Michigan's CWS Journey Ends With Runner-up Finish After Loss to Vanderbilt

Wednesday, June 26

Omaha, Neb.

6:00 PM CT

Michigan

50-22

Vanderbilt

59-12

Michigan

Vanderbilt

Ako Thomas

Michigan's CWS Journey Ends With Runner-up Finish After Loss to Vanderbilt

6/26/2019 11:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Postgame Report Photo Gallery

By: Katie Gwinn Hewitt

Site: Omaha, Neb. (TD Ameritrade Park)
Event: NCAA College World Series Finals (Game 3)
Score: #2 Vanderbilt 8, Michigan 2
Records: U-M (50-22), Vanderbilt (59-12)
Next U-M Event: Season Completed

» Michigan scored a run in the first inning for the fifth time during the 2019 College World Series.
» The Wolverines finished the season with a 50-22 record, the program's most wins since 1987.
» The national runner-up finish is the first in program history for Michigan, which won titles in 1953 and 1962.
» Five Wolverines were named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team.

• Kornacki: Putting Baseball Program Back on National Map

OMAHA, Neb. -- The University of Michigan baseball team finished the 2019 season as the national runner-up after an 8-2 loss to Vanderbilt in game three of the College World Series Finals on Wednesday (June 26) at TD Ameritrade Park.

The Wolverines finished the season with a 50-22 record; their 50 wins are the most by a Michigan team since 1987. The national runner-up finish is the first in program history for Michigan, which won titles in 1953 and 1962.

Pitching on short rest, U-M starter Karl Kauffmann threw three innings and scattered three hits before leaving the game in the bottom of the fourth. He finished the season with 130.2 innings pitched, a program record, and is sixth on Michigan's all-time list with a 2.99 career earned-run average.

Sophomore Jeff Criswell closed out the game for the Wolverines with five innings of relief. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out seven with three walks.

Michigan got on the board on three consecutive hits to start off the first inning, which marked the fifth time during the College World Series that the Wolverines scored in the first inning. Senior Ako Thomas led off the game with a single and advanced to third base on a base hit to right field from sophomore Jesse Franklin. With runners on the corners, junior Jordan Brewer sent an 0-2 pitch to left field for an RBI single and a 1-0 U-M lead.

Vanderbilt evened the score in the bottom of the second with a leadoff home run, but Kauffmann answered with three straight strikeouts to end the frame.

The Commodores took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the third on three walks and two singles, and tacked on two more runs in the fourth to extend its lead to 6-1.

Neither team put runners on base through the fifth or sixth innings, but Vanderbilt took advantage of a walk and two singles in the seventh to extend its lead to six runs, 7-1.

Michigan got one run back in the eighth with a leadoff double from Franklin and an RBI double from senior Blake Nelson, but the Commodores added a final run in the bottom of the frame and brought their lead back to six runs at 8-2.

Five Wolverines were named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team, including Thomas, Franklin, sophomore Jack Blomgren, junior Tommy Henry, and senior Jimmy Kerr.