Michigan Wolverines baseball
Baseball team of the University of Michigan
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The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Ray Fisher Stadium.
| Michigan Wolverines | |
|---|---|
 2026 Michigan Wolverines baseball team | |
| |
| Founded | 1866 |
| University | University of Michigan |
| Athletic director | Warde Manuel |
| Head coach | Tracy Smith (4th season) |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Location | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
| Home stadium | Ray Fisher Stadium (Capacity: 4,000) |
| Nickname | Wolverines |
| Colors | Maize and blue[1] |
| College World Series champions | |
| 1953, 1962 | |
| College World Series runner-up | |
| 2019 | |
| College World Series appearances | |
| 1953, 1962, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 2019 | |
| NCAA regional champions | |
| 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 2007, 2019 | |
| NCAA tournament appearances | |
| 1953, 1961, 1962, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2022 | |
| Conference regular season champions | |
| 1899, 1901, 1905, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1936, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1997, 2006, 2007, 2008 | |
The Wolverines have made the College World Series eight times, winning two national championships in 1953 and 1962. Michigan is the third winningest program in NCAA Division I baseball history, trailing only Fordham and Texas.[2] The team is currently coached by Tracy Smith, who replaced Erik Bakich who left Michigan to coach at Clemson.
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Championships
NCAA College World Series National Championships
| Season | Record | Head coach |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 21–9 | Ray Fisher |
| 1962 | 31–13 | Don Lund |
Conference Championships
| Season | Conference | Record | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1899 | Big Ten | 5–2 | H.T. Clarke |
| 1901 | Big Ten | 8–2 | Frank Sexton |
| 1905 | Big Ten | 9–3 | L.W. McAllister |
| 1918 | Big Ten | 9–1 | Carl Lundgren |
| 1919 | Big Ten | 9–0 | Carl Lundgren |
| 1920 | Big Ten | 9–1 | Carl Lundgren |
| 1923 | Big Ten | 10–0 | Ray Fisher |
| 1924 | Big Ten | 8–2 | Ray Fisher |
| 1926 | Big Ten | 9–2 | Ray Fisher |
| 1928 | Big Ten | 11–1 | Ray Fisher |
| 1929 | Big Ten | 7–2 | Ray Fisher |
| 1936 | Big Ten | 9–1 | Ray Fisher |
| 1941 | Big Ten | 10–2 | Ray Fisher |
| 1942 | Big Ten | 10–2 | Ray Fisher |
| 1944 | Big Ten | 8–0 | Ray Fisher |
| 1945 | Big Ten | 8–0 | Ray Fisher |
| 1948 | Big Ten | 10–2 | Ray Fisher |
| 1949 | Big Ten | 8–4 | Ray Fisher |
| 1950 | Big Ten | 9–3 | Ray Fisher |
| 1952 | Big Ten | 8–4 | Ray Fisher |
| 1953 | Big Ten | 10–3 | Ray Fisher |
| 1961 | Big Ten | 10–2 | Don Lund |
| 1975 | Big Ten | 13–3 | Moby Benedict |
| 1976 | Big Ten | 9–4 | Moby Benedict |
| 1978 | Big Ten | 13–3 | Moby Benedict |
| 1980 | Big Ten | 14–2 | Bud Middaugh |
| 1981 | Big Ten | 10–4 | Bud Middaugh |
| 1983 | Big Ten | 13–2 | Bud Middaugh |
| 1984 | Big Ten | 11–5 | Bud Middaugh |
| 1986 | Big Ten | 13–3 | Bud Middaugh |
| 1987 | Big Ten | 13–3 | Bud Middaugh |
| 1997 | Big Ten | 17–9 | Geoff Zahn |
| 2006 | Big Ten | 23–9 | Rich Maloney |
| 2007 | Big Ten | 21–7 | Rich Maloney |
| 2008 | Big Ten | 26–5 | Rich Maloney |
Conference Tournament championships
| Year | Conference | Tournament Location | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Big Ten | Ray Fisher Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | Bud Middaugh |
| 1983 | Big Ten | Ray Fisher Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | Bud Middaugh |
| 1984 | Big Ten | Siebert Field, Minneapolis, MN | Bud Middaugh |
| 1986 | Big Ten | Siebert Field, Minneapolis, MN | Bud Middaugh |
| 1987 | Big Ten | Ray Fisher Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | Bud Middaugh |
| 1999 | Big Ten | Bill Davis Stadium, Columbus, OH | Geoff Zahn |
| 2006 | Big Ten | Ray Fisher Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | Rich Maloney |
| 2008 | Big Ten | Ray Fisher Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI | Rich Maloney |
| 2015 | Big Ten | Target Field, Minneapolis, MN | Erik Bakich |
| 2022 | Big Ten | Charles Schwab Field Omaha, Omaha, NE | Erik Bakich |
Stadium
The Wolverines play their home games in Ray Fisher Stadium. The stadium is named after Ray Fisher, who is the winningest coach in Michigan baseball history, with 636 victories and also the 1953 College World Series championship.
