OMAHA, Neb. — The University of Michigan baseball team rapped 14 hits and took 12 walks as it defeated No. 8-ranked Texas Tech, 15-3, on Friday (June 21) at TD Ameritrade Park and advanced to the College World Series Finals. The Wolverines will take on either No. 2 Vanderbilt or No. 11 Louisville in the best-of-three finals series that will begin Monday (June 24) at 6 p.m. CDT.
Michigan scored at least one run in all but one inning, and the five-run sixth broke the game open for the Wolverines after a scoreless fifth. The Wolverines set a record for runs in a game in Michigan CWS history and drove in 10 of their 15 runs with two outs.
Senior Jimmy Kerr knocked in three runs on four hits, which included a bunt single, an RBI double and two solo home runs. Sophomore Jesse Franklin led the Maize and Blue with four RBI on three hits and a walk, and tied Chris Sabo (’83) and Casey Close (’83) for most RBI in a CWS game for the Wolverines. Additionally, eight of nine Michigan starters recorded a hit or scored a run in the effort.
Michigan scored in the first inning for the third straight time in Omaha, as a two-out double from Kerr allowed Franklin, who reached on a short infield single, to score from first. Senior Blake Nelson kept the rally going with a base hit to left field that pushed Kerr across for a 2-0 lead.
Texas Tech scored its only runs in the top of the second inning, when the Red Raiders answered with three runs on three hits, a walk and a sacrifice squeeze bunt. The one-run deficit marked the first time Michigan has trailed during the College World Series.
Michigan rallied in the bottom of the second and reclaimed the lead, 4-3. Sophomore Jack Blomgren led off with a line-drive single to center field, and a fielding error allowed him to advance to third. A walk to sophomore Joe Donovan put runners on the corners and an RBI single off the bat of senior Ako Thomas scored Blomgren and tied the game at 3. Texas Tech made a call to the bullpen, and reliever John McMillon recorded a strikeout before he walked Franklin to load the bases. Junior Jordan Brewer was hit by a pitch on an 0-2 count, which scored Donovan and gave the Wolverines a one-run lead.
Michigan held Texas Tech scoreless through the remainder of the contest, as starting pitcher Karl Kauffmann and reliever Jeff Criswell did not allow a Red Raider runner to reach scoring position after the fifth inning.
The Wolverines scored twice in the third and once in the fourth to extend their lead to 7-3. A two-out double from Franklin with the bases loaded scored Thomas and Blomgren in the third inning, and Nelson scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth.
Neither team scored in the fifth inning, but Michigan tacked on five runs in the sixth behind a Thomas RBI walk, a two-run double from sophomore Jordan Nwogu and a two-RBI single from Franklin.
The Wolverines tacked on two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to take a 15-3 lead. Criswell struck out the side in the top of the ninth to seal the win.
Kauffmann (12-6) earned the win with six innings pitched, and Criswell earned his third save after he tossed three scoreless innings of relief. The pair scattered seven hits and combined for eight strikeouts.
