Michigan baseball roundup: Tracy Smith era begins with 2-2 weekend at MLB Desert Invitational
First-year head coach Tracy Smith and Michigan Wolverines baseball opened the 2023 season with four games at the MLB Desert Invitational in Scottsdale, Ariz., going 2-2 with wins over Fresno State and Grand Canyon and losses to Michigan State and UC San Diego.
The Wolverines are back in action Friday at Cal State Fullerton and will play a three-game set. They’ll stay out west and play UC Irvine next Tuesday and UCLA Wednesday.
Here’s a roundup from the weekend.
Friday, Feb. 17: Michigan 6, Fresno State 2
Smith notched his first victory in his first game, with junior ace left-hander Connor O’Halloran — who had a 5-4 record and 5.44 ERA last season — going 6 innings (5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned run, 4 strikeouts) to earn the win.
O’Halloran gave up the first 2 runs of the game, with Fresno State scoring a pair of runs in the second inning, before the Michigan offense heated up. The Wolverines scored on a wild pitch in the third, tied the game with a solo shot by junior catcher Gabe Sotres — a Michigan State transfer — in the fourth and took the lead with an RBI single by senior left fielder Tito Flores, a 2022 All-Big Ten Tournament team honoree last year, that same inning.
Senior second baseman Ted Burton, who went 3-for-5, was the headliner who gave Michigan some insurance, with 2 solo shots — one in the seventh and one in the ninth. Freshman third baseman Mitch Voit scored senior right fielder Joey Velazquez, also a linebacker on Michigan’s football team, for the game’s final run that made it 6-2.
Senior right-handed reliver Noah Rennard toed the slab for the final three innings, allowing 2 hits but no runs to slam the door and score the save.
Friday, Feb. 17: Michigan State 15, Michigan 8
Michigan came out with juice in the second game of the day, getting out to a 5-1 lead in the second inning. The Spartans completely controlled the game after that, though. The Wolverines’ bullpen was a disaster, allowing 12 of the 13 earned runs after junior right-hander Chase Allen started things off by escaping some trouble and giving up 2 runs (1 earned).
Sophomore right-handed reliever Avery Goldensoph, who allowed 5 earned runs in one inning, was credited with the loss.
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The Spartans had 18 hits to Michigan’s 12, and the Wolverines committed 2 errors. MSU scored 5 in the sixth and 7 in the eighth to make it a lopsided game.
Jefferis was a bright spot for Michigan, with 3 hits, a drawn walk and 3 RBI.
Saturday, Feb. 18: UC San Diego 11, Michigan 2
Michigan’s pitching woes continued into Saturday. Lefty starter Jacob Denner hung in there, allowing 6 hits and 3 runs (2 earned) in 5 innings, before things unraveled due to bullpen issues.
Senior right-handed reliever John Torroella gave up 5 earned runs in 2.2 innings, with UC San Diego taking over the game at that point. The Tritons had 12 hits to Michigan’s 6, and scored 2 in the sixth, 3 in the seventh and 3 in the ninth to pull away.
Sunday, Feb. 19: Michigan 6, Grand Canyon 4
Junior righty Ahmad Harajli started things off for Michigan, but he had a first inning full of turbulence. He allowed a 2-run single that put Grand Canyon ahead. He went just a pair of innings.
The Wolverines got the bats going after that. Sotres homered to left field, and senior designated hitter Jake Marti scored on a passed ball to tie the game in the second. Velazquez cracked a 2-run double to left center, and Marti had a 2-RBI single in the third frame.
Michigan didn’t score after that, but the 4-run cushion was enough.
Rennard earned the win, coming in to begin the third inning, allowing 1 run in 3.1 innings of work. Sophomore righty Jake Keaser allowed 1 run in one inning, and Voit got the save with 2 innings of scoreless baseball.
Michigan ended the weekend on a high note.
