Rochester, Mich. – After taking two of three in a Horizon League series with Purdue Fort Wayne on March 25 & 26, Oakland Baseball will return to the diamond for a pair of midweek games, squaring off with the Saginaw Valley Cardinals at home on Tuesday, March 29 and hitting the road to battle the Michigan Wolverines the following day, Wednesday, March 30.
All-time record against Michigan
Last meeting on March 20, 2018, the Golden Grizzlies and Wolverines have battled 13 times, with 12 of these showdowns coming in Ann Arbor and the other being a neutral site tilt in Ypsilanti on March 19, 2011.
Michigan owns a 9-4 all-time edge and Oakland's last victory in the series came in a 10-inning clash on May 17, 2016.
About Saginaw Valley
An NCAA Division II institution, the Cardinals will enter Tuesday on a four-game winning streak and with a 12-8 record, including a 4-0 mark in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play.
Hitting .314 as a team, Saginaw Valley's lineup is led by junior catcher/left fielder Todd Paperd, a Sterling Heights Stevenson product, who owns a .406 batting average (28-69) with eight doubles, 14 runs, and 23 RBI in 18 games.
First baseman Martin Money, a fellow junior, is another potent bat, accumulating a .359/.533/.547 slash line with a home run, nine doubles, and 22 RBI while appearing in all 20 games.
About Michigan
Winning the final two of their three-game set in Lincoln with the Nebraska Cornhuskers from March 25-27, the Wolverines are 13-10 (2-1 B1G).
Now in his tenth season, Michigan is led by Erik Bakich, who has piloted the program to the NCAA Tournament four times, highlighted by a College World Series runner-up finish in 2019.
Junior right fielder Clark Elliott sets the tone as the Wolverines' leadoff man, hitting .352 (31-88) with a 1.053 OPS and five stolen bases in six attempts.
Serving as the cleanup man, catcher Jimmy Obertop, another junior, possesses statistics similar to Elliott with a .345 batting average (30-87), a .506 slugging percentage, and a .970 OPS.
On the mound, sophomore left-hander Connor O'Halloran has been Michigan's best starter, compiling a 2-2 record, 4.11 ERA, and 1.24 WHIP over seven starts (30.2 innings). Junior righty Noah Rennard has made a team-high 11 appearances, with nine of these coming in relief, and has a 2-1 record, 2.93 ERA, and 1.27 WHIP in 27.2 innings.
Probable Oakland starting pitchers
Tuesday (vs. Saginaw Valley): Chas Sagedahl (So. LHP) 1-4, 11.76 ERA, 20.2 IP, 7 BB, 21 SO
Wednesday (at Michigan): Travis Densmore (Jr. LHP) 1-0, 6.91 ERA, 14.1 IP, 4 BB, 15 SO
A Dallas Baptist transfer, Sagedahl has struggled in three consecutive starts, but flashed his upside in a seven-inning, eight-strikeout victory over Marshall in Huntington, W.V. on March 5.
Densmore last pitched in the March 22 road victory over Eastern Michigan, receiving a no-decision while working 5.1 shutout innings, scattering three hits, walking two, and striking out five.
Nigh continues to rake
Playing the role of hero with his walk-off home run in the March 26 win over Purdue Fort Wayne, freshman
Brandon Nigh owns the highest batting average on the team at .318 (14-44) and has hit safely in five of his last seven games.
Cleary up to .302
Going 3-9 (.333) with a home run and four RBI in the Purdue Fort Wayne series, junior designated hitter
Ian Cleary has raised his season batting average to .302 (13-43).
A powerful left-handed bat, the Utica Ford graduate leads the team in both home runs (five) and RBI (16).
