Roughly 70 players cycle through the Michigan baseball team’s clubhouse every four years. They all come with different backgrounds, skill sets and experiences that shape the traits they bring to the Wolverines. Each year, the team has a similar objective — play solid baseball and represent the Block ‘M’ proudly, because it encompasses more than the current squad, but all the ones that come before and after it, too.
And while the crew in the clubhouse evolves each season, the captain of the ship remains strong. For Michigan, their captain is Tracy Smith.
Smith just wrapped up his second season with the Wolverines. And for the second year in a row, the Wolverines were on the outside looking in as they sat at home during the NCAA Tournament, watching as others battled for the ultimate title. In his two seasons with Michigan, Smith has coached the Wolverines to two seasons just over .500, lost a plethora of athletes to the transfer portal and heralded the only two seasons in the past six years where Michigan has not found itself in NCAA Regionals — not exactly the marks of a championship-winning head coach.
However, progress isn’t only numerical. In order to find success with the Wolverines, Smith focused on developing a culture where players bought into him and his team.
And in 2024, this culture flourished.
“When I think back on this group of guys that represented Michigan baseball this year it’s always going to put a smile on my face,” Smith said May 25 after the final game of the season. “It’s going to be tough to match, that was just a good group.”
During his collegiate career, Smith served as a utility player at Miami of Ohio bouncing around various positions, often finding himself playing in the infield or throwing on the mound. Playing all over the diamond in whatever position his team needed him most, Smith had to look past just his own desires — the basis of the team-first dynamic he strives to foster in his clubhouse in Ann Arbor.
In his short tenure in Ann Arbor, Smith has truly developed an arsenal of mentors in the Michigan clubhouse — each bringing a unique perspective and set of abilities to uplift the integrity of the program. Assistant head coach Jake Valentine has developed an expert infield that finished the season leading the country in double plays. Pitching coach Brock Huntzinger has taken the brunt of developing the young bullpen, and student assistant coaches Jack Van Remortel and Zach Putnam returned to the team after their playing days to support the culture that Smith has worked to develop.
But this group only works because Smith is the glue that holds them together. At his core, Smith is a collaborator, and ultimately, his goal is to find success with a team that works together and is united beyond the diamond.
But Smith and his posse of coaches aren’t the sole arbitrators of authority , as he’s fostered an environment where his athletes can take on commanding roles within the roster. From athletes that set stunning examples on the field like sophomore utility player Mitch Voit to quiet giants like graduate shortstop Kyle Dernedde, the Wolverines’ bench is full of individuals willing to put everything on the line for their team. Smith creates an environment where players not only are expected to make sacrifices for one another, but they want to.
“We’re not sitting in this position if those guys don’t do what they did,” Smith said May 25. “The guilty part of me thinks gosh, we ask a lot of those guys. … You just continue to keep pushing those guys and they don’t say no, they just keep saying ‘give me the ball’ and ‘sure I’ll do it.’ ”
This determination isn’t new for Michigan. Finding a way to win as a unit defined the 2024 season for the Wolverines. In Smith’s first season with Michigan, he was handed a program crafted by the previous administration. While the group was certainly talented, it relied on just a few star players who saw the majority of game time — players recruited and developed by a different head coach. And Smith found success with this group. The Wolverines made it to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, a surprising feat after finishing 6th in the conference during the regular season.
Throughout this past season, though, Smith employed this group mentality by often emptying the bench in a single matchup to secure a true team victory. Instead of relying on a few key players that Smith inherited, the roster played as a unit and they fought for every success together.
And the 2024 Big Ten Tournament was no different. After suffering a loss in the second round to Penn State, Michigan took on No. 1 seed Illinois in an intense elimination matchup that saw the Wolverines ultimately secure a spot in the semi-finals. On paper, the two Big Ten Tournaments that Smith led look eerily similar. But the biggest difference came from how Michigan found a way to win: by playing as a team and only losing by slim margins. The Wolverines won and lost as a group, showing the resilience that defined their 2024 season.
Michigan was able to do this because of the pieces that made up their group — pieces that were carefully selected by Smith. He understands the collegiate system intimately and knows how to create a group that will work well together. He’s more than proven his adequacy in his career defined by accolades like National Coach of the Year in 2013 after leading his Indiana squad to the College World Series.
Smith has adapted to the modern coaching system and uses the transfer portal expertly, finding players that he trusts will work well within his system. Whether that’s players that he has prior relationships with such as junior catcher Will Rogers who followed Smith from Arizona State, or athletes that have been striving to be a part of the Michigan team from a young age such as junior third baseman Cole Caruso. Smith hand-selected players who he trusts to enhance the culture he worked hard to procure. Dernedde proved to be just one of these athletes. By not just creating an intense impact on the infield defense, Dernedde provides immense leadership that was recognized by his teammates immediately.
“It’s awesome how quickly our culture came together,” Smith said Feb. 14. “And I attribute all of that to the Dylan Stanton’s and the (Trevor Kilinski’s) and the (Jacob Denner’s) and the Chase Allen’s. And interestingly enough, we had a grad transfer in Kyle Dernedde come here from Oregon State and he was voted as one of the captains within a four-month time period. So that locker room is tight.”
From the start of the season, Smith’s goal was to win weekends while taking time to develop his group. And while the season saw high highs and low lows through this plan, Smith still stood by his strategy until the very end, even when it fell short.
And on the biggest stage at the Big Ten Tournament, Smith did the same thing. With one last chance in the bottom of the tenth inning against Penn State, Smith made the decision to pinch-hit freshman Cooper Mullens for freshman catcher Brock Leitgeb. Mullens struck out swinging and three at-bats later, the Wolverines exited the tournament, falling, 7-6, to the Nittany Lions.
Smith’s decision to pinch-hit Mullens for Leitgeb was controversial, and many fans questioned why Smith went with Mullens over the more experienced junior designated hitter Joe Longo. When asked, Smith simply stated that he did what any head coach can do and made the best decision he thought possible. Not once did he place blame on his players or waiver on his decision, just as he’s done every matchup this season he stood by his strategy and his team.
“That’s just the nature of college athletics, sometimes you lose,” Smith said May 25. “But I’m going to say it again, I’m extremely proud of this group, this team, and how they represent themselves on the field. Because I thought they did it with tremendous class, it just didn’t happen for us. But we will be back.”
Michigan hasn’t had the historical success of powerhouse baseball programs like Vanderbilt or Texas. It simply doesn’t have the pedigree to attract top-tier national talent. But what it does have is Tracy Smith. Smith is building a program that is built to last by focusing on clubhouse culture so that his impact may remain long beyond his tenure — a culture that can help Michigan compete with powerhouse programs without the raw, top-tier talent. Whether that’s through recruiting versatile players or hiring talented coaches, Smith is doing everything he can to create a well-rounded Wolverine team.
Change doesn’t manifest overnight. It takes time and commitment and every small decision has impacts that will show themselves over multiple seasons. In Division One competition, year three for a head coach is akin to year one as it takes time to build a system and program. As Smith enters his third season with Michigan, his legacy is just beginning to blossom and he’s building a foundation that will be difficult to shake.
Smith has had incremental progress in just the two seasons he has spent with Michigan and only time will tell if that success is to continue. But as players continue to cycle through the Wolverine clubhouse, it’s Smith’s culture that remains constant.
And with Smith at the helm, Michigan is likely to make waves in years to come.
The post Grace Wright: Tracy Smith’s team-first mentality is just what Michigan needs appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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