Michigan’s 2026 baseball season got off to a roaring start, as the Wolverines took home the crown in the College Baseball Series in Surprise, Arizona. The Wolverines had a tough slate of games, with two matchups against No. 12 Oregon State, and one each against No. 12 Arizona and Stanford.
On Friday night, things didn’t exactly get off to the best start against Oregon State, as the Beavers struck for two runs in the first inning off Michigan’s ace, Tate Carey. It wouldn’t take long for the Wolverines
to start chipping away at the lead, though, as junior Brenden Stressler homered to right field in the top of the second inning to make it 2-1.
Oregon State would plate an additional run in the bottom of the fifth to regain a two-run lead, but Michigan bounced right back in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 3-3 thanks to Evan Haeger’s two-run RBI single, scoring Stressler and Greg Pace Jr. Michigan took the lead for good in the top of the eighth, with Haeger hitting another two-run single, this time scoring Dane Morrow and Josh Campbell. Michigan held on to win by a 5-3 final score.
On Saturday, the Wolverines went right back to work against another tough opponent in Stanford. In the third inning, Greg Pace and Brayden Jefferis both walked and were driven in thanks to a triple from Cade Ladehoff, giving the Wolverines a quick 2-0 lead. Michigan would tack on additional runs in the fourth and fifth innings to jump ahead 4-0, but Stanford got a run back in the bottom of the fifth to keep it close at 4-1.
In the top of the seventh, Carson Luna would drive in Ladehoff with an RBI single to give Michigan a 5-1 lead. Stanford countered in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch from Michigan reliever Max Debiec. But Michigan would plate two more runs in the ninth inning from a Stressler RBI double and a Noah Miller single to grab a commanding 7-2 lead late. Stanford would rally in the bottom of the inning with four runs on four hits and a Michigan error, but the Wolverines held on for a 7-6 victory.
Michigan got its toughest test of the weekend on Sunday against No. 12 Arizona, but it didn’t appear fazed riding the momentum of its 2-0 start. The Wolverines got on the board in the first inning with a sacrifice fly from Colby Turner. The score would hold there until the fourth inning, when the teams would swap runs in each half of the frame, making it a 2-1 game.
The difference maker wouldn’t come until the bottom of the sixth inning. After loading up the bases with one out, the Wolverines opted for some small ball, with Drew Culbertson dropping down a sacrifice bunt to score Matthew Ossenfort from third. Shortly thereafter, an infield single from Jefferis would give the Wolverines a 4-1 lead with Haeger crossing the plate.
Kurt Barr departed the game after seven innings of one-run ball, and the bullpen was able to close it down behind him to help Michigan start the year 3-0 and clinch the tournament title.
Michigan played its final game of the series on Monday with another matchup against Oregon State. Things would start off slow, but the Beavers would get on the board first in the bottom of the fourth inning. After a throwing error from Drew Culbertson allowed the leadoff runner to reach, an RBI double from Easton Talt gave Oregon State a 1-0 lead. That was followed up by a sacrifice fly later in the inning to put the Beavers up two runs. The teams swapped runs in the fifth to make it 3-1.
In the seventh inning, Jefferis walked and was moved up thanks to a wild pitch. Colby Turner hit Jefferis in with an RBI single before being driven in himself by Matthew Ossenfort to tie the game at 3-3. But Oregon State grabbed the lead back in seventh with an RBI single from former Wolverine Tyler Inge.
Michigan would knot the game back up at 4-4 in the eighth inning when Jefferis hit into a fielder’s choice. Oregon State had its chance to do some damage, loading the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but Gavin DeVooght pitched out of the jam to keep the score tied.
The game went to extra innings, but Michigan didn’t have anything going in the top of the 10th. Preston Barr would come in for Michigan in relief, but Oregon State’s Bryce Hubbard took him deep on just his second pitch to walk it off for the Beavers, 5-4.
Even with a bitter end to the series, it was a highly successful opening weekend for the Wolverines, as they nabbed three early victories against some rather respectable opponents.
