Michigan baseball opened a crucial weekend series vs. Rutgers Thursday night. The Wolverines made a big statement out of the gate, scoring 9 runs on 10 hits in the 9-6 victory.

In the top of the 1st inning, Michigan faced an early bases-loaded jam. Starting pitcher Connor O’Halloran was able to escape the inning without allowing a run before the Wolverine bats went to work.

After escaping the jam, Clark Elliott went right to work. He opened the scoring with a solo shot and Joe Stewart followed with a solo home run of his own to make it 2-0 early.

The two sides would exchange runs back-and-forth before Michigan took the lead for good with a 4-run frame in the 5th. Jimmy Obertop and Joey Velazquez both launched 2-run home runs to put the Wolverines back on top for good.

As a team, Michigan blasted 5 home runs with Elliott hitting a pair of his own. Here are all the highlights from Thursday’s game:

Unlike during basketball season, the B1G Baseball Tournament takes just the top 8 teams in the conference standings. With Thursday’s win, Michigan has clinched a berth into the conference tournament and currently sits tied for 5th in the B1G standings.

The B1G Baseball Tournament is set for May 25-29 from Omaha, Nebraska.