Michigan baseball found itself in an unwelcome spot this offseason, losing longtime head coach Erik Bakich to the head coaching vacancy at Clemson. Bakich left Ann Arbor with a lengthy and impressive resumé.

In 10 seasons, Bakich led the Wolverines to 5 NCAA Tournament appearances. That stretch included a College World Series runner-up finish in 2019 and 328 total wins.

Fortunately, it looks like Michigan has found an accomplished coach to take the helm of the baseball program. According to Kendall Rogers with D1 Baseball, Michigan is expected to hire Tracy Smith. Rogers cited Michigan sources for the information in his reporting.

The 56-year-old Smith is no stranger to the midwest and has head coaching stops at Miami (OH, his alma mater), Indiana and Arizona State. Smith’s most recent stint was with the Sun Devils from 2015-21.

Smith has compiled over 800 career victories and 9 NCAA Tournament appearances in his time as a head coach. That stretch includes leading Indiana to its first-ever College World Series appearance in 2013.