Joe Donovan's Emotional, Successful Ride with Wolverine Baseball Continues

Star catcher of Michigan's 2019 national runner-up squad returns as student assistant coach for a promising team that beat No. 2 Virginia to take Puerto Rico Challenge

Photos Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

Teammates Jack Bredeson (No. 34) and Christan Bullock congratulate Joe Donovan after his solo homer against Vanderbilt in the first game of the 2019 College World Series championship series.

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Joe Donovan – now a student assistant coach for the Wolverines -- was one of the most memorable players on one of Michigan’s most memorable teams in its 159 baseball seasons.

Donovan was the personable, power-hitting catcher on a squad that bucked all odds to reach the championship game of the 2019 College World Series as an unranked team. The Wolverines finished second in the Big Ten regular season, lost in the conference tournament semi-finals and were one of the last four teams to gain berths into the NCAA Tournament.

But then they got hot – winning a tough regional in Corvalis, Ore. Their reward as the lowest-remaining seed was visiting UCLA, the No. 1 seed in the entire tourney, for a best-of-three Super Regional. Michigan’s huge upset of the Bruins got them to Omaha, where they beat No. 8 Texas Tech twice and got that 1-0 shutout win over Florida State from Tommy Henry.

All that remained was No. 2 Vanderbilt in the championship series. The Wolverines won the first game, 7-4, as Donovan hit a solo homer and scored two runs with two hits and one walk. They were one game away from the program’s first national title since 1962. John Kerr and Dick Honig, two of the stars of that championship squad 57 years prior, were invited to address Team 159 -- which included Jimmy Kerr, the grandson of the standout pitcher and a slugging first baseman.

"[John] drew parallels from our team to his team and how we just try to grind it out and how some didn't believe in us but we believed in ourselves,” Donovan told me then for a story for MGoBlue.com. “Him and Dick Honig said we have fun and try to stay in the moment. It's cool to get the insights of two guys who have done it before.

"They said they have a teammate who is in the south of France and there's a seven- or eight-hour time difference, and he stays up every night to watch it. It's great to know those guys and the whole Michigan baseball family are behind us."

National Coach of the Year Erik Bakich’s fiery squad fell one victory short of winning it all.

However, the thousands of maize and blue-clad fans who had come to back their team packed into a few sections behind the dugout and began to chant:

“It’s GREAT to be a MICHIGAN WOLVERINE!”

Their heroes in cleats with dirt-stained white pants and sweat-soaked blue jerseys and caps, stopped in their tracks. The players turned to wave and acknowledge that touching gesture, and it became a love fest for a team that was so easy to love.

I asked Donovan recently what he remembered most about that crazy run produced by a 50-22 team.

“It’s not going to be what you think,” he said. “It was probably the Corvalis regional. It was unbelievable. It was super fun. All of the guys were just playing free and we’d go to the river after one of our games and go swimming or find some cool places in Corvalis.

“And that’s when we started to hit on all cylinders, and it felt like, ‘OK, we can do something.’ ”

I noted that I was thinking that his top memory would be that homer against Vandy.

“That was a fun one, for sure,” Donovan said. “I mean, the experience was unbelievable. On that home run against Vandy, I probably ran a little too quick out of the box. I was just happy to get some good wood on it.”

Donovan hit .234 with 12 doubles and nine homers among 49 hits in 2019. He scored 40 runs and tallied 37 RBI with a .735 OPS. He was part of a strong returning group in 2020 that had the season end after only 15 games during the COVID shutdown. They were briefly No. 1 in the nation after beating No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 3 Arizona State, which was coached by current Michigan coach Tracy Smith.

He caught three pitchers who have reached the majors – Henry, Karl Kauffmann and Jeff Criswell – and threw out 46 percent of runners attempting to steal during his junior year. It was all a great experience.

Donovan can help sell recruits on what it can mean to play for the Wolverines.

Tyler Inge, a freshman shortstop whom Smith said has a future playing at “the next level,” fell in love with the Wolverines watching Donovan and his spirited teammates.

“This is going to sound a little weird,” said Inge, the oldest son of former Detroit Tigers All-Star third baseman Brandon Inge. “But [catcher] Joe Donovan was my favorite player. He was one of the main reasons I wanted to come here. Now, he’s a coach here and I’ve been picking his brain and talking about everything.

“He’s one of the smartest people I know. And he was a lot of fun as a player. Remember that little headband he used to wear and that puffy hair he had? I just liked the way he played. He had so much fun and was super loose when he played. That’s kind of the way I play or want to play. I want to be loose and have fun playing.”

Donovan said, “Tyler’s awesome. He’s extremely talented and he’s as funny as he’s happy. He’s always asking for extra work. He’s just really motivated and is a great kid.”