In 2008, alum and owner of the New York Mets MLB franchise, Fred Wilpon donated $9 million for the renovation of Fisher Stadium and Alumni Field. It is now known as the Wilpon Baseball and Softball Complex, but more commonly known as the Wilpon Baseball Complex.
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| Ferry Field | 1923–1966 |
| Ray Fisher Stadium | 1967–2007 |
| Ray Fisher Stadium at Wilpon Baseball Complex | 2008–present |
Head coaches
| Coach | Years | Seasons | Record | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Conway | 1891–1892 | 2 | 22–9–1 | .703 |
| Frank Sexton | 1896, 1901–1908 | 3 | 38–22 | .633 |
| Charles F. Watkins | 1897–1898, 1900 | 3 | 16–17 | .485 |
| Henry T. Clarke | 1898–1899 | 2 | 14–5 | .737 |
| R.C. "Skel" Roach | 1903 | 1 | 12–5 | .706 |
| Jerome Utley | 1904 | 1 | 10–5 | .667 |
| Lew "Sport" McAllister | 1905–1906, 1908–1909 | 4 | 58–17–1 | .770 |
| Bobby Lowe | 1907 | 1 | 11–4–1 | .719 |
| Branch Rickey | 1910–1913 | 4 | 68–32–4 | .673 |
| Carl Lundgren | 1914–1920 | 7 | 93–43–6 | .676 |
| Ray Fisher | 1921–1958 | 38 | 636–295–8 | .682 |
| Don Lund | 1959–1962 | 4 | 80–53–3 | .599 |
| Moby Benedict | 1963–1979 | 18 | 367–252–5 | .592 |
| Bud Middaugh | 1980–1989 | 10 | 465–146–1 | .761 |
| Bill Freehan | 1990–1995 | 6 | 166–167–1 | .499 |
| Geoff Zahn | 1996–2001 | 6 | 163–169–2 | .491 |
| Chris Harrison | 2002 | 1 | 21–32 | .396 |
| Rich Maloney | 2003–2012 | 10 | 341–244 | .583 |
| Erik Bakich | 2013–2022 | 10 | 328–216 | .603 |
| Tracy Smith | 2023–present | 2 | 60–56 | .517 |
Year-by-year results
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Wolverines.
| Year | Coach | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Erik Bakich | 27–19 | NCAA Regional |
| 2022 | Erik Bakich | 34–28 | NCAA Regional |
| 2023 | Tracy Smith | 28–28 | |
| 2024 | Tracy Smith | 32–28 | |
| 2025 | Tracy Smith | 33–23 |
Michigan in the NCAA tournament
- The NCAA Division I baseball tournament started in 1947.
- The format of the tournament has changed through the years.
First Team All-Americans
| Player | Position | Year(s) | Selectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Haynam | Shortstop | 1953† | ABCA |
| Don Eaddy | Third Base | 1955† | ABCA |
| Ken Tippery | Second Base | 1957† | ABCA |
| Bill Freehan | Catcher | 1961† | ABCA |
| Jim Burton | Pitcher | 1971 | SN |
| Steve Howe | Pitcher | 1979 | SN |
| Rick Leach | Outfield | 1979 | SN |
| Jim Paciorek | Outfield | 1982† | ABCA, BA |
| Chris Sabo | Third Base | 1983 | BA, SN |
| Barry Larkin | Shortstop | 1984, 1985† | ABCA, BA, SN |
| Mike Watters | Outfield | 1985 | BA |
| Casey Close | Outfield | 1986† | ABCA, BA |
| Jim Abbott | Pitcher | 1988 | SN |
| Carmen Benedetti | Designated Hitter | 2015 | NCBWA |
| Jake Cronenworth | Utility | 2015 | ABCA |
| Source:"Baseball Record Book" (PDF). mgoblue.com. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
ABCA: American Baseball Coaches Association BA: Baseball America CB: Collegiate Baseball NCBWA: National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association SN: Sporting News † Denotes consensus All-American | |||
Individual honors
Retired numbers
Michigan has retired six uniform numbers to date. Below is the detailed list:[3]
| Retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moby Benedict | SS | 1953–56 | 1979 |
| 11 | Bill Freehan | C | 1959–61 | 1977 |
| 16 | Barry Larkin | SS | 1983–85 | 2010 |
| 31 | Jim Abbott | P | 1986–88 | 2009 |
| 33 | Don Lund | OF | 1943–45 | 1999 |
| 44 | Ray Fisher | Coach 1 | 1921–58 | 2000 |
1 Never played for the Wolverines. He coached Michigan with a record 636 wins and led the team to 15 Big Ten championships apart from winning the 1953 College World Series.
