OMAHA, Neb. — The Michigan baseball team currently holds the second-lowest batting average in the Big Ten at .256. Thanks to clutch at-bats and thrilling home runs, consistent hitting never seemed to be the most critical issue as the Wolverines focused on their struggling bullpen. But in the Big Ten Tournament, the problem truly reared its head.
Held down by junior catcher Will Rogers, graduate second baseman Mack Timbrook and graduate shortstop Kyle Dernedde, the latter half of the Michigan lineup flourished toward the end of the regular season. In the series-opening victory over Ohio State, six of the seven hits came from Rogers, Timbrook and Dernedde. The objective of having dependable hitters one through nine seemed to be coming to fruition at the perfect time. But as Michigan entered the Big Ten Tournament this facade began to crumble.
“I’ve said it before but, one through nine, I think every guy in the lineup I’m really confident in,” Rogers said Friday. “And I think everyone would say the same.”
Friday, Rogers was called upon to do more than just provide a spark at the bottom of the lineup: He also led the team on the mound. After his intense, yet dominant outing, Rogers was left off of the starting lineup Saturday against Penn State, as Smith rested him.
Rogers departure from the lineup was certainly felt. Freshman catcher Brock Leitgeb, who has been put behind the dish often when Rogers controls the mound, slotted in behind the plate. And while his performance sufficed in the regular season, in tournament competition, it came up short.
Against the Nittany Lions Saturday, Leitgeb may have found a way to get on base, but he certainly didn’t provide the same presence as Rogers does. In four plate appearances, Leitgeb flew out, struckout and was hit by a pitch twice. The bottom of the eighth inning felt the brunt of this personnel change when Leitgeb stepped up to the plate with the matchup tied at five apiece. After four pitches, the count was even for Leitgeb, and staring down the Penn State mound, Leitgeb swung hard. But all he made contact with was air, and the remainder of the inning saw two runners left stranded and no runs on the board.
“First of all, nothing against Brock,” Smith said Saturday. “Brock isn’t really going to leadoff a tight ballgame when he’s hitting like a buck 40. You know, that’s a time when we’re going to pinch hit.”
Smith attempted to infuse energy into the bottom of the lineup by doing just that in the bottom of the tenth inning, as freshman pinch hitter Cooper Mullens entered the ballgame. But the transition proved too little, too late as Mullens struck out swinging.
Graduate third baseman Cole Caruso, Dernedde and Timbrook round out the bottom of the Wolverine lineup. Dernedde remained consistent at a .251 batting average, and more often than not, gets on base from walks or a hit-by-pitch. Caruso, a streaky hitter, felt both ends of the batting spectrum this season. For a period of time he was known for game-saving moments with three of his four home runs being grand slams. But on occasion, Caruso struggles to find his swing consistently.
In the middle of the season, Timbrook shot off on the plate and was nearing a .350 batting average. But as the season wore on, Timbrook’s momentum tapered off and against the Nittany Lions Saturday he recorded zero hits in four at-bats and reached base only once off of a walk. This disappointing tournament performance for Timbrook comes at the end of a myriad of frustrations, as Timbrook went hitless in his last eight outings.
On the other end of the lineup, batters one through four continued to grow as the season progressed and kept up their consistency in tournament play. Sophomore utility player Mitch Voit excelled at the plate this tournament, and Saturday he recorded three hits in five at-bats, one of which was a solo home-run.
“Hitting is very contagious,” Voit said Friday. “When you get even the simplest base hit, you know it’s going to continue over to the next guy. It’s just about getting guys on base. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
But with an inconsistent bottom of the lineup, the runners at the top of the lineup were often left stranded and their hits were futile without someone to bring them home. Against the Nittany Lions, 12 runners were left on base. And in the tightly contested matchup, every runner that was left in a scoring position was a run that the Wolverines desperately needed.
Firing on all cylinders and providing consistent results was never the way Michigan found its success this season. Instead, the Wolverines thrived under the “find a way to win” mentality. But in extended tournament play something will eventually give. And unfortunately for Michigan it was power at the plate that fell short and ended their 2024 season.
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