In their Michigan baseball debut, freshmen Derek Dennis and Patrick Biondi gave the fans at Ray Fisher Stadium a taste of what they can look forward to in the 2010 season. The freshman duo combined for timely hits and three RBI in the Wolverines’ 26-1, 14-inning exhibition win over the Ontario Blue Jays yesterday.

In their first official contest as Wolverines, Dennis and Biondi impressed Michigan coach Rich Maloney and may have made a case for why they should be starters.

“You’ll see a lot of them,” Maloney said. “You will see Derek Dennis be the shortstop, and Biondi will probably be the left fielder.”

The second inning marked the Blue Jays' only score — on a hit from junior catcher Justin Marra. By the end of the seventh inning, the Wolverines held a 20-point advantage over the Blue Jays, thanks to home runs from Coley Crank (who led the Wolverines with seven RBI), Mike Kittle, Ryan LaMarre, John Lorenz and Tyler Mills.

That apparently wasn't enough for Maloney.

“From a hitting standpoint, we’ll have to continue to get better … I mean we’ve scored a lot of runs and all, but we can do a bit better,” Maloney said.

The Wolverines' hitting will need to continue to improve going into a season in which they will face six NCAA Tournament qualifiers (including North Carolina, who competed in the College World Series in each of the past four seasons). The Wolverines can’t expect a fall exhibition win to guarantee smooth sailing in 2010.

“I’m pleased with their performance,” Maloney said. “As long as they stay hungry, I think they’ve got a real chance.”

The next matchup for the Wolverines will be Feb. 19, when they face Maine in the 2010 season opener in Lubbock, Texas.