They connected quickly after Donovan arrived on campus in late August.

What’s It Like to Be Back?

Donovan, who got as high as Triple-A with the Cleveland Guardians’ organization, retired in July and is finishing his degree as a student assistant coach.

What’s it like to be back?

“It’s been cool,” said Donovan. “It’s been weird. It’s been awesome…And it’s been tough. Since I left as a junior there’s a couple classes that I had to finish. So, it’s serendipitous that the coaching role opened up and I had some lines of communication with Tracy, and it was the perfect mix to be able to come back, be in this role, be on staff, and finish up my schooling with a degree in general studies.”

Smith smiled when asked about Donovan, and said, “With [him] as the undergraduate student coach, it’s allowed us to have a guy of that quality who understands Michigan, understands baseball and [reached] Triple-A.

“It’s been a lot of fun. The thing that’s funny about Joe is not only is he a good baseball guy, he’s very inquisitive and…he just played [in the minors] last summer. And we have a need at catcher with [redshirt freshman] Noah Miller and Joe’s been able to accelerate his development. And Matt Spear and Cade Ladehoff – two experienced guys – getting some of the best catching instruction they could get.”

Joe Donovan puts the Wolverines through a practice drill with a smile.

Donovan, drafted in the 33rd round by the Chicago Cubs after starring at Westmont (Ill.) High, signed with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He was likely to be drafted again, but the 40-round draft was shortened to five rounds that year.

He reached Triple-A Columbus for three games, but retired with Double-A Akron after getting 112 hits with 15 homers and a .653 OPS in 176 games in the minors. It was time to move on with his life after getting a good taste of pro ball.

What will he bring from that experience which could help these college players?

“I think – just first and foremost – perspective,” said Donovan, 26. “The reason I wanted to come back and get into a role like this is – after using my older brother as a resource – I wanted to be a resource like that for kids younger than me.

“As far as hard skills, learning how to game plan against pitchers, and basically adding value wherever I can.”

His older brother, Charlie Donovan, died after graduating from Westmont High in 2015 as the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and getting drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers. Joe wore Charlie’s No. 0 in his honor at Michigan, where Charlie was headed before his life ended.

Joe's three-run homer in the 10th inning on Senior Day in 2019 made the Wolverines 4-1 winners over Rutgers at Fisher Stadium. Charlie was honored like the rest of that class in a pre-game ceremony, and parents Jim and Karen Donovan along with Joe received a framed No. 0 uniform and photo of their older son in an emotional presentation from Bakich.

After that memorable game, soaking wet from his Gatorade bucket drenching by teammates, Joe sat in the dugout and explained the meaning behind his thick white bandana with a blue block M in the center.

"I had a brother who passed away," Joe told me. "When he passed away, I was in high school, and all of the surrounding neighborhoods, friends and family in the western suburbs (of Chicago) would tie white bandanas or ribbons around their trees in memory of my brother. So, I'm not a tree, but I wear it every inning of every game.

"It's something I like to think about. I just try to do a lot of things for him, and my coach (Bakich) said it, but I think we had a 10th man out there today, and it was my brother."

Charlie’s dorm roommate was going to be Ako Thomas – the star second baseman of the World Series team and one of Joe’s many cherished teammates.

Donovan said he’s mostly stayed in touch with Kerr and pitcher Ben Dragani from that team.

“We had a reunion this fall,” said Donovan. “So, it was great to be the intermediary between them [2019 team] and us – the old team and the new administration. That was great.”

Joe is the link to a team that was great, and the current team that wants to be great.

“The teams are similar in that they’re all amazing guys,” said Donovan. “The cool thing about all of the older guys that are here is that there’s a lot of experience, a lot of talent. Good hitters and really talented pitchers.

“I think they’re just tough at the end of the day, and that’s what I like to see out of them. They’re really professional and know how to get their work done. Guys like AJ Rausch. And they all care about being here, which is awesome.”

Rausch, an outfielder batting .333, now wears No. 0. Donovan, coaching first base, has No. 43 now.

Time goes on – just like the game.

SEASON UPDATE:

Michigan is 4-3 after facing a very demanding beginning to this season. The Wolverines beat No. 2 Virginia in claiming the Puerto Rico Challenge and gained a No. 25 ranking in the Baseball America poll. But then they lost to No. 5 Arkansas and No. 22 TCU in the College Baseball Series in Arlington, Tex.

Michigan will play the first of three games at traditional power Long Beach State on Friday before traveling March 4 to UCLA. The Big Ten season opens with three games with Illinois beginning March 7 in Vero Beach, Fla.