[Michigan Wolverines News]

ANN ARBOR -- Words such as "special" and "amazing" are often used by Michigan coach Rich Maloney when talking about the Wolverines' baseball team.

The Wolverines (35-10, 17-3 Big Ten) are having a special season. They are hitting .345, ranking fourth nationally. They rank No. 1 in the Big Ten in hitting and fielding (.971) and No. 2 behind Minnesota in pitching with a 3.95 ERA.

Michigan won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles last year. The Wolverines are closing in on another regular-season title. They lead Minnesota (14-5 Big Ten) by 2 1/2 games with two weeks left in the season.

Maloney said the Wolverines are a more complete team this season.

"It's a special group," Maloney said. "We're ranked No. 16 by Baseball America and we belong there. We're a legitimate national team. We're just a closer away from being a national (championship) contender.

Michigan enjoying a special season

[Michigan Man]

They sure are having a good season. I just hope it can transfer into the playoffs.

[Michigan Wolverines News]

Jake Hale allowed just two runs on 11 hits, and sixth-seeded Ohio State scored three runs in the first inning and one in the seventh to upend top-seeded Michigan 4-2 in the second round of the Big Ten baseball tournament last night in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Buckeyes (35-22) advance to the winners' bracket final and will face second-seeded Minnesota at 7:05 tonight.

Hale (3-3) outdueled Michigan starter Zach Putnam (7-4), who allowed four runs on 10 hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Justin Miller, Jason Zoeller and Tony Kennedy each had an RBI single in the first inning for OSU. The Buckeyes added a run in the seventh on a single by Eric Fryer of Reynoldsburg.

The Columbus Dispatch : OSU roundup: Buckeyes bump off top-seeded Wolverines in Big Ten baseball tourney

[Michigan Wolverines News]

Nearly 1,700 excited people jammed into The Fish Friday night as Michigan baseball fever swept across Ann Arbor.

After winning the Big Ten regular-season championship by two-and-a-half games, the Wolverines strolled into the conference tournament as the top-seeded team, playing an Ohio State team they swept in a four-game series earlier in the year.

The maize-and-blue clad fans in the stands came with high expectations. They wanted to see the Wolverines win their second-straight conference crown.

The Michigan players even had higher expectations for themselves. In their minds, their team was surely a lock for the NCAA Tournament. And once they got there, the Wolverines wanted to make their first trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., since 1984.

But it was a weekend of disappointment and missed opportunities for Michigan, which bowed out of the double-elimination tournament after losses to Ohio State and Penn State.

As NCAA Tournament begins, Michigan struggles with runners on base - Baseball

[Michigan Wolverines News]

NASHVILLE, TENN. - The University of Michigan dusted off its offense and reversed a troubling trend in the Nashville baseball regional Friday at Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field... The Wolverines took the lead with three runs in the third inning and added four during a seventh-inning rain shower to beat Memphis 10-7 and wash away the memory of three consecutive first-round regional losses.

MLive.com: Everything Michigan

[Lefty Noob]

I just heard Michigan upset and eliminated Vanderbilt! Can you believe it?

[Michigan Man]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

I just heard Michigan upset and eliminated Vanderbilt! Can you believe it?

It is so awesome. They are playing very good baseball now. Vandy was the #1 team in the country and we just beat them. 2 times even. It is great.

[Michigan Wolverines News]

While disappointed at not being able to extend its season Monday, it didn't take long for the University of Michigan baseball team to realize it's likely to have a promising future.

The Wolverines, who finished 42-19 after falling in an NCAA Super Regional at Oregon State, return 7 of their 9 position players and 3 of their 4 starting pitchers.

Coach Rich Maloney already believes Michigan could be a preseason top-10 team heading into 2008.

After a two-decade absence, the Wolverines thrust themselves back into the national picture in 2007 with a wire-to-wire Big Ten title, a 16-game win streak that vaulted them to No. 13 in the polls and an NCAA Regional championship by winning twice at No. 1 Vanderbilt.

Michigan fell two wins shy of reaching the College World Series, which opens Friday in Omaha, Neb. The Wolverines hope the end of this season is just part of the learning experience of being among those final eight teams next year.

Michigan baseball team positive about its future - Latest from the Ann Arbor News - MLive.com

[Michigan Man]

Well they did have a great season. But next year they will be expected to get to the CWS with all the returning players. Well see how they handle the pressure next year.