Newsstand: New Michigan baseball coach grabs another Detroit Tigers endorsement
Michigan baseball has its successor to Erik Bakich in the form of former Arizona State and Indiana head coach Tracy Smith. The hire was made official on Sunday and another Detroit Tiger has weighed in on the move.
First baseman Spencer Torkelson, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 and a player under Smith at ASU, was asked his thoughts by the local media. He thinks Smith will keep Michigan in the national picture as a program.
“I really liked Skip as a coach – we called him Skip,” Torkelson said. “He knows how to develop players. You see the players he’s coached. The way he recruits, I wouldn’t be surprised if Michigan stays in the [national title] conversation. I know there’s going to be a lot of dudes coming out of there, that’s for sure.”
Former Michigan and current Tigers pitching coach Chris Fetter – who some considered the favorite for the job – weighed in on his alma mater’s new hire over the weekend.
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“Coach [Tracy Smith’s] teams were always tough to compete against when he was at IU,” Fetter tweeted on Sunday. “He has great midwestern ties for recruiting and will bring a B1G championship pedigree to the program. We are excited to see the direction of [Michigan baseball] under his watch!”
Smith, 56, has plenty of Big Ten experience, coaching at Indiana as an assistant in 1995-96 and later holding the main job from 2006-14. The hope is that it will carry over to Michigan.
He last coached at Arizona State from 2015-21. Smith began his head coaching career at Miami and went 317-220-1 from 1997-2005, advancing to a pair of NCAA Regionals. Rogers went 287-237 in nine seasons on the job at Indiana with three NCAA Regional berths and a trip to the College World Series in 2013.
Tweets of the day
Michigan quote of the day
“Morgan has been a nice constant in this 2023 class for Michigan. Since committing on Dec. 1, there has been a doubt of where Semaj Morgan was with his decision. I am a fan of Morgan’s game and believe he will better than he is advertised when his time comes. Ranked as the No. 74 wide receiver and No. 506 overall prospect, Morgan has plenty of room to grow his stock this fall. As a junior, he racked up 1,105 yards on 61 receptions with 13 touchdowns. Some of his placement in the rankings may come from his size of 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, but he is a workhorse.”
– The Wolverine’s Marshall Levenson on 2023 wideout commit Semaj Morgan
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