'Crushed': Michigan's magical run falls short in CWS Finals

Michigan baseball coach Erik Bakich on what this tournament run means for the program now and going forward. Angelique S. Chengelis, The Detroit News

Omaha, Neb. — This wasn’t how Michigan envisioned its fairy tale postseason run ending. This was never the last page in the Wolverines’ minds. Ever.

The Wolverines had been in multiple back-against-the-wall moments during the NCAA Tournament. They faced elimination in the Corvallis Regional and again in the Super Regional against UCLA, the top-ranked team in the country. They were unfazed by the prospects of an even series in the best-of-three College World Series national championship.

But Vanderbilt, the second-ranked team in the nation, had…