OMAHA, Neb. – It was the best pitching performance so far in this year’s CWS.
Junior left-hander Tommy Henry tossed a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts as Michigan stayed undefeated with a 2-0 victory over Florida State on Monday evening at the 2019 College World Series in front of 23,541 fans at TD Ameritrade Park.
The Wolverines (48-20) move to the finals of bracket play on Friday at 1 p.m. CT. UM is one win away from advancing to the CWS Championship Series.
The Seminoles (42-22) will face Texas Tech in an elimination game on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT.
“In the biggest game in Michigan baseball history in a long, long time, we got the best pitching performance of Tommy Henry’s career,” UM head coach Erik Bakich said. “He was the entire story line tonight. We needed a strong performance, and he gave us something magical tonight. I think we’re all just in awe and very appreciative of holding down a very good Florida State team tonight, who’s been extremely hot and finding every single way to win. I don’t even know if there’s an adjective to describe how good he was, but he was better than that.”
Henry (11-5) threw 100 pitches, did not walk a batter and did not allow more than one base runner in any inning.
“We just tried as a pitching staff to come out here and do what we’ve done all year, attack the strike zone and play the numbers,” Henry said. “A great hitter is going to get out seven out of ten times, so if you attack the strike zone, you force the issue, and let the defense work.”
The appreciation came from the opposing dugout as well.
“I can see why Tommy Henry is a second-rounder, FSU head coach Mike Martin said. “That was beautiful. That was a masterpiece. He just really, really made it tough on us.”
UM didn’t wait long to get on the scoreboard. After Jordan Nwogu grounded out to third on the first pitch of the game, Jesse Franklin crushed the next delivery well over the fence in right to give the Wolverines a 1-0 edge. It was the 13th long ball of the season for Franklin and the 100th CWS homer at TD Ameritrade Park in 130 games.
“Going into the game we weren’t necessarily thinking to swing at the first pitch,” Franklin said. “As hitters, we were just trying to look for fastballs early in the game to hit hard, and it just happened that both of us got good ones to hit.”
And Henry was appreciative of that early run.
“Big thanks to this guy,” Henry said of Franklin. “Pitching with a lead is much easier than pitching behind or in a tie game. It gives you the freedom to just attack and to watch the defense work and let them make the plays, not have to do too much. So to be able to do that from the first time you step on the mound is fun, and the defense made every play tonight.”
Bakich knew that run was key as well.
“I think any team that scores first,” Bakich said,
“has a little bit of a confidence and a looseness about them that allows the
freedom of being able to take chances on the bases, to employ some different
types of plays, whether it be first-and-third plays or just being aggressive on
the bases. When you’re at a deficit you don’t want to make any outs on the
bases. So getting ahead and trying to extend the lead is something every team
is trying to do.”
Mike Salvatore had a leadoff double in the bottom of the first before Henry
retired 12 straight.
“The first thing I think about when I think of Tommy is his discipline and consistency,” catcher Joe Donovan said. “His intensity when he’s doing whatever he’s doing is just ridiculous. You guys are just starting to see it now because it’s on a national level, but that’s been Tommy the entire year. Like the discipline to keep the balls low in the zone, to not miss. I think he shook me off after a hung breaking ball, and the next one was one of the dirtiest ones I’ve ever caught from him. So that’s him in a nutshell – keeping the ball low in the zone, pounding it, discipline, taking breaths, the whole nine yards on it, and that’s been what we’ve seen from him this entire time. I know Coach will say the exact same thing, but I think you guys are just obviously starting to see it now, but that’s just Tommy Henry for you.”
The Wolverines added to their lead in the fifth. Nwogu had a one-out singe to right. Franklin followed with a base hit, on which Nwogu dove face-first into third. With two away, Jimmy Kerr went the other way with a single to left, bringing home Nwogu to make it 2-0. That hit also ended the night for FSU starter CJ Van Eyk (10-4, 4.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 9 K).
JC Flowers was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the fifth, but Henry fanned two and got a flyout to end the inning.
Henry plunked Tim Becker to start the sixth, but got an adventurous catch in left by Christian Bullock, a strikeout, and a nice diving play at first by Kerr to keep Becker at first.
Matheu Nelson had a ground rule double with two away in the seventh, but Henry struck out Nander De Sedas to not allow Nelson to advance.
Salvatore had a single off the glove of Henry with two away in the eighth, but a flyout to center ended the frame.
FSU got outstanding relief work. Chase Haney went 2.1 hitless innings with two strikeouts. Jonah Scolaro fanned the six Wolverines he faced over the final two frames. Seminole pitchers combined to strike out 17 UM batters.
In the bottom of the ninth, Henry struck out Drew Mendoza for the first out. Robby Martin hit a grounder on the right side. Second baseman Ako Thomas made a great diving stop and threw out Martin for the second out.
“Ako is a special defender, Bakich said. “He has been doing that for four straight years. He’s a guy that can change the momentum of a game with his defense. He made a diving play up the middle in Game 1. He made that play in the 4 hole tonight in the ninth inning, which was a huge play, just to minimize any type of a rally. The defensive positioning tonight I thought was fantastic, as well. It seemed like we had a lot of at ’em balls tonight and that’s because our guys were standing in the right spot.”
Henry struck out Flowers on his 100th pitch to record the shutout.
“Pure joy,” Henry said of that final out. “It didn’t matter what role you played in the game. I’m sure everyone was feeling the exact same way. You know, we just show up to the field one day at a time, just trying to win games for each other, for the block M, for the eight letters on our chest. And so whether you were in the bunker all game or you hit a home run the second at-bat of the game, everyone is feeling that pure joy just because it’s a special team, we’re playing for each other, and we’re playing for the block M on our hat. So we’re all just pumped up that we get to be here a few more days to play another baseball game.”