Jim Harbaugh expresses appreciation for two-sport star Joey Velazquez, Michigan baseball

As Michigan Football gets started with summer workouts, they’ll be without linebacker Joey Velazquez. The rising senior is a two-sport athlete and right now, he’s been called away from football duties to play in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

Velazquez and the Wolverines head to Louisville this weekend for regional games starting Friday and lasting potentially through Sunday. As a junior on the baseball team, Velazquez has broken into the batting rotation in a major way and is now a regular starter.

His football coach, Jim Harbaugh, giggled with pride when asked during media availability about Velazquez and the baseball team with their NCAA Tournament run about to begin. Harbaugh answered that yes he does marvel at how guys like Joey are able to balance playing two sports. He said he loves guys that are such versatile athletes capable of playing two sports.

Harbaugh’s nine-year-old son, Jack, is another supporter of Velazquez’s game. “We watch every inning,” Jack’s father reported. And that “Joey is one of his favorite players,” on the Wolverine baseball team. Everybody on the football team “loves rooting for Joey.”

Though he’s apart from the football team at the moment, Joey Velazquez’s coaches and teammates are still in full support of his run with another team in the athletic department.

Harbaugh gives positive injury update on receiver Ronnie Bell

Michigan’s passing game gets a big boost heading into the 2022 season. Veteran receiver Ronnie Bell is re-entering the fold for Jim Harbaugh’s club. Bell was a two-year starter who played in every game in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, but withstood an ACL tear in the first game of 2021 and wound up missing the rest of the season.

As for Bell’s status for the upcoming season, Harbaugh got a chance to update media members the other day. “He’s definitely on track,” the head coach said regarding Bell’s recovery. “From my eye: just the way he’s moving. Seeing him jump, seeing him run, seeing him cut,” Harbaugh said. With his review of Bell’s recovery and current physical state being an “A++.”

Not only is Bell back to form. According to his coach, the senior receiver may have a little extra pep in his step. Harbaugh claims he “looks like Ronnie Bell before he injured the ACL,” adding, “maybe even a little bit better.”

The receiver position as a whole appears to be as deep and experienced as ever for Jim Harbaugh. Cornelius Johnson and Erick All each emerged as pass catchers in Bell’s place in 2021, and they also return as seniors with Bell. Lot of experience and talent for either JJ McCarthy or Cade McNamara to throw to this fall.