(photo by Craig Jackson, @leftfieldlounge)
OMAHA, Neb. – The Big Ten will have a team playing for the national title for the first time in more than 50 years.
Jesse Franklin had three hits and knocked in four, while Jimmy Kerr had four hits, including two homers, four runs and three RBI, as Michigan eliminated No. 8 Texas Tech 15-3 Friday afternoon at TD Ameritrade Park to advance to the Championship Series of the 2019 College World Series.
The Wolverines (49-20) await the winner of Vanderbilt-Louisville for next week’s best-of-three title series. UM will be seeking its third national championship, having claimed crowns in 1953 and 1962.
The last Big Ten team to play for the national championship was Ohio State in 1966. The Buckeyes won the title that year.
The Wolverines scored in all but one of their at-bats, with multiple runs in five of the first seven frames.
“To get to this point,” UM head coach Erik Bakich said, “pitching, defense, timely hits. Karl Kauffmann settling the game down after the 3-spot after the second inning and putting up four zeros was huge. And the defense has been great behind him all week. And then 10 two-out RBI today, that’s the most we’ve had all year. So to get that many clutch hits today I thought was one of the biggest storylines and one of the biggest reasons — the main reason we were able to separate the game and have a lopsided score the way it was.”
UM started its offense in the bottom of the first. With one away, Franklin had a swinging bunt down the third base line for an infield hit. With two gone, Franklin motored around the bases after Kerr doubled into the right field corner to give the Wolverines a 1-0 edge. Blake Nelson followed with a base hit to left, plating Kerr with UM’s second run
The Red Raiders (48-20) responded in the top of the second. Cameron Warren drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a base hit by Kurt Wilson. Dru Baker’s single drove home Warren to make it 2-1. Braxton Fulford laid down a sacrifice bunt and Kauffmann’s throw to the plate was late as Wilson scored to level the score at 2-2. Easton Murrell had a check-swing single to left that brought home Baker, giving the Red Raiders a 3-2 lead.
The Wolverines reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the frame. Jack Blomgren hit a ball that got past center fielder Dylan Neuse. Blomgren ended up at third with a single and advanced on two-base error. Joe Donovan walked and Ako Thomas singled to drive in Blomgren with the tying run. John McMillon came in from the bullpen and fanned Jordan Nwogu before walking Franklin to load the bases. Jordan Brewer fell behind 0-2 before getting plunked on a 1-2 offering to force in Donovan and give UM a 4-3 edge.
Josh Jung and Warren had singles to start the third and both moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by Cody Masters. Wilson popped out to short, and Thomas made a sliding stop to his right and threw out Baker to end the threat.
UM added to its lead in the bottom of the third. Christian Bullock drew a leadoff walk. While going on a hit-and-run, Bullock was hit on the leg by a Blomgren grounder. Bullock was declared out and Blomgren took first with a base hit. With two away, Thomas and Nwogu drew walks to load the bases. Franklin smacked a double to left center, bringing home Blomgren and Thomas as the Wolverines went up 6-3.
Nelson had a base hit in the fourth and scored on a wild pitch to push the lead to 7-3.
Franklin had a two-run single to cap a five-run sixth as the Wolverines went up 12-3.
Kauffmann came out of the game after six innings, giving up six hits and three runs with four walks and two strikeouts. He threw 100 pitches.
“It was a similar approach to last week,” Kauffmann said. “It was come out, attack, minimize their opportunities early in the game. Gave up a few too many free passes and it showed. So the plays the defense made behind me when they needed to — Ako, that play up the middle in top of the third, huge; Blomgren, in the hole — there’s plays all day being made. So just giving us the best chance to win and keeping the game close, that was kind of my mindset.”
Kerr had homers in both the seventh and eighth innings as the advantage grew to 15-3. Kerr has gone deep 14 times this season.
UM was swept in a three-game series at TTU on March 21-23 by
scores of 11-2, 10-3 and 8-5. The Wolverines beat the Red Raiders twice in Omaha.
“We played them a while back,” TTU head
coach Tim Tadlock said, “and that’s not the same team we played. And their
staff is to be commended for that. Their starting pitching is phenomenal. To a
man, in their lineup, every guy in their lineup has gotten better since we’ve
seen them.”