OMAHA, Neb. — Michigan could sense the momentum slipping away.
Jimmy Kerr got it back.
Kerr homered for the third time in the College World Series, this time after Vanderbilt pulled within one in the sixth inning, and the Wolverines beat the Commodores 7-4 in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals Monday night.
"We needed that blast right there," coach Erik Bakich said.
The Wolverines (50-20), who barely got into the NCAA Tournament after a poor finish to the regular season, are seeking the school's first baseball championship since 1962. Ohio State is the last Big Ten school to take home the title, winning it all in 1966.