YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – After leading the Eagles to the No. 7 seed and a pair of wins in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in his first year, Eastern Michigan University Head Baseball Coach Jay Alexander is set for year two, as EMU begins its 2010 season with a doubleheader against the No. 25 ranked Kansas Jayhawks. Originally scheduled to be a three-game set in Lawrence, Kan., the two sqauds will now play a doubleheader Monday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m.
The Eagles return 15 letterwinners from a year ago, including seven position starters and seven pitchers. The team had two players selected in the 2009 MLB First-Year Players Draft, as Jim Gulliver was chosen in the 20th round by the Detroit Tigers, while Kyle Rhoad was picked in the 33rd round by the Texas Rangers. Other departures include outfielder Aaron Powell and pitchers Bobby Henderson, Kevin Wammes, and Sean Hoffman.
The 2010 season also brings to light an important part of history for the Eastern Michigan baseball program as it marks the 40-year anniversary of the team's 1970 NAIA National Championship. The then-Hurons needed all nine innings of game six to knock off Northeast Louisiana to claim the title, as Eastern Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame Member Jeff Peck was named the Tournament MVP for the Hurons, who won four games in their final at bat in the week-long tournament.
Behind the Plate
The Eagles have a wealth of experience returning behind the plate in 2010, as senior Andrew Marshall (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) and junior captain Matt Skirving (Midland, Mich.-H.H. Dow) will split time at catcher this season. A first-team All-Region and All-MAC selection last season, Skirving started 54 games, batting .348 with 16 homers (fifth in the MAC), a team-best 64 RBI (third in the MAC) and .647 slugging percentage. Behind the plate, Skirving caught 11 of 23 base runners trying to steal, putting him among the MAC's best. Marshall paced the EMU offense with a team-best 18 home runs last season (third in MAC) to go along with 54 RBI and 47 runs scored. Behind the plate, Marshall tied for second in the MAC with 16 runners caught stealing. Also, seeing time at catcher this season will be senior John Carrier (Ann Arbor, Mich.-Catholic Central) and freshman walk on Jeff Baublit (Saline, Mich.-Saline).
Around the Horn
The departure of Gulliver left a void for the Eagles at shortstop, but senior Aaron Crooks (Toledo, Ohio-Ottawa Hills), who started 54 games up the middle at second base with Gulliver at shortstop last season, will enter 2010 as the team's starting shortstop after a successful fall and off season. Crooks finished the 2009 season with a .950 fielding percentage, recording just 13 errors in 245 chances. At the plate, Crooks batted .210 with a pair of homers, with his first career long ball coming against Ball State, May 2. Also seeing time at shortstop this season will be junior college newcomer Aaron Chavez (Milpitas, Calif.-Milpitas-Ohlone College). Chavez started all 48 games for Ohlone College during the 2009 season hitting .272 with 34 hits and 12 RBI. Chavez topped the conference in double plays turned, finished the season with a .963 fielding percentage. Chavez also earned honorable mention All-Coast Conference honors last year and was also the Renegades' team captain.
A mainstay at third base for his first two seasons at EMU, junior Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) will make the transition to second base this season with Crooks moving to shortstop. Leonard tallied just 11 errors all season last year, finishing with a .930 fielding percentage. In his first two seasons at EMU, Leonard has been named to the MAC All-Tournament team twice, earning MVP honors in 2008 to lead the Eagles to an NCAA Regional appearance. In eight career MAC Tournament games, Leonard is batting .444 (16-for-36) with four home runs, four doubles and 18 RBI. In just two seasons, Leonard has tallied 156 hits and is on pace to break Derrick Peterson's all-time record of 274 career hits.
Taking over for Leonard at the hot corner will be redshirt sophomore newcomer Ben Magsig (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.). An Academic All-American last year at Lansing C.C., Magsig had a stellar 2009 season, winning the Division II Junior College batting title after hitting .557 with a .710 on-base percentage, while tallying three homers, nine doubles, four triples and 31 RBI.
Rounding out the infield is senior first baseman Todd Graves (St. Marys, Ohio-St. Marys Memorial), who played in 39 games last season at first and as the designated hitter. Graves goes into his senior year with a .282 career average at 18 home runs, including 11 during the 2009 season. Last year, Graves finished second on the team with a .991 fielding percentage, recording only two errors all year. Graves missed a good portion of time his first two seasons with a shoulder injury, but finished strong in the final half of 2009 to become one of the MAC's top power hitters.
Also seeing playing time in the field will be sophomore Kyle Klein (Grand Rapids, Mich.-West Catholic) and true freshmen Joe Battistelli (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) and Taylor Dimmerling (Perrysburg, Ohio-Perrysburg), who will both see time on the mound as well.
The Outfield
With the departure of Rhoad and Powell, the Eagles go into 2010 with a fresh look in the outfield. Taking over duties in center will be junior college newcomer Bo Kinder (Wapella, Ill.-Clinton Community-Kaskaskia College). Along side Kinder in left will be sophomore Brent Ohrman (Adrian, Mich.-Adrian), who had an impressive off season where he was named to the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Team. In right, junior Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) makes his return to the lineup after missing all of last year with a torn ACL. Also, competing for a spot in the outfield will be sophomore Wally Gerbus (Fairfield, Ohio-Stephen T. Baden), who earned National Player of the Week accolades last season after a four home run and nine RBI performance at Bowling Green, April 8. Several newcomers will also compete for playing time in the outfield, including Daniel Russell (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville), Sam Ott (Canton, Mich.-Salem) and Dae Bowden (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney Young).
