1 hour and 32 minutes

The Sponsors

This show is presented by UGP & The Bo Store, and if it wasn’t for Rishi and Ryan, MGoBlog would have ceased to exist in 2012, therefore Dave Brandon would still be your AD. But hey, we did give him credit for a thing in this podcast.

Our other sponsors are also key to all of this: the Residence Inn Ann Arbor Downtown gave us a room, the University of Michigan Alumni Association gave us a membership, Ann Arbor Elder Lawgave us a plan, Michigan Law Grad got us down to a misdemeanor, Human Element got the site back up, the Phil Klein Insurance Group paid out our "if we have to podcast in June" policy, Peak Wealth Management invested it, HomeSure Lending can get that home loan set up so psst Juwan, give him a call man, and introducing Fuegobox, the reason we can spit fire.

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1. The Word Series Experience wsg Colin Johnston (Manuel Excel/@ColinTJ on Twitter)

(starts at 1:00)

This didn’t come from nowhere, but wow we kinda came outta nowhere. Pitching is what got us here and OMIGOD that FSU game. Could that pitching go MLB? Kerr has been amazing.

2. Vanderbilt Preview, again with Colin

(starts at 23:07)

Monsters, baseball version of the Villanova team our 2018 basketball team ran into, right down to the top two guys who might be the best two players in the country. Preseason and money #1. Michigan hasn’t faced hitters like #4 overall JJ Bleday or Austin Martin, who’ll be top ten next year, or Kumar Rocker, son of Tracy Rocker, the former Outland Trophy winner from Auburn, who wears #80 because he looks like a tight end, throws 95 mph with an 84 mph slider that goes straight down. He’s not even their best pitcher either.

3. Baseball: The Future

(starts at 36:39)

Bakich is sticking around, so is the pitching coach? Michigan’s academics and the Go Blue Guarantee might set them up to be a Gonzaga, if they don’t move the North to its own wood bat league. Academics matter a ton in recruiting in this sport, and Bakich is a hell of a recruiter. Probably get to keep him unless Vanderbilt comes along one day.

4. Soccer

(starts at 57:26)

Jealous of their wingers. The women’s hamblasting: we are all for blowouts and spiciness in sports, e.g. Dantonio’s march. Men’s team is starting to bring our confidence level in the kids. Stole a New Zealander. Boyd is going to be the Dempsey, which we haven’t had forever. Disappointing thing about not having Adams: he flashed that ability they really need a midfield with some bite. Why is U.S. soccer so good at women’s development but not men’s? Title IX: we’ve put more money towards it. Get on Zardis if you want but he’s a runner and he’s one of the only Americans out there scoring goals.

MUSIC

• "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"—Jaqueline Schwab
• "The Execution of All Things"—Rilo Kiley
• "Orange Crush"—R.E.M.
• “Across 110th Street”

THE USUAL LINKS

• Helpful iTunes subscribe link
• General podcast feed link
• Direct download link (right click/save as)
• What's with the theme music?

Think of all the logo changes Michigan State’s had, and now they have a good one.