Michigan Baseball vs. Oregon series preview

The Michigan Wolverines have a mound visit during an NCAA baseball game at Bainton Field in Piscataway, United States, on March 27, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images The Michigan baseball team picked up a much-needed series victory last weekend a

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What is the story about?

The Michigan baseball team picked up a much-needed series victory last weekend against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, taking two out of three games in Piscataway. With that series win, Michigan improved to 14-13 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten play.

Next up is another ranked matchup, as the 15th ranked Oregon Ducks will be visiting Ann Arbor this weekend for a crucial conference clash. Let’s take a closer look at this matchup.

Oregon’s season so far

Oregon is ranked No. 15 in the country for a reason. The Ducks are off to a hot

23-5 start (7-2 in Big Ten play) with impressive wins over Arizona, Vanderbilt and Oregon State. The Ducks have played series against Purdue, Indiana and Northwestern, taking two out of three against the Boilermakers and Wildcats, and sweeping the Hoosiers.

Players to watch

Offensively, there are four Oregon players that Michigan will need to be especially careful with. The first is Drew Smith, who is off to an outstanding start to the season with a .394 average, nine homers and 34 RBIs. He is the most dangerous bat in this Oregon lineup.

Infielder Ryan Cooney is also a major weapon at the plate. He is hitting .358 so far this season with five homers and 22 RBIs. Jax Gimenez and Angel Laya are both extremely dangerous hitters as well. Both players are hitting .333 on the year, but Laya is the one with more pop, with nine homers this year compared to Gimenez’s three. Laya has 28 RBIs and Gimenez has 19.

On the mound, Michigan will likely face Will Sanford, Cal Scolari and Collin Clarke. Unfortunately for Michigan, all three of them are having outstanding years. Sanford has been the ace, allowing just five earned runs in 36.1 innings pitched this season. He currently has a 1.24 ERA. Scolari and Clarke are both having great years as well — Scolari has a 2.57 ERA, allowing just eight earned runs in 28 innings pitched. Clarke has given up 14 earned runs in 43.2 innings pitched, good for a 2.89 ERA.