Eagles Meet with Michigan for Midweek Home-and-Home Series

Baseball vs Michigan (25-13, 12-2 B1G)
Date	Tuesday-Wednesday, May 1-2
Venue	Ray Fisher Stadium \| Oestrike Stadium
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	MGoBlue.com \| EMUEagles.com
TV/Stream	Big Ten Network (BTN2Go) (Tues. Only)
Radio	Eagle All-Access (Tues. Only)
Twitter	@EMUBaseball

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will remain in Washtenaw County for its midweek as it takes on the University of Michigan in a home-and-home series, Tuesday-Wednesday, May 1-2. The battle between county rivals begins in Ann Arbor on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. first pitch, followed by a return trip to Oestrike Stadium on Wednesday with another 6 p.m. start time.
   The action can be tracked live on Twitter by following @EMU_Baseball. Tuesday's game will air on the Big Ten Network, as well as BTN2Go. Fans can also follow the game through live stats, as well as through the airwaves of Eagle All-Access on Tuesday with Greg Steiner on the call. As always, admission into Oestrike Stadium is free of charge.

ALL-TIME VS. THE WOLVERINES: Eastern and UM have met 185 times since EMU began keeping records in 1949, which is the most meetings all-time for Eastern against any opponent. Michigan holds a 119-64-2 advantage in the series. The two schools have met each season since 1964. Last year, UM won both meetings, including a 2-1 walk-off loss for EMU, April 11. Eastern's last win in the series came in 2015, a 4-2 win in Ann Arbor, April 15, a span of six games.

GOING STREAKING!: Entering the week, freshman Nate Jones is on a 14-game hitting streak, the longest this season for the Eagles. The 14-game streak is the longest for an EMU player since Mike Mioduszewski had a 16-gamer last year. In addition, it's the longest hitting streak for an EMU true freshman in the modern statistical era (since 2000).

MR. DO IT ALL: Junior Max Schuemann has been a five-tool threat for the Eagles this season, showing production in all aspects of the game. He has started all 40 games for the Eagles, 39 at shortstop, and leads EMU in batting, slugging, and on-base percentages, hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, total bases, and steals. He is also second in home runs. His steals are second in the MAC, while his hits and doubles are fourth, total bases are fifth, batting average seventh, runs eighth, and slugging tenth. He is also the fourth toughest player to strike out in the MAC.
   In the field, Schuemann has 120 assists, good for second in the MAC, while he has helped turn 21 double plays, placing him ninth in the conference.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Going into the season, EMU already knew it would have to rely on a bevy of young talent to play a lot of crucial innings, as they started the year with more newcomers (15) than returners (13). The freshmen have shown out as Eastern is fourth in the country in starts by freshmen (true and redshirt) with 141 combined between seven players. Only Utah (174), Vanderbilt (147), and UNC Wilmington (141) have more entering the week.

EAGLES HEATING UP ON THE MOUND: Since entering conference play, EMU's pitching staff has been lights out against its competition. As a staff, EMU holds a 3.47 ERA in MAC-only games, which is third in the league. In addition, EMU starting pitchers Luke DeVenney and Justin McMurtrey have ERAs of 1.53 and 2.70, respectively, in their first six MAC starts, which ranks second and 12th in the league.

DEVENNEY DOMINATING ON THE HILL: Despite being a senior, Luke DeVenney is in just his second season as a pitcher at EMU. After being a primary bullpen/midweek pitcher in 2017, DeVenney has found his way into the weekend rotation in 2018. He has been fantastic this season, leading the team in ERA (2.64), IPs (64.2), and strikeouts (46). His ERA ranks fifth in the conference, while his IPs are ninth. He has also not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his 11 starts.

OWINGS OWNING THE DISH: Sophomore Zachary Owings has been one of Eastern's top bats so far this season, as he is second on the team with a .339 batting average, which ranks ninth in the MAC. He has two separate 10-game hitting streaks this year, and has also recorded a hit in 25-of-32 games. He is also on a 17-game reached base streak.

FOR THE GREATER GOOD: When EMU gets runners on base, almost no other team is more unselfish when it comes to advancing them an extra base. Thus far this season, EMU is 24th in the nation and fourth in the MAC with 35 sacrifice bunts. In addition, sophomore Devin Hager is seventh in the country with 12 sac bunts.

ZOOM ZOOM: In each of the last three seasons, EMU has finished in the top-60 nationally in stolen bases, including third in the NCAA in 2016 and 11th in 2015. This season, Eastern is near the top once again, as it has swiped 71 bags, good for 23rd in the country and first in the MAC.

ALL HE DOES IS WIN: Junior Mitchell Sparks has been rewarded for having the most appearances for EMU this season as he has tallied a team-leading six wins in 17 games. His six wins are fourth in the MAC and 69th in the nation.

ALL-TIME AT OESTRIKE: 2018 marks the 48th season at the friendly confines of Oestrike Stadium since its opening in 1971. In its long-standing history, EMU holds a 530-378-2 record at the stadium. Of the 47 previous seasons, 34 have resulted in winning home records for Eastern.

PEEKING AT THE POST SEASON: With six of the nine weekend series of the Mid-American Conference season in the rear-view mirror, EMU currently sits in a tie for fifth place in the MAC with a 9-9 record. The standings are tight, however, as the Eagles only sit four games out of first place, as well as just four games out last place.
   EMU's final three conference series will come against the top two teams in the MAC, Kent State (13-5), and Central Michigan (11-7), as well as the current last place team, Northern Illinois (5-13). The top-six teams will qualify for the 2018 MAC Tournament held at Sprenger Stadium in Avon, Ohio, May 23-27.

ON THE HORIZON: EMU remains in the state of Michigan with a weekend road series at rival Central Michigan University, May 4-6. The three-game set versus the Chippewas is set to begin with a 3:05 first pitch, Friday, May 4.

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Players Mentioned

Luke DeVenney

Devin Hager

Nate Jones

Justin McMurtrey

Zachary Owings

Max Schuemann

Mitchell Sparks

Eastern Michigan Athletics