Michigan
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Western Michigan
U-M Set to Kick Off Home Stretch with Two Midweek Games
4/8/2024 11:44:00 AM | Baseball
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team (14-18) hosts two midweek contests this week at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. On Tuesday (April 9), the Wolverines host Western Michigan in the season series decider after splitting four games to open the season. U-M will then host Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Wednesday (April 10). Both games will begin at 4 p.m. and be streamed live on B1G+.
Notes
• The Wolverines sit alone in third place in the Big Ten Conference after their third consecutive conference series win. Michigan lost a close game in extra innings on Friday at Iowa (April 5) before winning both games of a doubleheader on Saturday (April 6). A two-run home run by Collin Priest tied the first game and two bases-loaded walks gave Mitch Voit and Will Rogers the run support that the Wolverines needed. In the final game of the weekend, U-M used five straight two-out RBI hits to take the lead in the eighth and Jacob Denner was able to hold off the Hawkeyes.
• After earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors last week, Denner followed it up with another strong performance with seven innings pitched and two earned runs allowed. He struck out five batters and walked only one. He broke a three-way tie for fourth all-time in career appearances at 77 and passed Ali Husain and Mike Ignasiak. He is now nine away from tying John Arvai for third all-time. He also passed Rich Hill for eighth place all-time in career strikeouts and is just seven shy of tying Jim Brauer for seventh all-time.
• Over the last ten games, Mack Timbrook has led the team offensively, hitting .410 over the stretch. He has added eight runs and nine RBI in that span with five extra-base hits, and is also a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases. He has raised his average by 75 points over the last ten games and is now hitting .279 on the season, good for third on the team.
• Voit leads the team in average (.318), doubles (15), RBI (26), innings pitched (50.2) and strikeouts (34) among other categories. His 15 doubles lead the conference and rank sixth nationally. He is also fifth in the conference in total bases and 11th in hits. He drew six walks over the last week and added three extra-base hits for five runs and five RBI.
• Michigan is second nationally in double plays with 36 after four over the last week. Purdue leads the conference and the nation at 37. U-M is fourth in double plays turned per game, averaging 1.13 which trails Western Carolina (1.17), Purdue (1.16) and Coastal Carolina (1.13). Timbrook and Kyle Dernedde have been involved in 25 of Michigan's double plays turned on defense. U-M has a game-high of four this season and has turned at least one double play in 22 of its 32 games. Â
• Priest leads the team in slugging percentage over the last 10 games at .667 with three home runs and two doubles. He has started the last eight games including three starts at first base. On the season, Priest is third in the conference in on-base percentage (.494) and is second on the team in average (.295). He is also tied with Voit for second on the team in home runs with five.
• AJ Garcia has started the last 11 games in centerfield and is hitting .316 over that span with 10 runs and six RBI. He has also drawn seven walks and four hit-by pitches for a .469 on-base percentage which is second only to Priest in that stretch. On the season Garcia has 15 runs, three stolen bases and is hitting .302.
• Thirty-five of the 38 players on the roster have seen game action this season with 22 players recording a plate appearance and 18 players seeing action on the mound. Joonsung Park was the most recent to do so and was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance. Five players have appeared offensively and defensively this season with Voit leading the way among those with eight starts on the mound and 132 plate appearances.
• Western Michigan is 15-13 on the season and has won three in a row after a weekend sweep of Ohio. Michigan opened the 2024 season against the Broncos and split the four-game series, taking the final two games of the weekend. Priest went 4-for-6 in the series with five RBI while Cole Caruso led the team. Denner pitched a seven-inning complete game and struck out five for the Wolverines' first win of the season. All-time U-M is 95-79-4 against the Broncos and 46-31-3 when playing at home.
• Wisconsin-Milwaukee is 4-23 on the season and on a four-game losing streak. The Panthers were swept by Oakland -- who Michigan beat 13-5 back on March 6th. The Wolverines have only played Wisconsin-Milwaukee once, losing the contest 19-11 on Feb. 27, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla.
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