Jacob Denner’s career day provides spark for Michigan despite losses

After losing two out of three games this past weekend against a Minnesota team that was 13-30 entering the series, the Michigan baseball team didn’t have much to be happy about. 

The Wolverines’ offense was sluggish all weekend, and mishaps on the defensive end granted the Golden Gophers opportunities to keep the games close — something they capitalized on in Saturday’s contest. But when the smoke cleared on Sunday and Michigan escaped with a single elusive win, at least one positive could be taken away from an otherwise disastrous weekend.

That positive? A career outing from senior left-hander Jacob Denner.

Thrust into the starting role in a series that was already over, Denner still rose to the occasion. He pitched a career-high in innings in the form of a complete game, compiling seven strikeouts and only allowing one earned run. That run came in the seventh inning, well after the Wolverines had already established a sizable lead. 

Denner also allowed just seven baserunners in his outing. It was by far the best performance of the season — if not his career — and with his efficiency on the mound, he picked up his first win of the year. And with such a thin bullpen all season long, any solid pitching performance is music to Michigan coach Tracy Smith’s ears.

“He put us on his back today,” Smith said Sunday. “He did a great job. … Even the deeper into the game (he went), I thought he was getting more effective. … He was still throwing strikes … which we needed, because every win at this point is crucial to get to that Big Ten Tournament.”

Like Smith said, at this point in the season every win truly is crucial in conference play — especially in a conference as tight as the Big Ten. 

Just two losses sent the Wolverines down from a top-three spot to barely holding postseason positioning. With Michigan likely needing a Big Ten Tournament victory to even continue playing past the end of May, Denner’s performance was huge for the Wolverines.

But for Denner, his outing was not just the product of his own hard work. Rather, he also attributes his success to coaching and a shared team mindset.

“I think the coaching staff did a great job over the weekend trying to take it one day at a time and really just hone in on each individual game and individual pitch,” Denner said. “And I think that’s the best mindset that we can carry through. And if we can, if we can do that effectively, I think things will take care of themselves.”

With question marks rapidly appearing for Michigan as the regular season’s end approaches, Denner’s gutsy performance was a necessity for the Wolverines’ confidence. All season long, Smith has been looking for pitchers to support junior left-hand ace Connor O’Halloran.

“I think there’s question marks,” Smith said April 3. “ … Meaning the depth of the pitching staff and searching for guys to step up and seize these roles.”

If Denner can continue to pitch effectively from the mound into the postseason, perhaps he can be part of the answer.