Michigan
Oregon State
Team 160 to Open Season in College Baseball Series at Surprise Stadium
2/11/2026 11:10:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team (0-0) will open its season at the Inaugural College Baseball Series in Surprise, Ariz. The event will take place at Surprise Stadium, the spring training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. Team 160 will begin the season facing off against No. 12-ranked Oregon State on Friday (Feb. 13) at 2 p.m. MT. The weekend will continue with Michigan taking on Stanford on Saturday (Feb. 14) at 6 p.m. MT and No. 24-ranked Arizona on Sunday (Feb. 15) at 4 p.m. MT. U-M wraps up the first week with a contest on Monday (Feb. 16) against Oregon State at noon MT.
Notes
• Last season, Michigan finished 33-23 and 16-14 in the Big Ten, good for seventh in the conference. The Wolverines started the season with a 4-0 record, winning the Inaugural Puerto Rico Challenge, including a win over preseason No. 2 Virginia. U-M swept rivals Michigan State and Ohio State, including the largest win in program history vs. OSU (23-1). Â
• The Wolverines return 18 players who saw action last year, including Freshman All-American Tate Carey and 2024 All-Big Ten Selection Kurt Barr. Joining the 18 returners are five Wolverines who were redshirted last year, eight freshmen and nine transfers.      Â
• Carey will attempt to anchor the Michigan pitching staff this season after a historic freshman campaign. Carey started seven games across 18 appearances, finishing with a 9-0 record, the second-most wins as a freshman in program history. He led the team with a 3.63 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP while striking out 51 batters. Carey also pitched the first no-hitter in U-M history since 1994.  Â
• Joining Carey in the rotation are David Lally Jr. and Cade Montgomery. Barr was a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2024 and led the U-M in strikeouts in 2025. Lally led Michigan in innings with 76.1 last season and finished the season with a 1.34 WHIP. Montgomery is a transfer from Utah State, where he started 10 games with a 2.35 ERA last season.
• U-M expects to have strong depth in the bullpen this season, led by NCBWA Stopper of the Year watchlist honoree Gavin DeVooght. DeVooght was a starter for the first four weeks of last season before an injury ended his season early. He is joined by MLB Draft pick Shane Brinham, two top-rated state of Michigan prospects in Slade Moore and Tyler Finkbeiner, as well as returners Preston Barr and Grant Bradley, among others.
• After all four infielders from 2025 moved on from the program, the Wolverines will see a new look diamond. Colby Turner and Brayden Jefferis saw a lot of outfield action last year but will shift to second base and third base, respectively, to begin the year. Joining Turner and Jefferis are two transfers, Matthew Ossenfort and Drew Culbertson. Ossenfort spent time at Vanderbilt and NC State and will serve as the team's first baseman, while Culbertson played at Missouri and Oklahoma State and will play at shortstop this year.
• Michigan has five outfielders on the roster, with four having at least two years of college experience. Greg Pace Jr. and Jonathan Kim have played at Michigan for three seasons, and are joined by transfer Brenden Stressler, who played two years at the University of Saint Louis. Redshirt-sophomore Evan Haeger also transferred in after a year at Alabama and a year at Houston. The outfield group is rounded out by the No. 1 outfield prospect from the state of Michigan in Josh Campbell.
• Oregon State enters the season ranked No. 12 in the country after a College World Series appearance last year. The Beavers finished 48-16-1 in 2025 and have won all five contests against Michigan, including a win in February 2024 in Arizona.
• Stanford finished last year with a 27-25 record in its first year in the ACC. The Cardinal lost in the first round of the ACC tournament last year. U-M has met Stanford seven times with three wins in the series. The Wolverines have won both neutral sites contests, including a 4-0 win in the 1953 College World Series.
• Arizona is ranked No. 24 to begin the season after finishing 44-21 last year. The Wildcats won the Chapel Hill Super Regional to advance to the College World Series. Michigan and Arizona have met 59 times with a series record of 12-47. The programs have only met five times since 1980, with the Wildcats winning all five contests.
