Michigan
Michigan State
U-M to Face Off Against MSU in Midweek Home Non-Conference Contest
3/16/2026 10:31:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan baseball team (9-9) will open a six-game homestand Wednesday (March 18), hosting in-state rival Michigan State (5-13) in a midweek non-conference matchup at 4 p.m. at the Wilpon Complex, home of Ray Fisher Stadium. The contest will stream on B1G+. Michigan's previously scheduled midweek game against Toledo on Tuesday (March 17) has been moved to Wednesday (March 25).
Notes
• The Wolverines dropped three games to No. 1-ranked UCLA over the weekend to open conference play. U-M struck first Friday (March 13) and mounted a late push but fell, 10-5. Saturday's contest (March 14) featured a pitchers' duel, with the Bruins claiming a 2-0 win. In Sunday's finale, Michigan stayed within striking distance early before UCLA pulled away for a 7-2 victory. The Wolverines won their home opener last week, defeating Western Michigan, 3-2.
• Colby Turner was a bright spot for the Michigan offense against the top-ranked Bruins, hitting .417 over the three-game series and blasting the Wolverines' lone home run. Turner added four hits and three RBIs during the weekend and leads Michigan this season in hits (26), runs (15) and RBIs (21). The junior is batting .347 with a .988 OPS while appearing in 17 of U-M's 18 games.
• Drew Culbertson is the lone Wolverine to start every game this season, doing so at shortstop. Culbertson posted a .500 on-base percentage against UCLA to lead Michigan and finished tied for second on the team in hits during the series. On the season, he is batting .208 with a .344 on-base percentage, totaling six runs, 11 hits and eight RBIs.
• Carson Luna joined Culbertson and Turner as one of four Wolverines with multiple hits over the weekend. Luna tallied two hits and scored a run in seven at-bats while making one start. The redshirt freshman is hitting .289 this season with six runs and 13 hits, including two extra-base hits.
• Brayden Jefferis also recorded multiple hits in the UCLA series and posted a .286 on-base percentage while adding a run and an RBI. This season, Jefferis is hitting .279 and has appeared in all 18 games with 17 starts. He ranks second on the team in both runs (12) and hits (19), trailing only Turner.
• Evan Haeger is hitting .300 on the season with a .879 OPS, both good for second among qualified hitters so far this season. At UCLA, Haeger tallied a run on three walks and was perfect in the field. The redshirt sophomore opened the year strong, earning Surprise College Baseball Series MVP honors, and rediscovered his swing against Pepperdine and Western Michigan with six hits in 10 at-bats, adding two runs and four RBIs.
• Grant Bradley pitched 3.1 innings in the Wolverines' last midweek contest of the season, the most for a U-M pitcher against the Broncos. Bradley allowed just three hits in the game, while recording one strikeout. This season, the sophomore has not allowed an earned run over 10.1 innings with nine strikeouts, while allowing six hits and two walks.
• Justin Brown was the lone Wolverine pitcher with two appearances against UCLA, pitching an inning on Friday and an inning on Sunday. Brown's inning on Friday was his collegiate debut and he struck out the first batter he faced. Brown allowed just one baserunner over his two innings.
• Michigan State enters the contest with a 5-13 record and is coming off a series loss to Rutgers, winning the middle game of the set. The Spartans opened the season by taking a series from Louisville, whom the Wolverines defeated the following weekend.
• All-time, Michigan holds a 223-114-1 advantage over Michigan State, including a 120-49-1 record at home and a 78-40-1 mark in non-conference meetings. The Wolverines have won five straight against the Spartans, taking the final game of a 2024 series, a midweek matchup in East Lansing last season, and sweeping the home series last year.