On the Mound
Coming off Tommy John surgery in 2008, junior captain Corey Chaffins (New London, Ohio-New London) came back strong in 2009 to earn second-team All-MAC accolades, including MAC West Pitcher of the Week honors twice. Chaffins tallied 69 strikeouts in 66.2 innings pitched last season, finishing with a 5-3 record at 7.83 ERA. Chaffins earned MAC West Pitcher of the Week honors after a 14-strikeout performance against Ball State, May 1, and April 13 after a stellar performance against Ohio. Chaffins enters the 2010 season as EMU's top starting pitcher.
Sophomores Kendall Lewis (Huntsville, Ohio-Indian Lake) and Jordan Glover (Toronto, Ontario-Ontario Schools) come into 2010 as the No. 2 and 3 starters after solid freshmen campaigns. Lewis finished with a 5-4 record in 16 appearances last year, including a stellar performance against the regionally bound Buckeyes from Ohio State, May 12, where he yielded just one run over five innings to pick up the victory in Columbus. Glover made 11 starts for the Eagles last year, finishing the season with a 3-5 record and 6.31 ERA. Glover was named the MAC West Pitcher of the Week, May 17, after striking out a career-best nine batters and pitching EMU's first shutout since 2007 in the team's 5-0 win over Central Michigan, May 15.
Expected to make an impact as the team's weekday starting pitchers are a trio of players from the Buckeye State, as right-handed hurlers Brett Cisper (Loveland, Ohio-Moeller), Steve Weber (North Royalton, Ohio-North Royalton) and redshirt sophomore lefty Collin Taylor (Cincinnati, Ohio-Lakota West) are all expected to contribute this season.Cisper could also contribute in the closer role. Taylor is coming off Tommy John surgery last season, but has impressed the coaching staff this off season and will look to make an immediate impact in 2010.
The Eagles also have a solid core of relievers coming back from a year ago, including senior right hander Steve Young (Port Huron, Mich.-Port Huron Northern), who led the team with a 4.70 ERA in 17 appearances last year. Junior righty Tim Combs (Dayton, Ohio-Wayne) and senior left handed pitcher Kevin Sikora (Youngstown, Ohio-Boardman) also return in 2010 and will see extended innings on the mound. True freshman Neil Butara (Euclid, Ohio-St. Ignatius) could end up taking over closer duties after the departure of Kevin Wammes.
Pitching at some point during the season is junior Rob Wendzicki (Brook Park, Ohio-Midpark), who missed all of last season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. Wendzicki suffered another setback this offseason when he was unable to participate in summer league baseball and fall workouts after a serious illness kept him off the field. Wendzicki, a 6-foot-1 lefty, has a 3-6 all-time record in 49.2 innings at EMU, including 10 career saves, nine of which came during the 2008 season (second most in a single season in EMU history). If healthy, Wendzicki could also see time in the field at first base.
Also seeing innings on the mound this season will be freshmen Chad Luckie (Rootstown, Ohio-Rootstown) and Joe Posler (Plymouth, Mich.-Salem).
The Schedule
Like previous years, the Eagles will begin the season with several of the nation's top teams on the schedule.
EMU begins its 2010 season in Lawrence, Kan. for three games against the No. 25 Jayhawks, Feb. 19-21, at Hoglund Ballpark. From there, the team treks to Mobile, Ala. for the Coke Classic, Feb. 26-28, where they take on host South Alabama, North Florida and perennial college baseball powerhouse Wichita State.
After a four-game set in Morgantown, W. Va., against the Mountaineers of West Virginia, March 19-21, Alexander makes his return to a familiar place when the Eagles head to Detroit, Mich. to square off against the Wayne State Warriors, March 23. Alexander coached the Warriors from 2002-08, where he recorded the most wins in school history in 2008 (34) en route to GLIAC Coach of the Year honors and the conference title.
After compiling a 5-4 record against opponents from the Big Ten Conference last season, the Eagles have just four games against a pair of instate rivals from the Big Ten this season. EMU will square off against former Head Coach Jake Boss. Jr. and the Michigan State Spartans in Jacksonville, Ala., March 12, before beginning a three-game set against Jacksonville State. The Eagles and Spartans meet twice more in 2010, as EMU hosts MSU Friday, April 27, at Oestrike Stadium. A day later, the two teams play in East Lansing at 7:05 p.m. at Olds Park.
The Eagles will also battle the Wolverines from Michigan, March 30, at Ray Fisher Stadium in the battle of Washtenaw County. The Eagles and Wolverines met four times last season with each team taking two games. In their last meeting, EMU claimed an 11-5 win in game two of an afternoon doubleheader in Ann Arbor.
The Eagles return to the friendly confines of Oestrike Stadium, April 4, when the Falcons from Bowling Green invade Ypsilanti for a MAC three-game set. The Eagles will also play host to the defending MAC Tournament champion Golden Flashes from Kent State, April 9-11. EMU wraps up the regular season in Mount Pleasant, Mich., May 22-24, for a three-game series against rivals Central Michigan.
Like the previous two years, the 2010 MAC Tournament will be held at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. In eight MAC Tournament appearances, the Eagles have an all-time record of 21-9, good for the best winning percentage (.700) among all MAC schools. In Chillicothe, the Eagles have an all-time mark of 6-2, which includes the 2008 MAC Tournament title.
