base percentage through 15 games played. Engelmann leads everyday starters with a .322 batting average and .478 slugging percentage after starting every game in center field. Sophomore Christan Bullock leads the Maize and Blue with nine stolen bases.

• Central Michigan will enter the week with a 7-16-1 overall record and a 2-1 record in conference. The Chippewas are 2-3 against Big Ten opponents this season after picking up wins over Northwestern and Michigan State but will come into the week after winning a series against NIU to kick off Mid-American Conference play last weekend. Redshirt freshman Griffin Lockwood-Powell leads the Chips with a .351 batting average and a .507 on-base percentage through 20 games played.

• Michigan and Central Michigan first met in 1956, with the Wolverines taking the game by an 8-5 score. Since then, the Wolverines own a 42-30-2 record over the Chippewas. The teams met three times during the 2017 season, with Michigan taking the first two contests before Central Michigan took the third in by a 4-3 score in May. Since 2012, the teams have met 11 times, and both of Michigan's losses during that span have come by just one run.

• After losing 15 players at the end of the 2017 season, including a program-record 11 in the Major League Baseball Draft, the Maize and Blue added 14 players to its roster in the offseason. The roster additions included 12 freshmen and two junior college transfers that hail from seven different states, and the Wolverine recruiting class was ranked No. 10 by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, marking the highest ranking ever for a Big Ten recruiting class.