KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team steps outside of conference play on Tuesday as it travels to Ann Arbor for a non-conference contest at Michigan.
 

GAME INFO

Matchup: Western Michigan (7-18) at Michigan (15-12)

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 4 – 4 pm

Site: Ray Fisher Stadium (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Video: BTN+

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

FOLLOW ALONG: @WMUBaseball

LEADING OFF

• Western Michigan steps outside of conference play on Tuesday to face Michigan
• Tuesday's tilt will be WMU's sixth against a Big Ten opponent thus far in 2023
• Michigan holds an 80-74-2 advantage in the all-time series between the two programs
• The last meeting came on March 19, 2019, with #23 U-M beating WMU, 12-5
• The Broncos have 13 wins over Big Ten opponents under head coach Billy Gernon
• Western Michigan is 2-5 against U-M with Gernon at the helm
• The last win for the Broncos against the Wolverines was a 7-3 victory on March 27, 2013, in Ann Arbor
• Michigan begins the week at 62 in the RPI and will be WMU's fifth opponent to be in the top-100
• The Broncos enter the week with the 18th-toughest non-conference schedule in NCAA DI
• Western Michigan took two out of three at Miami over the weekend for its first MAC series win
• Brady Miller threw seven scoreless innings on Saturday to lead WMU to its first shutout of 2023
• Cade Sullivan was named MAC Co-Player of the Week on Monday for the second time this season
• Sullivan hit .385 against the RedHawks, drove in five runs and homered in both of the Bronco wins
• Jackson Kitchen reached base in all three games to extend his on-base streak to 21 in a row
• The 21-game streak is the longest by a Bronco this season

ANOTHER BIG TEST
Following its first Mid-American Conference series victory of the season, Western Michigan hits the road on Tuesday to face Michigan. Tuesday's game marks the sixth game against a Big Ten opponent this season for the Broncos, who have already had a three-game series at #20 Iowa and a home-and-home series against Michigan State during their non-conference schedule. 

WMU VS U-M
Michigan holds an 80-74-2 advantage in the all-time series between the two programs. The Broncos and Wolverines have not met since a March 19, 2019, contest in Ann Arbor. The then 23rd-ranked Wolverines won that contest, 12-5. Western Michigan is 2-5 against Michigan under head coach Billy Gernon. The last win for the Broncos in the series was a 7-3 victory in Ann Arbor on March 27, 2013. 

BRONCOS AGAINST THE BIG TEN
The Broncos have picked up 13 victories over Big Ten opponents under head coach Billy Gernon. During Gernon's tenure, Western Michigan has beaten Michigan State (five times), Northwestern (three times), Michigan (twice), Ohio State (twice) and Minnesota. So far this season, WMU has played five games against Big Ten foes, with three at #20 Iowa and a home-and-home series against Michigan State.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Western Michigan begins the week with the 18th-most difficult non-conference strength of schedule in the NCAA. Of WMU's 25 games, 11 have come against teams ranked in the current top-100, including five inside the top-60 (three against No. 4 LSU and two against No. 52 Michigan State). Of the current top-100 teams in the RPI, WMU still has games remaining against Notre Dame (No. 39) and Michigan (No. 62), as well as three-game sets against Kent State (No. 60) and Central Michigan (No. 95).

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Michigan won two out of three at Illinois over the weekend to up its Big Ten record to 5-1. Overall, the Wolverines have won 11 of their last 14 games. Western Michigan will be U-M's third opponent from the MAC, as the Wolverines have lost to Akron and beaten Central Michigan in extra innings. 

LAST TIME OUT
Western Michigan picked up its first conference series win of the season over the weekend as it took two out of three at Miami down in Oxford, Ohio. The Broncos opened the weekend with their first shutout of the season, 6-0, on Saturday and then split a twin bill on Sunday. 

MILLER MOWS 'EM DOWN
Brady Miller was dominant for the Broncos in Saturday's series-opening win at Miami. The right-hander blanked the RedHawks during his seven innings of work and racked up a new career-high 10 strikeouts.

BRONCO BLANKING
Brady Miller worked the first seven innings and Hayden Berg pitched the eighth and ninth frames on Saturday to help WMU pick up its first shutout of 2023. The shutout was just the second by a MAC team of a conference opponent this season, with the other instance a 4-0 Akron shutout victory over Ball State last Friday. 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
For the second time this season, Cade Sullivan was named MAC Co-Player of the Week on Monday. Sullivan hit .385 in the series at Miami, drove in five and homered in both WMU victories. For the season, Sullivan leads the Broncos in both homers (8, T-6 MAC) and RBIs (25, T-8).

MASHING MORRISON
Will Morrison leads WMU in several offensive categories, including batting average (.362), OBP (.455), hits (34) and runs (23).

GETTING DEFENSIVE
The Western Michigan defense has turned 25 double plays so far this season, the most in the MAC and 17th-most in the country. The Bronco defense also ranks sixth in the nation with 1.00 twin killings per game. WMU ranks second in the conference and 41st nationally with a .977 fielding percentage.