O’Halloran once again integral to Michigan baseball’s victory over Michigan State

Another chapter in the same story has been written for the Michigan baseball team.

Once again, junior right-hander Connor O’Halloran played a crucial role in victory for the Wolverines. But for the first time all season, he did so in a complete-game outing. 

O’Halloran put together nine innings of efficiency on the mound en route to Saturday’s 8-3 victory over Michigan State. Following his arm, Michigan clinched its third Big Ten series win of the season and a bounceback performance in conference play after losing two straight series to Rutgers and Nebraska.

And for the Wolverines, O’Halloran’s performance does much more than simply earn a win.

“(O’Halloran’s performance) does a lot of things,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said. “One: It gets us the win. Two: It saves the bullpen. We’ve seen this Sunday stuff, so it’s one of those things … that was a gutty performance and in my mind, he was the key (to victory).”

By saving the bullpen after only using O’Halloran on Saturday, the Wolverines have a big opportunity to go for a series sweep on Sunday with rested relievers. And with the Big Ten standings becoming narrower as the season barrels toward its finish, every win counts.

On Saturday, O’Halloran threw 115 pitches, allowing only seven hits in the process. He also accumulated five strikeouts and two walks. Once again, he refused to give free bases to his opponent, something Smith has emphasized to his entire roster as a clear path to victory.

“Recognizing that every 90 feet matter (is important),” Smith told The Michigan Daily Apr. 9. “Make guys beat you, don’t give them the free passes.”

And in doing so, O’Halloran impacted more than just the Wolverines’ defense.

Not only is he a stalwart on the defensive end, but his performance stretched to all impacts of Michigan’s game plan — including its play at the plate. By backing its bats up, O’Halloran created opportunities for the Wolverines’ offense to shine without the pressure of being behind on the scoreboard in the back of their minds.

“(Connor) sets the tone every time he gets out there,” senior second baseman Ted Burton said. “I feel comfortable in the box when I’m hitting because I know that he’s going to do his job and I’m going to do mine. And I know that the rest of the guys feel the same way.”

And with O’Halloran on the mound, the Wolverines were able to create big innings. In both the first and sixth innings, Michigan scored seven of its eight runs to comfortably put the game out of reach for the Spartans. 

Due to O’Halloran’s presence, the Wolverines’ offense was at ease. Even when the bats sputtered in the middle innings, O’Halloran kept the Wolverines afloat — putting them in the position to win through his strong play and contagious energy.

With O’Halloran on the mound, it looks like the sky’s the limit for Michigan’s conference hopes. And with an improved offense from February playing behind him, the Wolverines will likely be a tough out for other Big Ten contenders.