MGoBlue and Coach Maloney released this upcoming season's baseball captains this week in senior catcher Chris Berset and senior first baseman Mike Dufek. The two have big shoes to fill, stepping up to fill the void of last year's captains Chris Fetter, Tim Kalczynski, and Kevin Cislo, but I'm sure they'll be up to the task.

Berset is in his fourth (split time with Doug Pickens in '07, but started more games) year as the starting catcher for the Wolverines, having already 91 starts in 110 games played. Chris has managed our pitching staff very well over the years, including the wildly successful campaigns of alumni Chris Fetter, Zach Putnam, Mike Powers, and current players such as Tyler Burgoon, Eric Katzman, and Alan Oaks.

There is a difference in the play of our team with him behind the plate. Pitchers feel confident in throwing that hard breaking slider in the dirt with runners on base and being aggressive because they know that Berset will block the ball.

On offense, Berset had a solid rebound to his sophomore slump of a season in 2007. From MGoBlue:

Berset, a three-year letterwinner, posted a career high in doubles (7) and runs batted in (21) despite missing 24 games due to injury last season. The switch-hitting catcher had a breakout sophomore campaign in 2008, appearing in 42 games with 37 starts behind the dish. Michigan was 27-10 in games Berset caught as he helped lead the team to its third straight Big Ten title and NCAA Regional in Ann Arbor.

Chris also honed his leadership skills with a trip to this year's World Baseball Cup, playing for the Great Britain team. While the GB team didn't make it past the 2nd round, Berset did well, hitting .387 with a key home run against Croatia.

Mike Dufek will be making his second straight season as the starter at first base, his third season to be at least a semi-regular starter. In his sophomore season, Dufek commonly came in to play first base when All American Nate Recknagel shifted to catcher or designated hitter.

Dufek is the big hitter in the lineup, registering 17 home runs last season and a .647 slugging percentage. Dufek is also a solid closer for Michigan, with a 95+ mph fastball that leaves opposing hitters whiffing at nothing.

Via MGoBlue:

Dufek earned first team All-Big Ten honors as a first baseman last season after starting all 55 games and leading all Big Ten first basemen with 17 home runs. He tied for third place on the U-M single-season homer list while finishing with a team-best 19 doubles. Dufek also appeared on the mound 11 times, posting a 1-1 record with three saves and a 2.70 ERA.

"What I look for in a captain are players who are committed to the team," Maloney continued. "Captains should look at things bigger than themselves, and I think Chris and Mike have demonstrated that quality throughout their careers. It's not about them; they want to win for Michigan."

Congratulations to Chris and Mike on your honor.

Images from mgoblue.com