Following an offseason defined by graduations and transfers in and out, last year’s disappointing results for the Michigan baseball team asked if new lineups could solve the Wolverines’ past problems. In the first series of the year, redshirt sophomore outfielder Evan Haeger answered.
One of Michigan’s newest additions, Haeger emerged from the transfer portal after stints at Alabama and Houston. His contributions over the weekend set the Wolverines up for a tournament win at the College Baseball Series in Surprise, Ariz. against then-No. 12 Oregon State, Stanford and then-No. 24 Arizona.
Haeger led the team with three hits and four RBIs over the weekend. His batting average of .400 trailed only transfer junior right fielder Brenden Stressler and more than doubled his .174 with Houston.
“It’s not my at-bat,” Haeger said. “It’s the team at-bat. I just want to provide meaningful opportunities for us to win. Every time I was at two strikes, I just got out of the ‘Me’ thinking and decided to give it up for the team, and it worked out.”
Haeger’s three hits in four at-bats during the first matchup against Oregon State led to four out of Michigan’s five RBIs. Two of those runs came at exactly the right time for the Wolverines. In the eighth inning with two outs and the score tied 3-3, Haeger sent the ball shallow into right field — just deep enough for runners on second and third to make it home. When Michigan’s defense quickly shut down Oregon State’s next two innings, Haeger’s two-run lead was preserved in the 5-3 final score.
For the rest of the series, Haeger’s offensive contributions pared down as his teammates picked up their share of the RBIs. But his clean defensive play minimized the effects of five errors from the Wolverines, and his runs extended the lead against Arizona and put his team on the board in their second bout against Oregon State.
“Tools-wise, (Haeger) is a really good baseball player,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said. “Of course I expected him to play well.”
While the Wolverines turned to more subdued play as the series progressed, Haeger’s initial momentum pushed the team through a tone-setting opening weekend. Wins over ranked teams set Michigan up with a strong, third-ranked starting RPI. Even with a loss to Oregon State in the final game of the series, the Wolverines’ standings are a solid foundation for the season.
Michigan’s showing was meaningful for Haeger, too. The right fielder opened a new chapter in his collegiate career with his statistical support of the statement weekend. While he’s only played four games in the maize and blue, Haeger logged statistics that far outpace his production on his previous teams and demonstrated reliability over the series.
“It’s really easy to play for the eight letters on your chest when it’s Michigan,” Haeger said. “… A lot of the credit goes to the coaches and the rest of my teammates for setting me up and putting me in a spot to be successful.”
Through the course of the weekend, Michigan proved that it has the manpower to back itself up when it needs to the most. Yet amid the roster, Haeger made his mark on the tournament title in his and the team’s first impressions.
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