Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Toledo
Eagles Host Rockets for Final Homestand of the Season
5/13/2010 1:31:51 PM | Baseball
EMU hosts Toledo, May 14-16, at Oestrike Stadium for a key MAC West series
Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats
Listen Live (Sunday, May 16)
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team (25-24, 13-8 MAC) wraps up the home portion of its schedule this weekend, May 14-16, when they host the University of Toledo Rockets (28-19, 14-7 MAC) at Oestrike Stadium. Game one is scheduled for Friday, May 14, at 6:05 p.m., while games two and three, Saturday and Sunday, are scheduled for 3:05 p.m. and 1:05 p.m., respectively.
This weekend marks the final home series for seniors Aaron Crooks (Toledo, Ohio-Ottawa Hills), Andrew Marshall (Mason, Mich.-Mason), Todd Graves (St. Marys, Ohio-St. Marys Memorial), John Carrier (Ann Arbor, Mich.-Catholic Central), Kevin Sikora (Youngstown, Ohio Boardman) and Steve Young (Port Huron, Mich.-Port Huron Northern-Jackson C.C.).
Sunday's series finale and Senior Day will be available for an audio-only broadcast on Eagle All-Access via EMUEagles.com, with Chad Bush, Dan Wyar, and Greg Steiner providing all of the coverage from Oestrike Stadium, beginning at 12:45 p.m. Click here to register for the broadcast.
PITCHING PROBABLES: In game one, junior right-hander Corey Chaffins (4-4, 5.92 ERA) will start on the mound for the Eagles opposite Toledo right-handed pitcher Matt Suschak (3-1, 3.48 ERA). In game two, sophomore righty Kendall Lewis (6-2, 4.14 ERA) will start versus Toledo right-hander Mike Hamann (5-3, 4.18 ERA). In Sunday's series finale, freshman right-hander Steve Weber (2-3, 5.93 ERA) is scheduled for make his first MAC start of the season opposite Toledo right-hander Lincoln Rassi (5-3, 4.97 ERA).
EMU VERSUS TOLEDO: The Eagles lead the all-time series, 84-45, but have dropped the last two meetings against Toledo. Eastern Michigan and Toledo met twice in the 2009 MAC Tournament, with the Rockets taking the first meeting, 7-6, and the second meeting, 9-6. However, the Eagles had a winning record versus the Rockets during the regular season, taking two out of three meetings versus UT in Toledo. The Eagles out-scored the Rockets, 30-15, in three games during the regular season.
THE COACHES: EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander enters Friday's game with a 211-207 career record, including a 50-59 mark in his second season with the Eagles. Toledo's Cory Mee enters Friday's game with a 157-208 career record.
MAC TOURNAMENT ON THE HORIZON: With just six MAC games remaining this season, the 2010 MAC Tournament is just around the corner, May 26-29, at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. If the tournament started today, the Eagles would earn the No. 6 seed and would play the first game of the tournament versus No. 3 seeded Central Michigan. Ball State would earn the top seed, followed by Bowling Green, CMU, Toledo, Kent State, EMU, Ohio, and Miami.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Junior Zack Leonard enters Friday's game with 214 career hits, putting him eighth all-time in EMU baseball history. Leonard recently passed former teammates Kyle Rhoad and Steve Bradshaw on the all-time list and needs two hits to pass Ryan Arnett (2003-05) for seventh.
MOVIN' ON UP: Junior pitcher Corey Chaffins enters Friday's start with 188 career strikeouts, good for 10th in EMU baseball history. Chaffins needs 14 strikeouts to pass former EMU hurler Joe Linde (1999-2002) for ninth on the all-time list.
A GOLDEN PERFORMANCE: The EMU offense exploded for 17 runs on 15 hits versus the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, May 12, giving the Eagles their 25th win of the season and matching last year's win total for the entire season. The Eagles' 13 wins in MAC play also match last year's total.
GOING STREAKING: Sophomore Brent Ohrman is leading the Eagles with a team-best eight-game hitting streak. Not far behind, senior Aaron Crooks is currently riding a seven-game hitting streak.
SETTING THE TABLE: In 25 games with junior Bo Kinder hitting in the leadoff spot, the Eagles have an 18-7 record. In the month of April, Kinder batted .368 with a .596 slugging percentage, raising his batting average over .100 points.
GRAVE DIGGER: Senior infielder Todd Graves has walked 19 times in MAC play, good for first in the conference. On the year, Graves has tallied 32 walks, the second most on the team behind redshirt sophomore Ben Magsig (36).
MARSHALL LAW: With a home run last weekend at NIU, senior Andrew Marshall has tallied 35 career round-trippers, good for third place all-time in EMU history, passing EMU Athletic Hall of Famer Chris Hoiles (1984-86). Marshall trails only Derrick Peterson (41 home runs) and Ryan Goleski (51 career home runs) on the all-time list.
GETTING OFFENSIVE: The Eagles have scored 10 or more runs in five out of their last seven games. The EMU offense exploded for 17 runs on 15 hits versus Oakland, May 12, and 13 runs in their series finale victory at Northern Illinois, May 9.