National Awards
Golden Spikes Award Winner
- Jim Abbott (1987)[4]
Baseball America College Player of the Year
- Casey Close (1986)[5]
NCBWA National Coach of the Year
- Erik Bakich (2019)
Conference Awards
Big Ten Player of the Year
- Jim Paciorek (1982)
- Rick Stoll (1983)
- Barry Larkin (1984, 1985)
- Casey Close (1986)
- Jim Abbott (1988)
- Scott Weaver (1995)
- Nate Recknagel (2008)
- Jordan Brewer (2019)
Big Ten Pitcher of the Year
- Larry Carroll (1984)
- Jim Brauer (2005)
- Zach Putnam (2008)
- Connor O'Halloran (2023)
Big Ten Freshman of the Year
- Scott Weaver (1993)
- Jason Alcaraz (1996)
- Jake Bivens (2015)
Big Ten Coach of the Year
- Geoff Zahn (1997)
- Rich Maloney (2007, 2008)
Big Ten Batting Title
- Bill Freehan (1961; .585 batting average)
- Carl Cmejrek (1965; .453 batting average)
- Elliott Maddox (1968; .467 batting average)
- Rick Leach (1978; .473 batting average)
- George Foussianes (1979; .452 batting average)
- Tony Evans (1981; .465 batting average)
- Jim Paciorek, Ken Hayward (1982; .462 batting average)
- Fred Erdmann (1983; .500 batting average)
- Randy Wolfe (1985; .514 batting average)
- Casey Close (1986; .469 batting average)
- Scott Timmerman (1993; .431 batting average)
- Scott Weaver (1995; .500 batting average)
- Dominic Clementi (2018; .413 batting average)
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The following 35 Michigan Wolverines baseball players and coaches (listed in order of induction) have been inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor:
- Bill Freehan (1978) – baseball
- Bennie Oosterbaan (1978) – football, basketball, baseball, basketball coach, football coach
- Ray Fisher (1979) – baseball coach
- George Sisler (1979) – baseball
- Buck Giles (1980) – baseball
- Harry Kipke (1981) – football, basketball, and baseball
- Whitey Wistert (1981) – football and baseball
- Bud Chamberlain (1982) – baseball
- Jack Tompkins (1982) – hockey and baseball
- Elmer Gedeon (1983) – track and baseball
- Dick Wakefield (1983) – baseball
- Elroy Hirsch (1984) – football, basketball, baseball, and track
- Bob Chappuis (1984) – football and baseball
- Don Lund (1984) – football, baseball, basketball, and coaching
- Doug Roby (1985) – football and baseball
- Branch Rickey (1985) – baseball coach
- David M. Nelson (1986) – football and baseball
- Ernie McCoy (1986) basketball, football, basketball coach, and assistant athletic director
- Jack Blott (1987) – football and baseball
- Bruce Haynam (1988) – baseball
- Frank Nunley (1989) – football and baseball
- Forest Evashevski (1990) – football and baseball
- Jack Weisenburger (1992) – football and baseball
- Moby Benedict (1994) – baseball and coaching
- Dominic Tomasi (1994) – football and baseball
- Steve Boros (1996) – baseball
- Herman Fishman (2002) – basketball and baseball
- Bill Mogk (2002) – baseball
- Jim Abbott (2004) – baseball
- J. Daniel Cline (2007) – football and baseball
- Barry Larkin (2007) – baseball
- Larry Carroll (1991) - baseball
- David Campbell (2009) – baseball
- Rick Leach (2009) – football and baseball
- Casey Close (2011) – baseball
- Jim Paciorek (2020) – baseball
Wolverines in MLB
| = Selected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| = Major League Baseball All-Star Game participant |
|
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Note: Charlie Gehringer, Derek Jeter, and Ted Simmons are Baseball Hall of Fame inductees who were enrolled at Michigan, but never played for the baseball team.
- Source: Baseball Reference
First-Round MLB Draft Picks
| Pick | Player | Team | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Rick Leach | Detroit Tigers | OF | 1979 |
| 16 | Steve Howe | Los Angeles Dodgers | LHP | 1979 |
| 25 | Steve Perry | Los Angeles Dodgers | RHP | 1979 |
| 14 | Rich Stoll | Montreal Expos | RHP | 1983 |
| 4 | Barry Larkin | Cincinnati Reds | SS | 1985 |
| 8 | Jim Abbott | California Angels | LHP | 1988 |
| 28 | David Parrish | New York Yankees | C | 2000 |
| 38 | Mitch Voit | New York Mets | 2B | 2025 |
